Self-Storage Management Firm SAM Announces Organizational Changes

Storage Asset Management (SAM), a self-storage management and consulting company, announced several organization changes. The restructuring was done to amplify leadership capabilities and reposition key functions, according to a press release.

Lee Kunkel was promoted from director of corporate operations to director of virtual operations, responsible for overseeing and optimizing the management of the company’s storage facilities through virtual means. Lee joined SAM in 2013 as an assistant store manager and was later named store manager. In 2017, he was promoted to district manager, then transitioned to senior training and development manager in 2021. He played a pivotal role in establishing SAM’s training department, the release stated.

Most recently, Kunkel served as director of operations, overseeing training, compliance and operations support. He was awarded the company’s “District Manager of the Year Award” in 2019 and twice received the “SAM Core Values Award.”

Darren Laratonda was promoted to chief operations officer to oversee corporate operations, the company’s customer-care center, field operations, revenue management and virtual management. He previously served as call-center director and most recently as senior vice president of corporate operations. Laratonda joined SAM in 2022 after 11 years with self-storage real estate investment trust Life Storage as vice president (VP) of operations and VP of customer care and training and development.

Susan Newcomer transitioned from corporate operations to director of human resources. After joining SAM in 2022, she’ll continue to oversee training and development while focusing on organizational development and succession planning.

Michael Stratton was promoted from VP of project management to VP of corporate operations. He joined SAM in July after working at Life Storage for 23 years, focusing on project management and various strategic roles.

Ronn Tisby was promoted to VP of customer care after serving as its director. He’ll drive collaboration between virtual operations and the customer-care center. Since joining the company in 2022, he’s been instrumental in establishing and leading this division. He previously worked with Life Storage for six years, serving as senior client-relations manager and overseeing the largest individual portfolio in the organization.

“As we continue to grow, it’s crucial that we enhance our leadership and operational structure to meet the demands of our dynamic business environment,” said CEO Alyssa Quill. “These changes are designed to provide additional bandwidth and strategic alignment, ultimately positioning SAM and the properties we manage for continued success. I’m incredibly proud of our team's progress and look forward to the positive impact these updates will bring.”

Founded in 2010 by Quill and Jay Hoke, SAM manages nearly 600 self-storage facilities nationwide. It’s based in York, Pennsylvania.