Amber Fairbanks
About Amber Fairbanks
Amber Fairbanks is Executive Vice President, Property Management at MAA, responsible for operations across the entire multifamily portfolio. She joined MAA via the Colonial Properties Trust merger (Oct 2013), was elevated to Divisional SVP overseeing multiple regions, and was promoted to EVP, Property Management in Oct 2022; she is age 44. Education: BS in Business Management & Marketing (Coastal Carolina University) and MBA (The Citadel). She serves on NMHC’s Property Operations Committee, providing sector best-practices input to MAA’s platform . Company performance context for her operating remit: 2024 Core FFO per share was $8.88 (at target) and Same Store NOI declined 1.4% versus guidance range, underscoring operational efficiency and margin focus in her domain .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colonial Properties Trust | Property operations roles | 2002–2013 | Built operating expertise later integrated at MAA post-merger, supporting execution in Sunbelt markets . |
| MAA | Divisional SVP, Property Management | 2013–2022 | Led multi-region operations; scaled processes and teams ahead of EVP promotion . |
| MAA | EVP, Property Management | 2022–present | Oversees portfolio-wide property operations, a core driver of SS NOI performance and resident experience . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) | Property Operations Committee (current) | N/A | Contributes to industry operating standards and benchmarking leveraged in MAA’s platform . |
| Charleston Apartment Association | Board of Directors (prior) | N/A | Local market engagement and operational perspective (Charleston, SC) . |
Fixed Compensation
- Not disclosed. Amber Fairbanks is not a Named Executive Officer (NEO) in the proxy; MAA only discloses detailed cash/equity compensation tables for NEOs (CEO, CFO, President/CIO, CAO/GC, CSAO) .
Performance Compensation
- Not disclosed specifically for Amber. For context, MAA’s executive incentive architecture (for NEOs) emphasizes pay-for-performance using company metrics aligned to market guidance and TSR:
| Metric (2024) | Weighting (NEO context) | Target | Actual | Vesting/Payout Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core FFO per Share | 50% (non-CEO NEOs) | $8.88 | $8.88 | AIP cash; awards based on guidance-linked ranges . |
| SS NOI Growth | 25% (NEOs) | -1.30% | -1.40% | AIP cash; performance between threshold and target . |
| FAD (LTIP) | 30% of LTIP | $741.09m | $745.48m | Performance shares earned; 2-year vesting after grant . |
| 3-yr Relative TSR vs Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Apartments Index | 50% of LTIP | Target = Index | Below threshold | No award earned for 2022 LTIP cycle; future 2024 LTIP TSR settles in 2027 . |
| Service-based RS | 20% of LTIP | N/A | N/A | 3-year ratable vesting, retention-oriented . |
Notes: The above reflects the NEO framework; Amber’s specific incentive weights/targets were not disclosed .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Rule 10b5-1 plan (Q3’25 adoption) | Adopted 8/22/2025; start 1/6/2026; end 4/15/2026 . |
| Plan nature | Sale of 100% of net shares from the vesting of restricted stock awards; gross vesting quantity: 1,627 shares (net of withholding) . |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited for directors and executive officers; no exceptions permitted post-2025 annual meeting (grandfathered director pledge removed) . |
| Trading windows/pre-clearance | Insider Trading Policy mandates trading windows and pre-clearance; Rule 10b5-1 compliance embedded in procedures . |
| Holding period | NEOs must retain at least 50% of net shares acquired via equity plans until retirement/termination; demonstrates long-term alignment (applies to NEOs; executive-level specifics for non-NEOs not disclosed) . |
| Clawback | Compensation recoupment policy for current/former executive officers in case of restatement (3-year lookback) . |
Employment Terms
- Employment agreement: Only the CEO has a specific employment agreement; no employment agreement is disclosed for Amber Fairbanks .
- Change-in-control (CIC): CIC terms are detailed for certain NEOs (2.99× salary+bonus, accelerated vesting, legal fee coverage), but Amber is not listed among disclosed CIC agreements .
- Non-compete/Non-solicit: Not disclosed specifically for Amber; CIC agreements for certain NEOs include post-termination competitive restrictions tied to MAA property locations .
Investment Implications
- Operating leverage: As EVP of Property Management, Amber’s execution impacts SS NOI trajectory, expense control, and resident experience. 2024 SS NOI was -1.4% (vs guidance range), and Core FFO reached target—reinforcing a need for continued margin discipline and pricing strategy within operations .
- Selling pressure: Her 10b5-1 plan covers sales of net shares solely from vesting events (gross 1,627 shares), indicating pre-programmed, limited-flow selling tied to award vesting rather than discretionary liquidation—low incremental pressure signal .
- Alignment safeguards: Prohibitions on hedging/pledging and recoupment policies strengthen alignment and reduce governance risk; holding requirements for NEOs further mitigate short-termism. While Amber’s specific ownership multiples are not disclosed, the policy framework covers executive officers broadly .
- Disclosure gap: Lack of granular pay and CIC disclosures for non-NEO executives creates uncertainty on individual incentive weights and severance economics; however, company-wide incentive design and governance practices indicate robust pay-for-performance orientation and risk controls (annual say-on-pay approval 91% in 2024) .
Overall, Amber’s role is central to property-level value creation. The structured 10b5-1 plan and MAA’s governance policies reduce red flags around alignment and insider selling, while operating KPIs (SS NOI, Core FFO) remain the key levers to watch under her remit .