James Young "Jay" Robinson was partner and president at Burkley Communities, until June 2021 when he died as the result of an accident while skiing in Colorado. Every year, Burkley Communities holds a gathering to remember Jay, who was known for his joyful, "glass more than half full" nature. He grew up in Charlotte, but after attending Appalachian State University, he made his way to Greensboro in 1990 where he and his wife raised their family.
Burkley Communities is a real estate company that builds, and manages apartment communities, student housing, and single family homes. They seem to have created a culture of caring both within the company and with their clients. They emphasize improving properties and have staff with titles like "Director of Innovation" and "Director of Learning and Development." Those titles alone point to the people-oriented culture in the company. People who knew him commented about how much Jay contributed to building that culture. We didn't know him personally, we did get a sense of the kind of person he was at the October 8th event at Oden Brewing. There was live music, the Big Red Bus bloodmobile, and a fundraiser for breast cancer. It is so heartbreaking to know how much his family and work community miss Jay. It is heartwarming to know there are people who do good, inspire and mentor others. For a very long time, his memory will stay with those who knew and loved him. The weather was perfect on Tuesday and Jay's presence was felt.
Happy Thursday!
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