HEIRLOOM - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Property Management
Dawn grew up in rural Illinois and moved to Duluth as a young adult. Duluth's boundless opportunities and potential made it the perfect choice for her forever home. With a diverse background in hotel management, small business ownership, sales, and event coordination, Dawn honed her skills over the years. This effort culminated in her role of Director of Sales and Events at Northland Country Club. In 2022, she brought her wealth of experience to the Heirloom Team, where she leads the Vacation Rental business.
Under Dawn's guidance, Heirloom Vacations has experienced significant growth, marked by a steadfast commitment to quality control, accountability, guest retention, and elevating the guest experience. She has successfully steered her team through periods of expansion while maintaining unwavering standards of excellence and consistency.
Outside of work, Dawn embraces curiosity, often exploring new experiences like hiking into George Crosby Manitou State Park, kayaking, and cycling on Duluth's scenic trails. She cherishes moments spent with family and her dog, finding joy in the simple pleasures of life.
John moved to Duluth in order to dive head first into a new city with the intention to enter the rental market. He thoroughly enjoys Duluth because of its breathtaking natural beauty inside the city, the music scene, and the small town feel that this mini-metro has. John made the decision to work in property management after experiencing some of the problems people can face as renters, with the intention to make this process as easy, enjoyable, and comfortable as possible. The thing he enjoys most about being part of the Heirloom team is the team itself. He loves being surrounded by the most exceptional people with a shared drive to raise the standards and better the business while striving to build meaningful relationships inside and outside our company. Outside of work, John spends his time as a musician, actor, voice actor, puppy dad, and as a loving fiancé.
Michael was first introduced to construction and entrepreneurship growing up alongside his father. Mike started a summer painting business while attending UMD, and quickly became involved in remodeling and real estate. With each new house, there were numerous new projects which proved to be a excellent hands-on education in the trades. Since then Mike has blossomed into a local entrepreneur and real estate investor. Heirloom is the combination of Mike's life in real estate which includes management, realty, and construction. He enjoys sharing his experience to help new investors find property, solve financing and work through renovations. He's a lifelong learner with other pursuits both entrepreneurial and personal including saw-milling, fine furniture making, running, cooking, and traveling. Accomplishments:
Licensed Real Estate Broker in MN and WI.
Purchased and renovated over 100 properties in the Duluth area.
Twice nominated for the Labovitz Entrepreneurial Success award.
President of the City of Duluth Planning Commission.
Duluth Heritage Preservation Alliance award recipient.
Facilitate the Duluth Real Estate Investment Masterclass.
Co-founder of Lake Ave Restaurant, winner of the "Best Restaurant in MN Worth a Drive" award.
5 time Grandmas 1/2 Marathon finisher.
Job Titles:
- Business Development Manager
Neal is one of Heirloom's strongest advocates. He attended UMD, where he received a B.A. in Organizational Management and Marketing. After school, Neal decided to start investing in rental properties. For several reasons, Neal decided Duluth was the ideal hub for his investments moving forward. At the time, Neal was living out of state and needed management services. During his search for a professional property management company, he discovered Heirloom and met Michael. He became a customer of our management services and continues to employ Heirloom services. Neal currently works as our Business Development Manager and our in-house Realtor to assist investors sell & acquire properties, as well as analyzing on and off-market deals. If you're a property investor interested in investing in the Duluth area, Neal should be your first call.
Job Titles:
- Construction Supervisor
- Vice President
Nick grew up in the twin cities and fell in love with Duluth and the North Shore while earning his B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota Duluth. While attending UMD, he ran a summer painting business and was introduced to Michael Schraepfer. The two became fast friends, both shared an interest in entrepreneurship and rental properties. His entry into rental property ownership was spurred through the help of Michael and has allowed him to continue to invest in properties over the years. In 2013 Nick was nominated for the Labovitz Entrepreneurial Success Award alongside Michael and one other partner. After a brief relocation to Minneapolis, Nick, his wife, and children "came home" as he likes to say, and joined the Heirloom team. Nick brings many years of business and project management experience to Heirloom. When not at work Nick enjoys spending time outdoors with his family, mountain biking, and exploring Duluth's abundant parks. Accomplishments:
Investor Owner of Rental Properties in Duluth
Nominee for the Labovitz Emerging Entrepreneurial Award
5 time Green Lake triathlon finisher
3-time BU 10-hour triathlon finisher
2 time Ragnar Relay finisher
Sarah grew up in the Duluth Area and earned her B.S. in Criminology and Sociology from the University of Minnesota Duluth. After working for a couple of local non-profits in management roles, Sarah began her career in real estate and property management in 2013. In 2018, Sarah was introduced to Michael and became a part of Heirloom, bringing over a decade of small business management and real estate experience to the team. She enjoys process development, coaching, and building teams, with a major emphasis on building and scaling efficient operations. When not working, Sarah enjoys the outdoors (especially weekends at the cabin on Lake Vermillion), sewing, and shooting hoops with her three kids.
Zach grew up in Iowa where he attended the University of Iowa. While going to school there he received a bachelors in finance. He fell in love with Duluth after visiting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area for the first time his freshmen year of college. He moved to Duluth upon graduating college and swears he will never move back to Iowa. Since, graduating Zach has worked in a variety of accounting roles. Zach's strengths include cost accounting, bookkeeping, ratio analysis and payroll. Outside of work Zach likes to spend as much time as he can outside. Some of his hobbies are mountain biking, running, grilling, hiking, taking care of his dog and of course going to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area as many times as he can a year. A fun fact about Zach that not many people know is that he actually did his senior of high school in Fairbanks, AK. Accomplishments:
4 time half marathon finisher
3 time finisher of the Lutsen 69er
2 time finisher of the Chequamegon Fat Tire Fest
Anonymously voted as one of Duluth's up and coming young professionals
Visitor of 20+ Boundary Water Canoe Area Entry Points