Talking Stick - July/August 2018 - 45

S. Earl Thompson Award

Eric Luskin
The Scion Group

E

ric Luskin has worked in the student housing field since 1975,
including a combined 27 years
on the campuses of Northern Illinois
University, Ashland University, Illinois
Institute of Technology, the University
of Michigan and DePaul University. Becoming a principal of The Scion Group
in 2002, he went on to work as an advisor in more than 150 campus markets
throughout the U.S., as well as in Canada, Mexico and the U.K.
Over his career, he has served
ACUHO-I as the host committee chair
of the Apartments Conference, chair of
the Certificate in Occupancy Management committee, authored the chapter
on "Legal, Safety and Operational Issues"
in the ACUHO-I publication College
and University Apartment Housing,and

"No one enters the field
thinking they will be
able to retire early, so
the driving factor is the
desire for keeping higher
education accessible to
students and the passion
to make a difference in
the lives of others."

as a presenter at numerous conferences
and webinars on a diverse range of topics, including pest control, child care,
community centers, strategic planning
and the Fair Housing Act. Luskin announced his "semi" retirement in 2016,
but still assists Scion with select clients,
continues to facilitate campus workshops on Fair Housing, and provides
training at all 90 Scion communities on
compliance with the FHA. Upon his retirement, Scion made a major donation
to ACUHO-I in his honor, which helped
launch the first-ever Mid-Level Management Institute. Encouraging professional development has always been one of
Luskin's priorities.
He was also the recipient of the
Dick Daines Memorial Award from
ACUHO-I and the Michigan Property
Manager of the Year Award from the
Institute of Real Estate Management
(IREM). Luskin is a Certified Property Manager® through IREM, and he is a
graduate of Wilmington College (Ohio)
and of Peabody College of Vanderbilt
University.
What is the first memory that jumps
into your mind when you think about
your career in campus housing?
The enjoyment I've experienced and
hard work I've witnessed from the colleagues with whom I've been associated.
No one enters the field thinking they
will be able to retire early, so the driving
factor is the desire for keeping higher
education accessible to students and the
passion to make a difference in the lives
of others. Who wouldn't want to be surrounded by others with that much commitment?!?

When do you first remember being
aware of ACUHO-I
First experience was with a regional
conference and the opportunity to share
perspectives with others in the field was
priceless, from which I've gained more
than from all of my academic and certification coursework combined.
Who were your mentors and influencers when you first got started? How did
they assist you?
My first supervisors at Northern Illinois
University, including Willard Draper,
Gary Gresholdt, Jack Felver and Don
Buckner, all encouraged my participation and recognized my involvement
with presentations and writings.
What were the major issues in the field
during your career? How do they differ
from what practitioners face today?
The most challenging issue when I began my career was influencing the lives
of residents, particularly in regard to
academic persistence, and providing
safe environments that support the college-age adult developmentally. Today,
of equal importance, the environmental and financial landscapes have added three additional priorities: a) compliance with regulations; b) seamless
technology and learning facilities; and
c) expectations for improved operating
efficiencies.
In six words, how would you describe
ACUHO-I?
For me, ACUHO-I equals: leadership
opportunities, professional support, advocacy, and rewarding.
Talking Stick - July/August 2018

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