brightSTAR Communities names Mike Daley chief operating officer

brightSTAR Communities appointed Mike Daley as chief operating officer on Sept. 18, 2026, as the Cincinnati-based manufactured housing owner-operator continues rapid expansion across Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. The hire is meant to help the company scale operations, oversee community improvements and support resident experience across a portfolio that has grown to 31 communities and more than 2,600 home sites.

Why it matters: - brightSTAR Communities is adding operating leadership as it absorbs 14 community acquisitions in six months. - The COO role is meant to help the company scale without losing the hands-on resident service that supports occupancy, retention and revenue growth. - The move comes as brightSTAR expands in markets where little new affordable housing is being built.

What happened: - brightSTAR Communities named Mike Daley chief operating officer. - Daley will oversee day-to-day operations across the company’s manufactured housing portfolio. - The appointment follows brightSTAR’s most active stretch to date, including acquisitions in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. - The company added 14 communities in the last six months, including a four-community, 559-site entry into Illinois in August. - Daley is based at brightSTAR’s Cincinnati home office.

The details: - Daley previously served as executive vice president of operations and people at Independence Realty Trust, a publicly traded multifamily REIT. - At Independence Realty Trust, Daley oversaw about 36,000 apartment homes across 120 properties. - Daley’s background also includes senior leadership roles at RealPage, where he served as president of Level One, plus Bench Accounting and LexisNexis. - Across those roles, Daley led geographically dispersed teams and had responsibility for more than 2,300 employees across 15 countries. - brightSTAR’s current portfolio includes 31 communities and more than 2,600 home sites across three states. - The company says its operating model includes responsive onsite management, visible reinvestment in each community and steady transitions for residents when ownership changes. - brightSTAR has capital improvement programs underway at each of the new communities. - Those projects include new and upgraded roads, infrastructure work, enhanced amenities and improved curb appeal. - brightSTAR is also infilling communities with new attainable homes to raise occupancy. - The company’s goal is to strengthen operations and drive durable value over time. - brightSTAR is headquartered in Cincinnati. - Daley is an Omaha native who has made the Cincinnati area home.

Between the lines: - The hire signals brightSTAR is shifting from acquisition mode to more formal operating scale. - The company is betting that resident experience and visible site improvements will matter as much as expansion pace. - Schilling framed the role as a people-first operations seat, saying residents should feel improvement, not growth.

What’s next: - Daley will be responsible for carrying the company’s operating playbook across a wider footprint. - brightSTAR plans to keep investing in community upgrades and infill as it expands geographically. - More information is available on brightSTAR’s website.

The bottom line: - brightSTAR Communities is pairing rapid portfolio growth with a seasoned operations executive to keep service, occupancy and community investment aligned during expansion.