Meet Our Management Team
For more than 30 years, Argus Professional Storage Management has been a leader in self-storage property management.
Executive Leadership
Ben Vestal
Chief Executive Officer
Over the past 20 years, Ben Vestal has been involved with the management, development, construction, and brokerage of commercial real estate properties. As the CEO of Argus Professional Storage Management, Ben is responsible for the management and overall operation of the company.
Ben also serves as President of Argus Self Storage Advisors, the only national network of commercial real estate brokers who specialize in self-storage properties, and he has personally been involved in over a billion dollars in self-storage transactions and is frequently asked to share his specialized expertise at self-storage conventions around the United States.
Korey Hanson
President, Chief Operating Officer
As President of Argus Professional Storage Management, Korey Hanson is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the management company and more than 250 managed storage facilities. Korey has been a part of this company since it began in 2012. He works closely with all members of the management team to ensure maximum efficiency of day-to-day operations while remaining active in new management acquisitions and maintaining client relations. He also sits on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Self Storage Association.
A University of Arizona graduate, Korey started out in the self-storage business as an Area Manager quickly working his way up to Director of Operations and eventually to President of Argus. Gaining experience in all areas of self storage allowed Korey to see how development, operations, marketing, and finance all work together to create a business.
Amy Hitchingham
Executive Vice President
Amy Hitchingham joined Argus Self Storage Advisors in 2002 and served as the company’s Director of Marketing & Operations before becoming Executive Vice President in 2006. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado where she was a member of the Sigma Iota Epsilon honors fraternity and received Dean’s List honors throughout her tenure.
Amy has experience in the advertising and marketing fields and has worked in various industries including commercial building, healthcare, and business-to-business advertising. With over 20 years of experience in the self-storage industry, Amy has specialized expertise in marketing this unique property type. She is responsible for all the marketing and operations functions of the Argus Network.
Jason Hert
Chief Financial Officer
Jason Hert joined the Argus Professional Storage Management team in 2022. Jason holds an Accounting Degree from Michigan State University and is a Certified Public Accountant. Growing up in Michigan, he has made Arizona his home for the past 22 years.
In Jason’s spare time, he enjoys unwinding with his wife and two children, loves golf when he gets a chance, and is an avid sports fan.
David Vivancos
Vice President of Operations
David Vivancos has more than 20 years of experience in the self-storage industry and considers himself fortunate to have worked with many solid, people-focused leaders and organizations with great cultures in the past.
A graduate of Florida International University, David got his start in retail in the music business before moving to self storage in 2000. His primary focus is ensuring processes are operationally sound and fostering an environment which encourages both personal and professional growth and development.
Facilities & Capital Improvements
Jason Farlee
Director of Facilities
Jason Farlee joined the Argus Professional Storage Management Team in 2017 and serves as the company’s Director of Capital Improvements. He works with the management team to address the capital improvement needs of all client properties. From routine maintenance to major property renovations, Jason strives to ensure that all of APSM’s managed facilities are maintained at the highest level possible.
Prior to joining APSM, Jason worked as a Parent Aide Coordinator for Aviva Children’s Services where he acquired valuable skills in the management of programs and personnel. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps out of high school, he earned a BA in Psychology from the University of Arizona. Jason enjoys spending time with his family and friends, and on weekends he can be found fishing, hunting, or working around the house.
Marketing
Jason Christley
Director, Marketing
Jason Christley brings to Argus Professional Storage Management more than 20 years of experience in the marketing & communications space for professional sports. Since joining in November of 2023, he has overseen APSM’s Marketing Department with a focus on client services, reputation management, and project development. His team manages clients’ Google Adwords campaigns and works with our web companies on developing and maintaining all of APSM’s websites.
A New England native and former journalist, Jason spent nearly 15 years with the Integrated Marketing Communications and Digital teams at NASCAR in Florida, before moving to Tucson with his wife and their three sons.
Accounting
Shifali Zimmer
Accounting Controller
Shifali Zimmer is an innovative and driven accounting professional with over 10 years of experience. She has worked in industries such as real estate investing, manufacturing, government contracting, and health care. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication at Arizona State University, and a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Management from Park University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She has also earned a master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Phoenix.
Shifali strives to learn new ways of doing things and thinks outside the box to achieve complex challenges. She has expertise in managing multiple companies and creating efficiencies and automation within processes as well as documenting policies and procedures. She has led finance integration efforts as well as mergers and acquisitions and has overcome obstacles those have brought. Shifali has strong interpersonal skills and enjoys building relationships with those throughout the organization.
Data Analysis
Cole Carosella
Vice President, Business Development
Cole Carosella is the Director of Business Development at Argus Self Storage Advisors, where he has extensive experience in self-storage valuation, management, and brokerage.
Cole joined Argus in November of 2018 and is a key member of the Argus Colorado brokerage team. Since joining the Colorado brokerage team, they have successfully closed over $400M in self-storage transactions in Colorado alone. In addition to working on the Colorado brokerage team, he works within the Argus corporate office assisting the executive team and national brokerage network in the business development, financial analysis, underwriting, and budgeting of assets across the country. Cole has valued over 2,000+ self-storage properties nationwide with an aggregate value of more than $2B and is in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Argus corporate financial analysis team.
Cole has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder and is an active member of the National Self Storage Association, Young Leaders Group (YLG).
Human Resources
Brenden Robinson
Director of Human Resources
Regional Operations
Joe Razo
Regional Director of Operations - Central Division; Director of Revenue Management
Joe Razo has been with Argus Professional Storage Management since 2008 and serves as the Regional Director of Operations covering stores in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. In addition to supervising the day-to-day operations of 14 properties, he also helps oversee millions of dollars of capital expenditure projects over the last several years and continues to help the company in this capacity today.
Prior to joining Argus as a District Manager, Joe was a Site Manager for Professional Self Storage Management as well as another self-storage company in Dallas for five years. Before entering the self-storage industry, Joe worked five years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and was a General Manager in the restaurant industry. Joe attended the University of North Texas, studying Business Management.
Donna Lay
Regional Director of Operations - Western Division
Donna Lay joined Argus Professional Storage Management in 2012 and serves as the Regional Director of Operations for facilities in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon and Utah. She is responsible for revenue enhancement, rental activity, expense control, market competition, property repairs and maintenance, as well as the hiring & training of property managers.
Prior to joining Argus, Donna worked as South Regional Manager with National REO and has experience in asset management, foreclosures, training, regional budgets, expense control, and pricing vendor contracts. She has a Bachelor’s Degree of Arts in Business with a concentration in Business Administration from Arizona State University.
Donna enjoys surfing, hiking, and spending time with her family and is a dedicated fan of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Ruben Jurado
Regional Director of Operations -Southwest Division
Ruben Jurado is responsible for overseeing 24 properties in New Mexico as well as five in Texas. He supervises 26 employees and prides himself on providing his team with the tools they need to be successful in managing the daily operations of their sites.
Ruben joined the Argus Professional Storage Management Team in 2011 after getting his start in self storage as a Store Manager in El Paso, Texas, and he has additional experience in sales, business management & customer relations.
Ruben and his wife have four beautiful children, and he enjoys coaching his children’s softball and baseball teams. He also enjoys hunting and camping.
