Florida Maintenance Professional Wins NAA 'Legend' Title

Harry Ruiz, a maintenance professional with RangeWater and a member of the Bay Area Apartment Association, has won NAA's inaugural Maintenance Legends competition. Ruiz was working at Fairfield Residential's Vista Grande apartment community in Tampa Palms, when he saved more than 17 lives at the community. Ruiz was honored at NAA's Apartmentalize in June in Philadelphia. 

“Harry proved himself to be a literal lifesaver when he awoke early in his apartment on his site in Tampa, Fla. to a funny smell,” wrote Ruiz’s nominator for the award. “When he realized he had all the classic early signs of [carbon monoxide] inhalation, he sprang into action." Ruiz's grand prize included a Ford F-150 truck and $10,000. 

Founded in 2023 in partnership with HD Supply, Maintenance Legends honors rental housing industry maintenance professionals who go above and beyond in service to their communities. Monthly winners are honored throughout the year with cash prizes and scholarships to earn professional credentials. Throughout its inaugural year, over 1,500 stories were shared and 27 maintenance professionals were awarded with a prize package valued at $5,000 each.

Two additional Florida-based maintenance professionals won monthly prizes: Peter Falcon of Dominium and the Apartment Association of Greater Orlando and Roberto Delgado of the Scully Company and the South East Florida Apartment Association. 

Falcon's nominator described his as selfless: "He goes beyond being a maintenance supervisor. He goes to different communities to help other maintenance pros achieve their very best, by teaching them different techniques and how to solve certain issues. ... Peter not only succeeds at what he does, but he makes sure that everyone else succeeds as well."

Delgado is credited with saving the life of a child dangling from a third-floor balcony. "With the front door secured from inside, Roberto climbed to the second-floor balcony and then jumped up to the third floor to reach the child. Thanks to his bravery and quick thinking, the child was brought to safety. Roberto's selfless act reminds us of the importance of community and looking out for one another." 

Read more about Harry Ruiz here and about all the Maintenance Legends winners here.