The One Who Keeps Everyone in the Loop
AJ, who joined SearchLight in February of 2025, is our resident communicator. On any given day, you can find him speaking with tenants, owners, and vendors, updating them on projects, repairs, and rentals. His favorite aspect of his job is finding the right properties for tenants. “I really enjoy matching people with their new, perfect homes,” he says.
Before joining SearchLight, AJ worked as a headhunter for a senior bank officer. This work required extensive research, calls, and documentation – ideal experience for real estate. Equally relevant were his studies in construction management and business at Allen Hancock College in Santa Maria.
A native of Santa Barbara, AJ grew up in a family with a thriving restaurant business. By helping out, he honed his skills in customer service, which his SearchLight clients appreciate. “Professionalism is important to me,” he notes.
Outside of the office, AJ spends time at the gym, weightlifting and practicing calisthenics. His other hobbies are listening to music (70s, 80s, 90s, and Latin genres are his favorites), visiting the beach, or hanging out with his family, which includes his SearchLight colleague Joe Alvaro, also known as AJ’s father.
The One Who Solves Every Problem
As SearchLight’s business relationship manager, Joe oversees property inspections, repairs, and project management. Our clients know that if a problem arises at a property, Joe will make sure that it’s taken care of quickly and professionally. He’s always on his toes, ready to handle every unexpected issue, but he enjoys these sorts of challenges. “I love helping people,” he says.
Before joining SearchLight in March of 2025, Joe worked as a realtor for 20 years, in addition to managing a commercial and residential cleaning company. Such experience prepared him well for his present role.
Born and bred in Santa Barbara, Joe now lives in Santa Maria with his wife, daughter, and two sons, one of whom (AJ) works at SearchLight. Completing the family is Casper, a rat terrier with an outsize personality who is effectively the “youngest child,” according to Joe.
Joe’s wife also grew up in Santa Barbara, and the two started dating in high school. Recently, they celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary, and 40 years of dating. One of the secrets of their romantic longevity is a strict division of labor: Joe loves to cook, and his wife hates to cook. That’s a recipe for success!
The One Who Puts SearchLight in the Spotlight
Ellen joined SearchLight in June of 2025 following her graduation from Florida State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in social work. As our marketing coordinator, she designs all of SearchLight’s printed materials, including advertisements, brochures, and postcards. These responsibilities are a natural fit for Ellen, who is an accomplished artist. Ellen is also ramping up SearchLight’s presence on social media, and she works on a wide array of other projects related to leasing, listing, and property management. She enjoys the variety and appreciates the relationships she has formed with her colleagues – one of the benefits of working for a smaller firm. And because she works closely with Michelle, whom Ellen describes as an excellent, supportive mentor, she is quickly learning the ins and outs of real estate. During Ellen’s studies at Florida State, she completed an internship in social work in Edinburgh, Scotland, and spent a summer in Vienna, Austria. As you might assume, she loves to travel internationally. Her other favorite pursuits include outdoor sports and -- as mentioned earlier -- art, which she says is her form of self-expression. She’s explored drawing, painting, sculpture, multimedia, and more. Ellen’s schedule, both professional and personal, is busy, but she always takes time to bond with her cat, Autumn.
The One Who Makes SearchLight Run Smoothly
Danielle plays an important behind-the-scenes role at SearchLight: She receives and posts rent payments, sorts the mail, and handles a variety of other administrative tasks. Real estate is not a new area for her. In addition to her work at SearchLight, she helps manage the business of her husband, who is a contractor for commercial and residential construction projects.
Although Danielle joined SearchLight only recently, she has known Michelle for many years. Their sons attended pre-school together, and when Michelle first launched SearchLight, Danielle worked in the office next door, serving as a branch manager for a financial advisory firm. It’s been a long friendship, and both appreciate the opportunity to work together.
A native of Santa Maria, Danielle earned an AA degree from Palomar College in San Diego. Today she lives less than a mile from the SearchLight office, with her husband, mother, and two coonhound/border collie mixes. Her son works for the family business, and her daughter is a senior at Boise State. Outside of the office, Danielle likes to attend rock concerts with her husband. If you want to know which band is her favorite, here’s a clue: When she used to skate in roller derby games, her derby name was “Sugar Me.” Have you guessed? It’s Def Leppard.
The One Who Makes Things Work
Hank leads SearchLight’s maintenance division, which we established in 2022. He vets and engages contractors and makes sure that they are well-qualified for the job. A hands-on manager, Hank spends much of his time working on-site at our clients’ properties, which include multifamily buildings, commercial facilities, and single-family homes. On these visits he assesses maintenance needs and schedules repairs, ensuring that they are completed quickly, effectively, on budget, and with minimum disruption to tenants or residents.
Before joining SearchLight, Hank served as an operations and maintenance manager at Sunrise Growers in Santa Maria. His previous positions include plant engineer and maintenance manager for other prominent companies in both California and Tennessee. At one of them -- Knott’s Berry Farm Foods -- he met Michelle Shipman, who just so happens to be our founder and principal broker. A fruitful experience indeed!
Born and raised in Tennessee, Hank earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Memphis State. He still visits the state frequently to hunt and fish – hobbies that he also pursues in Colorado and California. Like Michelle, he’s a dog lover who spends time with the Shipmans’ two labs -- Cocoa (AKA SearchLight’s director of leashing) and Blossom.
