About PMA — Founded 1995
The people your board will actually work with.
Thirty years on the Emerald Coast. Same office. Same leadership. A credentialed team built around a single principle: that personal attention to clients is what builds real community relationships.
A Note From the Office
Our approach to management has not changed since 1995. Clients are not customers. They are neighbors. The buildings are not assets. They are communities. After three decades on this coast, we know how rare that distinction actually is.
Why PMA Exists
Founded on personal attention. Built on local depth.
Mike Kent grew up in northern Michigan. He earned an Industrial Engineering degree from General Motors Institute in 1970, served two years in the U.S. Army, and completed an MBA from Wayne State University while serving as a senior executive at Federal Mogul Corporation. In 1975 he relocated to Ohio as Plant Manager for Allied Resins. In 1980 he traded the cold weather for the Emerald Coast and a career in real estate.
Mike quickly became one of Northwest Florida’s leading commercial brokers, building a reputation for delivering value to a growing base of clients. By 1992 the property management side of the business had grown beyond what a brokerage structure could handle well. In 1995, Mike and Gayle Kent founded Progressive Management of America with a single founding principle: that personal attention to clients is what fosters real community relationships.
Three decades later, the company operates as PMA Management Partners. The principle has not changed.
30+
Years on the Emerald Coast
98%
Client Retention
$50M+
Renovation Projects Coordinated
100%
Licensed CAMs on Every Account
The Leadership Team
A credentialed team. Same leadership since the company was founded.
PMA’s professional team brings depth across every discipline an association needs: licensed Community Association Managers, Certified Property Managers, accountants, real estate brokers, and an in-house State-Certified General Contractor.
Mike Kent
A Note From the Office
Industrial Engineering graduate of General Motors Institute, U.S. Army veteran, MBA from Wayne State University. Former senior executive at Federal Mogul Corporation and Plant Manager at Allied Resins before relocating to Northwest Florida in 1980, where he became one of the region’s leading commercial real estate brokers. Founded PMA in 1995 alongside Gayle Kent. Has been directly involved in the largest capital projects in the region’s association management history, including the $24M exterior renovation at Shoreline Towers.
Gayle Kent
Chief Financial Officer
Crestview native, Brigham Young University. A decade in healthcare administration and financial management before entering real estate in 1990 and serving as on-site Marketing Director for a beachfront community. Joined PMA as Office Manager in 1995 and was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in 1999. Brings deep expertise in not-for-profit audits, financial reporting, strategic planning, and risk management. Serves as PMA’s primary interface with the local financial community.
Jeff Kent
Regional Director · GM, One Water Place
Lifelong Emerald Coast resident, Choctawhatchee High School alumnus, Finance graduate of Jacksonville State University. Joined PMA as Director of Marketing & Training and was promoted to Regional Director, overseeing 2,200 multi-family housing units and a staff of 50+ managers. Holds both a Real Estate Broker’s License and a Community Association Manager License, with five years of additional experience as a partner in a construction company. Currently General Manager of One Water Place, one of the premier condominium properties on the Gulf Coast.
Carrie Garland
Business Manager
Brought 12 years of high-volume financial operations experience from one of the ten largest privately held companies in the United States, where she supervised an Accounts Receivable team of 34 and oversaw $16M in average daily cashflow across 200+ locations. Joined PMA in 2017 as a CAM Assistant, became a Licensed Community Association Manager, and worked as both a single-site and portfolio manager before becoming Business Manager. Now oversees property accounting, new account onboarding, and the transition process for communities joining the PMA portfolio.
A direct working relationship, backed by depth on every discipline.
PMA's tiered management structure means a board never works with a single point of failure. The assigned manager has senior leadership, in-house accounting, and an in-house contractor behind them.
Coordinated capital projects across the most complex coastal communities on the Emerald Coast.
| Property | Project Scope | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Seacrest Condominium | Exterior renovation: window and door replacement | $2,900,000 |
| Mainsail | Parking garage demolished and rebuilt | $2,500,000 |
| Oceania | Exterior renovation: stucco repairs and sealing | $1,700,000 |
| East Pass Towers I & II | Sea wall revetment project, coordination with Army Corps of Engineers and DEP | $1,500,000 |
| One Water Place | Roofs, exterior sealing, rooftop HVAC replacements | $1,500,000 |
| Magnolia House | Exterior building sealing, roofing, and elevator replacement | $700,000 |
Start the Conversation
If your board is evaluating management options, we are glad to make time.
No sales presentation. No pressure. An honest conversation about your community, what it needs, and whether PMA is the right fit.
Based in Destin, Florida · Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM · (850) 664-6000