# Keith Guericke

> Keith R. Guericke is the vice chairman and former president and CEO of Essex Property Trust. An accounting graduate who joined Essex’s predecessor in 1977, he led the company from 1988 through 2010, helped prepare its 1994 IPO, and handed executive leadership to longtime colleague Michael Schall in January 2011. He is also lead independent director of Century Communities.

- **Role:** Vice Chairman of the Board at Essex Property Trust; Lead Independent Director at Century Communities
- **Organizations:** Essex Property Trust, Century Communities, Kenneth Leventhal & Company, American Residential Properties (former director)
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Southern Oregon College (now Southern Oregon University)
- **Known for:** Led Essex as president and CEO from 1988 through 2010., Helped prepare Essex’s 1994 initial public offering., Oversaw expansion of Essex’s multifamily portfolio in selected supply-constrained West Coast markets.

## Career timeline

- **1971** — Earned a B.S. in Accounting from Southern Oregon College.
- **Before 1977** — Began his career at accounting firm Kenneth Leventhal & Company.
- **1977** — Joined Essex’s predecessor to focus on investment strategies and portfolio expansion.
- **1988** — Became president and chief executive officer of Essex.
- **1994** — Helped prepare Essex’s initial public offering and began serving on its public-company board.
- **2011** — Retired as president and CEO effective January 1; continued as vice chairman and a consultant.
- **2013** — Joined the Century Communities board on May 7.
- **2026** — Identified as Essex vice chairman and Century Communities lead independent director in their proxy statements.

## Achievements

- Led Essex as president and CEO from 1988 through 2010.
- Helped prepare Essex’s 1994 initial public offering.
- Oversaw expansion of Essex’s multifamily portfolio in selected supply-constrained West Coast markets.
- Participated in a multiyear succession process culminating in Michael Schall becoming CEO in January 2011.

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — Essex’s proxy identifies Guericke as vice chairman, a director since 1994, and a member of its Executive and Nominating committees.
- **2026-03** — Century Communities’ proxy identifies Guericke as lead independent director and a member of its Audit, Compensation, and Nominating and Corporate Governance committees.

## Links

- Website: https://www.essexpropertytrust.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-guericke-9698671b

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/keith-guericke
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-24