A Day in the Life of Tonya Batson

Tonya Batson has been on the P.B. Bell team for 25 years, and every day she makes an incredible impact– both in and out of the company. 

Whether she’s mentoring junior staff, serving as the liaison between corporate and management, or co-chairing the Arizona Multihousing Charitable Foundation, it’s safe to say Batson is a dynamic member of P.B. Bell.

She was recently acknowledged as Arizona Multihousing Association’s Metro Phoenix Volunteer of the year, through her work with the Arizona Multihousing Association (AMA).

Below is a Q & A we did with Tonya to honor her tenure with the team! 

What does a typical day look like for you?

Days vary, sometimes you’ll find me on our various properties supporting staff, some days I’m at the corporate office working on projects, and other days I’m mentoring and helping our new staff.

My work consists of property takeovers, scheduling our office rovers, auditing properties’ ledgers and reporting. I also help the corporate office with managing our various sites. For example, we are working on a new build in Prescott Valley, so I’m fielding inquiries from prospects, helping pick out models, and doing other leg work to help the team get it ready for each new step. Since I work with both teams, I see myself as a liaison between corporate and on-site teams.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I’ve always been passionate about giving back to our community (I’ve been volunteering since high school), and through P.B. Bell, I’ve had so many opportunities to give back. Through the AMA (which I am a 26/27 co-chair for) and P.B. Bell, I get to volunteer with the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, Entryway and UMOM New Day Centers. My favorite event every year is the AMA’s Christmas in July stocking stuffer drive. We’re always able to bring two or three truckloads of donations to the kids and families at UMOM New Day Centers, which is a great resource for displaced mothers and their families. 

I love being able to support somebody through a problem and make their day a little easier or better. One of the ways I’m able to do so at P.B. Bell is through my role as a mentor. I’ve been mentoring at P.B. Bell for 12-13 years, and through this time I’ve been honored to help new staff develop their skills. In 2025 alone, I mentored 8-9 new managers!

The thing I most enjoy about my role overall is simply supporting the team. Supporting those I mentor, supporting managers on-site, and supporting corporate. I always strive to find ways to make someone’s day a little easier and a little better.

What is your favorite memory from working at P.B. Bell?

In 2002 we volunteered at a Chandler youth center. We started on a vacant lot, with nothing there but dirt. By planting landscaping and building playground equipment, we turned that space into a beautiful park and recreational area.

The experience was very hands-on, and very rewarding. Coming together with my colleagues for a simple eight-hour day to accomplish something bigger than ourselves was nothing short of life-changing and inspirational. In that short period of time, we built a space where kids could go and play after school and over the weekend. It was incredible! 

What is your favorite thing to do outside of work?

I’m a fur mama! I have an adorable pup named Jax, so I spend a lot of time with him. He’s in his terrible twos and is keeping me on my toes!

I also love watching TV! At the end of a long day, I like to kick back and unwind to a great show. I’m a big Survivor and Amazing Race fan. As of late, I’ve been bingeing Married at First Sight.  

What is an interesting fact about you?

I’m an Arizona State Alumni, and I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis on theatre organization and management. In fact, before my twenty-five years with P.B. Bell, I was a stage manager for a touring theatre.

I still use my stage management skills through my day-to-day work with P.B. Bell. I see my coworkers as the tech crew, the residents as the actors, supervisors as the directors and the clients as the audience. Together, we all make a beautifully orchestrated play! 

What is your life motto and words to live by?

“It’s all good.”

I love this simple expression, and I try to live by it in both my professional and personal life. No matter how crazy it may seem in the moment, it’s really all good. Things will usually work themselves out in the end. I invite anyone who feels that they may be in over their head to remind themselves that it really is “all good.”

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