By Taylor Owens CONTENT MARKETING DIRECTOR
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After nearly three decades as one of Big Sky’s trusted names in property and association support, Hammond Property Management has officially become Confluence Community Management—a new name that signals both continuity and a broader, community-first mission.
Leading the transition is Mike Palmer, the company’s new owner and former general manager, who says the change reflects what the organization has been doing all along: helping the Big Sky community thrive, not just maintain buildings.
For Palmer and his team, the decision to rename Hammond Property Management wasn’t about distancing from the past. Instead, it was about choosing a title that better matches the work happening behind the scenes across Big Sky’s neighborhoods and associations.
“While we do manage property, the new name better represents the full scope of what we actually provide to our clients,” Palmer explained. “We’re truly managing communities and our work extends far beyond the traditional property management.”
That expanded scope includes developing long-term maintenance strategies, insurance support, and planning and executing capital improvement projects.
Even the word confluence was chosen with Big Sky’s landscape and culture in mind.
“Confluence speaks to both the physical and symbolic nature of the communities we serve,” Palmer said. “We work in the headwaters of the Gallatin and Madison rivers, but the name also reflects how we bring people together.”
That sense of connection isn’t just branding, it’s central to the company’s daily work.
“Our work centers on guiding groups through important decisions that have a direct and lasting impact on our communities,” he said. “Confluence means coming together, which is what we do for our communities. We bring people together… like the rivers converge.”
The rebrand may be new, but the roots run deep. Hammond Property Management has been part of Big Sky for 28 years, and Palmer says the heart of the organization will remain unchanged.
“I’m very excited about the change in the name,” Shelley Henslee, HOA account manager, said. “I think it kind of represents us moving forward. We were here before Big Sky made it on the map, and we will continue to grow and be a stable presence here in the community.”
Palmer points to long-term client relationships as proof that the company’s approach works—and that trust has been earned through consistency.
And behind that trust is a team that lives in the same community as the people they serve.
“Our whole team is local to Big Sky. We live here, we work here, and spend our free time here,” Palmer said. “We share the same goals as the communities that we manage, which is… a vibrant, sustainable, thriving Big Sky for the long term.”
He added, “That connection really drives a level of care and accountability that’s hard to replicate.”
In a town where relationships and responsiveness matter, that local presence has become part of the company’s identity.
That same sense of local connection is echoed by Henslee: “We’re part of the community. We live here. We not only work for owners, but we also see them at the grocery store or at school pickup or Music in the Mountains or farmers’ markets.”
But the rebrand isn’t just about geography, it’s about scope.
“We specialize in community management, which sets us apart from other property management companies,” he said. “We only work for community associations.”
That focus allows the team to develop a wider view of the needs and challenges associations face across Big Sky, and to bring solutions from one community to another.
For large, complex communities like Firelight, association management isn’t just a convenience — it’s essential. Becky Brachy, Firelight board member, described Hammond’s involvement as “a game changer,” explaining that self-management simply isn’t realistic at their scale.
“Hammond takes on all of our daily operations, handles all of our emergencies — and that way the board can just focus on governance,” Brockie said.
That support becomes especially critical during major events, like during a roof failure, when Hammond coordinated emergency response efforts and helped manage the full scope of the roof replacement project — providing continuity, oversight and peace of mind for both board members and homeowners.
“We have the opportunity to work with a diverse range of organizations in Big Sky… to identify creative and effective solutions to challenges that a lot of communities face,” Palmer said. “That collaborative, community-wide approach is really unique in our industry.”
Long-time Big Sky resident Brian Wheeler, who spent decades in the community and recently retired as vice president of real estate and development for Big Sky Resort, says Hammond’s value has always come down to how the team operates when it matters most.
“The culture for team problem solving is key with them. No drama — there’s execution and reliable response,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler connected with the team in his prior position with Big Sky Resort.
“We had to dovetail relationships on the mountain, whether it was snow removal, or access, or parking,” Wheeler said. “They provided a great relationship between Big Sky Resort and the associations. They were the conduit for communication.”
Palmer’s personal history at the company gives him a ground-level understanding of what community associations deal with—especially in the demanding mountain environment.
“Early in my career, I managed our roof shoveling crew,” he said. “We spent countless hours and significant resources combating roof leaks in the winter for our associations.”
That experience helped inspire long-term solutions instead of endless seasonal fixes.
“Solving that root problem… was a huge priority for us,” Palmer said. “So now when I drive through those communities with the new roofs and performing well, I don’t see ice dams and crews on the roofs. It’s a real point of pride for me.”
Palmer says the decision to purchase the company was ultimately rooted in one thing: the people.
“When I became general manager and became so close with all my staff and learned how amazing our staff really is, it drove my decision to purchase the company,” he said. “It’s truly a team effort, and I wouldn’t have considered buying the company if we didn’t have the staff that we have.”
“Our staff is really a family… We often get together and ski and fish and have fun outside of work as well,” Palmer said.
Big Sky continues to grow rapidly, and Palmer believes Confluence can play an important role in helping communities evolve responsibly.
“Under Confluence, I’m looking forward to expanding the ways we support our communities as Big Sky develops,” Palmer said, “whether that’s through stronger long-term planning, deeper collaboration with our local partners, or new systems that help associations operate more efficiently or sustainably.”
Palmer is clear that Confluence is not a departure—it’s an alignment. And for Big Sky residents, board members, and homeowners, he wants the takeaway to be simple: “I want people to know that we’re going to continue to be that good local company that has served Big Sky for 28 years.”
