Nathan McElmurry

Nathan McElmurry is a Managing Director at Ares SecureSpace – the vertically integrated acquisition, development and management self-storage platform for Ares Management – where he leads the firm’s investments in the sector. He was previously the SVP of Acquisitions for SmartStop Self Storage, a public REIT listed on the NYSE. Nathan’s exposure to the sector began at GE Capital, where he advanced from an Analyst to Director position and led a team specializing in storage. Since 2005, he has been involved in the execution of $5B+ of storage transactions consisting of over 375 properties. Nathan graduated from Texas A&M University's Dwight Look College of Engineering and earned his MBA from the University of Texas' McCombs School, with a focus on real estate finance.

Nathan has been active in CSSA for many years, with past Executive Committee positions as Vice Chair and Secretary. He is involved in the Membership, Legislative & Legal, Finance, and CSSA Self Storage Owners Summit committees and has served as Co-Chair of the latter since 2020. As the current CSSA Chair, Nathan is focused on growing the membership base and continuing to strengthen CSSA’s legal representation of the industry in California.

Nathan is a licensed private pilot, certified skipper, trained wilderness first responder and avid outdoorsman. In 2026, he will celebrate 20 years of marriage with his better half, Meredith, as they continue to enjoy time with their 12-year-old son Emmett. The family loves any adventure which involves the outdoors and is passionate about conservation efforts and volunteer work.