Don't Stop Believing...Again!
By Amie Robertshaw, AAMD President (2023-24)
The warm June air has started to settle into Denver, and with that, the transition of another AAMD fiscal year is officially upon us.
Over the course of the last few years, we’ve talked a lot of about the changing headwinds of our industry. It seems that each year, the mountains we must climb get larger and larger - but yet, we continue to log wins and find opportunity to shine as an association.
In the Metro Denver area, our industry provides homes to over 480,000 people, and supports over 30,000 jobs. This is no small feat, and one that we take very seriously. Over the past year alone, our industry had dozens of potentially harmful legislative measures thrown our way that would materially impact our ability to provide comfortable homes to our residents and financial security to our employees and supplier partners. So through the tireless efforts of our Government Affairs team and countless volunteers that have testified on our behalf, assisted in fundraising efforts and helped to strengthen the relationships with our Coalition Partners - we have been able to stave off some of the more damaging aspects of these measures. Like many of you, I am fiercely passionate about the work that we do and it will continue to take focus and dedication from all of you to defend it - because the hurdles will not be slowing down. So if you’ve ever considered getting involved, there is no better time than now.
Speaking of getting involved, I would also like to thank the thousands of you that helped us break attendance records this year. The Education Conference and Trade Show had over 2,500 attendees, with more than 1,400 people enjoying hearing Olympic Medalist Amy Van Dyken at the Keynote Luncheon. Maintenance Mania had over 2,000 attendees, which was particularly special since we launched a new game format for this event. The feedback on the new format was overwhelming positive and we especially enjoyed seeing so many new faces in the winners circle.
Of course, we also cannot forget about Tributes last November. We waited five long years for this celebration, and boy - it was worth the wait! We had over 1,384 attendees as we celebrated over 332 finalists in 50 award categories. It was truly an unforgettable event and I have so much gratitude for everyone that contributed to that special night.
We also continue to break records with membership renewals! 95.92% of our Membership renewed their membership, surpassing all previous benchmarks. Now with over 312,000 apartment units, which is 74.3% of the overall Denver rental unit market, AAMD is the 6th largest Apartment Association in the nation..
It has been my absolute honor to serve as President of this amazing association and I will forever be impressed by the dedication, excellence and awesomeness amongst our members.
As we close the ‘23-24’ chapter and start planning how to navigate the upcoming year… I leave you with one final request: don’t stop believing. ✌️