Making a Difference in 2024/2025

Someone called me the “Ryan Seacrest” of Property Management the other day and I had to chuckle and agree with them. I have worked in so many different roles with so many different companies over my now 25-year career in the multi-family industry. Roles in Operations, Training, Marketing, HR, Recruiting, Risk Management, Maintenance & Compliance and Event Management.

I have also been so fortunate to have been apart of the AAMD for 17 years and held multiple roles during that time. I can remember moving to Denver and hoping I could get involved after being a part of the Apartment Association of Orange County in California. I started on the Education Advisory Council and soon after someone resigned and low and behold I had my first chance at leadership as a Chair and never looked back. 

I would like to mention some people that were so critical to me as mentors in those early days as a “newbie” and they are Lyn Jacobs, Megan Dyk, Jon Butters, Melinda Covington, Courtney Bowlin, Dan Flanagan, Vickie Jacobs and Joel Sandoval to name a few. My experience with all of them is a reminder to all of us on the leadership team and all of us who are leaders to be sure we are mentoring & spending time with the “newbies” we have now. 

As I think back on the past of what I am most proud of in my multi-family career and involvement with the AAMD it would be a legacy of helping people grow in their careers and as teammates. I was able to work with and manage some great teams. 

After all these years the secret sauce and, in my opinion, the most important key to success is recruiting, training and retaining a great team of employees around you. Yes, residents, owners and assets are important as well but the main driver of success is your people. Mark Williams has done a great job of this with his staff at the AAMD and I have also tried to recruit and build the best leadership team for my tenure as President with lots of proven talent and new industry contributors. This is so vitally important because my priority for this fiscal year is “Navigating”. 

Navigating through legislative, market, economic, staffing, affordable housing, regulatory and political challenges. This theme began at last month's June Awards and will continue throughout many events and meetings in the next year. Headwinds are everywhere so it will be important for all of us to rally to protect, advocate and celebrate our industry which ads so many important dollars, jobs and homes to our economy and neighborhoods. 

My “call to action” is for all of you to join me in this effort! We have to convince a lot of people that we are not the bad guys. We are here to learn, react accordingly and help find solutions. We need our elected officials to not “penalize” us but to “incentivize” us, we need them to not “legislate” us to death but “collaborate” with us and finally to allow us the opportunity to conduct critical conversations about our industry and really listen. 

You can join me by getting involved one way or another to make a difference to fight for your livelihoods and those of your co-workers.  You can start by reaching out to your personal State Senator and Representative (do you know who they are…if not find out), then let them know who you are and what you want their help with in representing you and your industry. If we all do this our voices will be heard, and our livelihoods and industry will be better protected and respected!

Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity to represent all of you as President and I am very blessed to have this opportunity along with so many wonderful friends and supporters out there! Let’s make it a great year!!