The NARPM® Nominating Committee has announced the slate of officers and directors for 2022 open positions. Below are bios of all candidates, along with their photos.
Vice President of Dodson Property Management, CRMC® in Richmond, VA
Past accomplishments with NARPM® at a national, state, and chapter level:
Founding Member of Greater Richmond Chapter, earned RMP designation in 2013, earned MPM designation in 2016, NARPM “Top 40 Under 40”, Chair, Virginia State Conference (2015, 2016), RVP for Pacific/Pacific Islands (2016-2018), RVP for Atlantic Region (2019), NARPM Treasurer – 2020-2021.
Why do you feel NARPM® is relevant today and what needs to be done to keep the organization relevant in the future?
I believe NARPM is relevant because of its tenure as the first to market in the space. Additionally, NARPM’s mission and vision are perfectly crafted to keep its leadership aligned with staying relevant. Our drive to build leaders and utilize those leaders as a volunteer-led organization have helped keep us relevant. In a previous application, I wrote that the organization has been able to stay nimble and adapt quickly and that is why we are able to stay relevant. However, I’ve seen some stagnation and reliance on other resources in the last few years and to stay relevant in the future, we have to be on the forefront. If we allow other groups or organizations to become the go-to resource for our membership, then we will become irrelevant and replaceable. We have to be able to shift on a dime and provide up-to-date resources for our membership. We have to be at the forefront of technology to provide content and information to our members. We have to be willing to completely scrap what we know to stay ahead of our emerging competitors. Finally, we need to build a more powerful coalition through our PAC and provide more resources for our local chapters and members through our Governmental Affairs Committee and Staff.
As a NARPM® member, you see many opportunities and challenges facing the organization. What do you see as a major growth opportunity for NARPM® in the future?
As you analyze the numbers, our organization has not grown to the extent we had hoped over the last few years in terms of membership numbers. In order for it to happen, we need to resolve our issues with local chapters that are multi-faceted. We’re stuck in neutral growing in areas that we don’t already have members and part of that is because we have become more stringent with our requirements on forming a chapter. As RVP, I had two chapters that wanted to form and grow, but were halted due to the burdensome requirements to start a chapter. We need to eliminate some of these burdens or make it easier to gather. Additionally, we have several chapters that are so small that they cannot thrive or survive and they actually do us harm in those communities which they are supposed to be serving as they have become small groups that are not as welcoming and don’t put on great events. It’s a complex problem that we need a solution to in order to grow and even maintain our current numbers. One potential solution is to create state or regional chapters in each of the states that have groups wanting to form or large contingents of at-large members. We could elect a new RVP or create a new position to be in charge of organizing and helping these new chapters form and put on events. Leveraging our affiliate partners (both local and national), we could put on great events that attract PMs from all over the state and assist in putting these events on. This would allow us to get some momentum behind these state chapters and hopefully allow us to have a larger pool of leaders to choose some, which we’ve seen as a success factor in the long-term health of chapters.
During your time as a member of NARPM®, what is one change you would like to see NARPM® implement?
I think we’re working on this a little bit, but it hasn’t been as successful as I’d like it: education not just for business owners or key decision makers, but better education for each member of a company from staff accountants to assistant managers to leasing agents. I’d like to see NARPM have enough content for business owners to be forced to send their entire office to our National Convention for a week.
Explain why you wish to serve on the NARPM® Board of Directors.
I believe NARPM is at a turning point and needs to be led into the future by someone who is able to bridge the old with the new. I feel like I have that perspective and can do my best to keep NARPM alive. I truly feel like NARPM is at a juncture in which it will shrink every year or we can hear feedback and use it to make the organization better.
President of First Rate Property Management, CRMC®, in Boise, ID
Past accomplishments with NARPM® at a national, state, and chapter level:
2016 – Received my RMP designation. 2018 – Received my MPM designation. I was the first National liaison for the designation chairs of each chapter. This was created by the Professional Development Committee to help educate our members on the process of getting a designation through 3 training calls per year. Brought back strategic planning for the SW Idaho Chapter for the 2018 year and as a result of that we grew membership by 40% for members and 30% for affiliates. Northwest Region RVP for 2020-2021.
Why do you feel NARPM® is relevant today and what needs to be done to keep the organization relevant in the future?
NARPM is relevant today for the simple fact that this industry is always evolving and changing. NARPM is needed to help property managers keep up with all the challenges this industry brings. Education is one of the biggest reasons we need NAPRM now and in the future. No matter if someone has been in this industry for 15 years or 2 months, there is always room to learn and grow as the industry changes. NARPM needs to be the source for continuous education for all its members. Whether it is updating classes as industry changes arise, or writing new classes, our members will benefit and continue to thrive.
Another reason NARPM is relevant today, is the validity that the organization gives to our profession. While we are starting to see college degrees with some Property Management expertise, there is still a lack of accreditation for what we do. NARPM needs to continue to be the industry leader for property managers across the nation. This boils down to growth in membership, more designated members, and greater awareness of the NARPM brand.
An additional reason NARPM is relevant today is the Legislative support that it provides its members. With more and more Legislation across the nation having a negative impact on Property Management, it is important we continue to work together to combat this big monster. NARPM has a solid foundation on the legislation side with the Legislative Conference, the growing PAC, and a lobbyist. It is time to build on this foundation and give our members and our industry a seat at the table in fighting for legislation that could break our profession. By creating more legislative awareness, putting the focus on raising more funds, and getting our members engaged, our organization will earn their seat at the table.
Last, but certainty not least, NARPM provides a family of people who are there to support you no matter what life throws your way personally and professionally. I know that in the last year, I have leaned on my NARPM family more than ever before and together we a helped each other pivot. Having “NARPM Family” support will always be relevant to anyone trying to excel in the Property Management business.
As a NARPM® member, you see many opportunities and challenges facing the organization. What do you see as a major growth opportunity for NARPM® in the future?
The biggest opportunity I see for NARPM growth in the future is to create greater brand awareness through licensing and marketing. I feel NARPM would benefit from creating a partnership with state REALTOR Boards. Most states require people to be a licensed Real Estate Agent in order to be a property manager. This provides an opportunity for NARPM to work with these boards to create a co-license specifically for property managers. This helps promote the education NARPM has to offer and stimulates growth for our organization. The more education we can provide to members and those wanting to be great property managers, the more it helps NARPM create a stronger organization. These licenses would help promote great property managers and ween out the ones who just do it because they can. Being a licensed property manager increases the validity in the investor’s eyes and keeps NARPM on the map. I would venture to guess that most investors and a substantial amount of property managers know nothing about NARPM. How do we change that? NARPM needs to be a household name known across the nation. NARPM should add a good chunk of money to the budget to roll out a major marketing campaign. The NARPM name should be in every NAR magazine as well as in all the Apartment Association publications. NARPM needs to create commercials which are played on televisions across the nation. Property Managers need to know what they are missing out on, and they never will if they don’t know that NARPM exists. In the past few years, NARPM has made good progress in the marketing field. The videos which have been created to promote conventions, enhance the importance of designations, and boost membership have been excellent. Current members of NARPM know how valuable their membership is. By investing money on a marketing campaign, NARPM will be able to distribute valuable content to thousands of Non-NARPM members. Imagine how many non-members will realize what they are missing out on when they get a taste of what NARPM is all about? The next point is how do we pay for this and is the investment worth it? NARPM could have a special assessment of $100 for 2 years for their members and the affiliates and that you raise roughly 1.3 million. Special assessments help fund projects like this marketing plan without increasing dues permanently. This is a good start to developing and implementing a national marketing plan that will put NARPM on the map and enhance growth to the organization.
During your time as a member of NARPM®, what is one change you would like to see NARPM® implement?
During my time serving for NARPM, I have noticed some disconnect with our designation program. Many people are still unsure of what designations entail and why they should get them. There are also people who have the desire to obtain a designation but don’t understand the process enough to get it started, let alone keep working until it has been completed. Over the past few years, the PD Committee has been working hard to turn this around. I think there have been improvements with the webinars and updating of the checklists. To date, NARPM has 190 designation candidates and close to 50% have been candidates for 2 years or more. This number does not include the 21 candidates who were unable to finish in the time frame allotted so they are no longer candidates. To me, these statistics show NARPM may not be providing enough support to these candidates. My solution to address this lack of support is to bring back designation mentors in two forms. First would be to have a set of mentors specifically dedicated to promoting the designations, including the value they provide to the individual member, the company they are employed by, and for the NARPM organization. These dedicated mentors can create short videos and some marketing material for all chapters to use at meetings. The list of mentors can be posted on the website for people to get in touch with if they have questions prior to applying. Second would be to have mentors who are assigned to the individual member when they submit their application to start working towards earning their designation. These mentors will help members get started, provide support and guidance through the process, and then serve as the push of encouragement that they need to work hard to finish. Having mentors also provides more service opportunities and a way for more members to get involved. This is a win for our members and for the organization. Having passionate people serve in these mentor roles will be key to helping the members understand why designations are so important. Out of roughly 6500 members only 726 hold a designation. Mentors could serve as the driving force to NARPM awarding more designations which makes us a stronger and healthier organization.
Explain why you wish to serve on the NARPM® Board of Directors.
I was introduced to NARPM early in my property management career. The company I once worked for and now own genuinely believes in NARPM and always encouraged me to get involved. Through my other NARPM volunteer positions, I learned that I was able to provide knowledge and experience which helped others. My involvement has been extremely rewarding, which is why I continue to support and encourage other members to succeed. 8 years later, I find myself still learning from those that I encounter through NARPM. I have a passion for NARPM that will continue to grow as I build more relationships within our NARPM family. I feel that I bring a unique dynamic to the NARPM board through my experiences of being an employee first and now transitioning into an owner. This allows me to connect with all NARPM members and not just Broker/Owners. I help lead an innovative team that is always focused on the “why” culture. This encourages us to never take anything at face value, meaning we are always striving to make things better even though our “old” way works. I feel that I can bring this same focus and culture to NARPM which will make a positive impact for the members and the betterment of this organization. I’d love to give back to the organization that made me a great property manager, a stronger leader and a better person. I am happy to be a part of this great group of volunteers and will continue to serve in whatever position NARPM sees fit.
Skyline Properties Group, Inc, Acworth, GA
Past accomplishments with NARPM® at a national, state, and chapter level:
Served on the Atlanta Chapter Board as membership chair, programs chair, secretary, president elect, then president in 2019, received Large Chapter of the Year award for that year. Speaker at Broker/Owner conference in 2019. Gave workshop at the National Conference in 2019. Served on the National Communications Committee in 2020. Represented NARPM at Day on the Hill in 2019. This year I serve as Designations Chair for our chapter and just recently gave a workshop where PMs from different states attended. I also currently serve on our local Legislative committee.
Why do you feel NARPM® is relevant today and what needs to be done to keep the organization relevant in the future?
NARPM is extremely relevant today to promote higher education, good ethics and a high level of industry standards for property managers, and as importantly now and in the future, continue to encourage and cultivate a culture of open communication and support amongst NARPM peers.
During your time as a member of NARPM®, what is one change you would like to see NARPM® implement?
I would like to see NARPM bring more education on multifamily management as well as short term rental management. This will help attract more members who focus more on multifamily. There are a lot of parallel and mutually beneficial information that can be shared and learned.
Explain why you wish to serve on the NARPM® Board of Directors.
I have a passion for NARPM that won’t quit. After being president of the Atlanta Chapter in 2019, I thought I’d be burned out and would be done volunteering, but I find myself unable to walk away. I’m back to being on the board again as Southern States Conference Chair and Designations Chair. I love the opportunity to problem solve. I love helping other PMs become better in their profession. I love the comradery with fellow board members. I am very proud of the fact that I am a NARPM member and want to see this organization continue to grow. I am good at connecting people and resources and would love to work on alliances with other real estate associations like NAR, CAI, Apartment Association, etc. to bring even more opportunities and learning experiences to NARPM members. If elected, I’m willing to serve in whatever capacity as needed.
President and Broker/Officer of North County Property Group, Del Mar, CA
Why do you feel NARPM® is relevant today and what needs to be done to keep the organization relevant in the future?
Industry is rapidly changing, keeping up and networking to stay in touch with trends.
As a NARPM® member, you see many opportunities and challenges facing the organization. What do you see as a major growth opportunity for NARPM® in the future?
State level participation in legislative activity.
During your time as a member of NARPM®, what is one change you would like to see NARPM® implement?
Better clarity and organization brought to the designation process. For someone going through it now, it’s pretty confusing despite the web interface.
Explain why you wish to serve on the NARPM® Board of Directors.
Leadership at the national level following my officer (President) position for the California State Chapter and national committees. Being a director for national seems like a great next step, hope you agree!
Executive Vice President, Park Avenue Properties, Cornelius, NC
Past accomplishments with NARPM® at a national, state, and chapter level:
I had been in leadership roles for our Charlotte NARPM Chapter including Treasurer, VP and President. I have served on multiple NARPM National Committees including Communications, Government Affairs, Membership, Professional Development, Strategic Planning, National and Regional Conference Committees (including current Co-Chair of the Southern States Conference) and multiple committees and ad hoc committees and RVP Ambassador for the Atlantic Region.
Why do you feel NARPM® is relevant today and what needs to be done to keep the organization relevant in the future?
Our industry (property management) is on “the map” now more than it ever has been and we need a voice and a vehicle for advocacy; legislation; education and compliance. NARPM needs to remain nimble and be amenable to change as we see happening in the industry to know how to pivot to meet the needs of the members and continue to bring value.
During your time as a member of NARPM®, what is one change you would like to see NARPM® implement?
I believe we have an opportunity to look at what we are seeing build up around us in other organizations related to our industry and see what feedback is being discussed on social media by our members and those in our industry and pivot accordingly. I believe we should consider creating an ad hoc “reform” or revolutionize” or “NARPM Re-imagined) group that helps us gather feedback from Chapters, regions, etc in a strategic manner beyond just an email survey, but rather a strategic group that targets getting feedback and information on what our members want to see. This is different from strategic planning in my opinion. Strategic Planning needs to continue to do what it does to keep our organization running and executing current roadmaps in place. This ad hoc group would be to target member feedback and in a way that perhaps people would be more inclined to respond to rather than traditional surveys for feedback coming from NARPM National directly.
Explain why you wish to serve on the NARPM® Board of Directors.
I am a believer in helping to create solutions to problems that you may see. I am not suggesting we have problems in NARPM, but I do believe we should always be looking at how to be better as an organization (just like we do in our businesses). I would like to help be a part of the continued improvement of NARPM and its impact on our industry. We have such opportunity in front of us to create a roadmap for our future growth, to keep NARPM relevant and beneficial to our membership and for our industry and the idea of collaborating and working with incredibly smart leaders in our industry to help achieve this and pave a way for future leaders to carry on and continue to make us better is exciting and allows me to give back to an organization and an industry that I work in and love.