By:Kristin Pine, Peabody Properties, Inc.
Once again, NEAHMA finished out the 2015 year with much success and much to celebrate and with record-breaking numbers. With over to 600 attendees on Day One, and 70 vendor booths sold at the 27th Annual NEAHMA Fall Conference, NEAHMA celebrated its best and brightest with 12 diverse workshops, a swearing-in ceremony for new designees, and a top-notch awards presentation highlighting the special achievements of our resident artists, as well as our industry’s top professionals on October 20th at our newest venue, Lombardo’s, located in Randolph, MA.
The day started out with a lively registration period in the morning, followed by a Welcome Speech from Kris Cook (NAHMA’s Executive Director), our Annual Business Meeting Luncheon, Agency and Vendor Awards, filmed interviews with seasoned professionals provided by WeCast Productions, as well as the first of many workshops — out of three sessions — slated throughout the day. Attendees earned much needed CEUs and gained valuable information on a variety of topics showcasing this year’s conference theme on “Today’s Vision, Tomorrow’s Reality”. The Conference theme was incorporated and embraced at every workshop, for every level and in all aspects of our business. Several of our property management professionals in attendance made the most out of their experience, by asking questions, networking with others, and taking home resource materials for review and consideration.
Special thanks to all of our board members, volunteers, vendor members and sponsors. Without their assistance and “teamwork”, the Conference’s level of success would not have been possible.
This year’s Conference sponsors were:
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GOLD SPONSORS Burgess Pest Management
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SILVER SPONSORS 24 Restore SPECIAL RECOGNITION SPONSORS Dauby O’Connor Zaleski, LLC. (DOZ) – Lanyards Sponsor |
Our workshops hosted some of the best local talent in the region, with topics ranging from Managing Mechanicals Today for Fewer Problems Tomorrow to Best Practices for Emergency Preparedness, from Succession Planning to Dealing with Difficult People to name a few, along with our perennial favorites: the Regional Agency Panel and the Hot Topics in Housing Law Panel. This year’s Legal Panel featured legal experts representing MA, RI and CT, as well as experts in Fair Housing and Resident Services. We even had a sitting Housing Court Judge! Special thanks to the Honorable Marylou Muirhead, Associate Justice, Housing Court Department, Boston Housing Court Division. Lastly, Day Two of the Conference was jam-packed with information with our full-day workshops on Managing Affordable Housing with Multiple Layering of Subsidy and Mixed Financing Sources, Perfecting UPCS Inspections/REAC and Conflict Resolution. New information, new knowledge, new tools of the trade learned and earned that can now be put to good and immediate use back at our communities.
A special “thank you” to Michael Clark of Glynn Electric who was our “big helper” at the Fall Conference! Michael was the perfect ambassador to our vendors the day before the Conference with setting up booths, where to go, and many other event logistics. In addition, Michael also assisted with the Poster Contest winners on Day One and participated on two workshops. Michael has been involved in the property management sector for over 15 years. He started in the Boston Metro Region as a housing inspector where he performed over 30,000 Section 8, family, elderly, and REAC Inspections. Michael has belonged to fifteen different apartment associations, and has served on the executive board of an IREM chapter (Institute of Real Estate Management). He is currently a member of many different committees and provides safety and customer service trainings, as well as professional advice to property managers and maintenance supervisors of properties throughout his assigned territories. Michael’s speaking career started over twenty years ago, his passion for changing lives has altered the direction of not only his life, but countless others. A speaker at the national IREM convention, Michael Clark is a certified trainer and speaker for IREM, NJAA, AAGP, PennDelAHMA, and NEAHMA. He has trained for Interstate Realty Management, Home Properties, AIMCO, Ingerman, and Morgan Properties on a regional and national level. For our friend, Michael Clark, who personified the meaning of “teamwork” for our Conference…. Thank you!
In closing, I am proud to report that our biggest initiatives for 2015 were proudly promoted and supported greatly at this annual event — a wonderful way to finish out the year. NEAHMA encourages its members and companies to continually support training, whether it be online or instructor-led, promote “going green” and sustainability initiatives, support the Communities of Quality (COQ) Program, as well as supporting NAHMA’s nationally-recognized and HUD-endorsed industry designations (NAHP, NAHP-e, CPO, FHC, SHCM, NAHMS, NAHMT and CGPM). NEAHMA swore in 18 new members at this year’s Fall Conference and we challenge you and your company to join in on the effort for 2016. New swearings-in will take place again in both May and October at the One Day Maintenance Extensive Training and Annual Conference and Trade Show. It’s a new year, and I challenge you and all of our member companies in 2016 to aim for the finish line and earn your designations. Are you up for the challenge?
