I hope your year is off to a great start.
Efforts to grow NAA membership began full-speed ahead in January with our announcement of a new affiliate: The California Rental Housing Association (CalRHA). CalRHA is comprised of eight local California affiliates that banded together to create a state association, strengthening their voice in California. Collectively, CalRHA will represent 18,477 members and 419,777 units in California. The new charter will likely grow NAAs membership significantly.
NAA President and CEO Doug Culkin and I are pleased that NAA is now able to better serve the state of California and its multifamily housing members.
This affiliate represents just one step in our goal of growing NAAs membership to 10 million member units by the end of 2016 as part of the new campaign, 10 in 2: Growing Stronger Together.
It is my top priority because it all revolves around membership. Our members strengthen our legislative voice and create additional NAA Education Institute (NAAEI) educational opportunities.
To support the NAA Networks growth and strengthen its relationship with affiliates, NAA has also unveiled its second annual Affiliate Membership Challenge. Last years inaugural Affiliate Membership Challenge provided a fun and creative way for NAA to energize its membership and staff. Affiliates actively recruited non-member communities and companies in their local areas, growing their membership base and earning thousands of dollars worth of prizes along the way.
There are three categories to give affiliates of all sizes an opportunity to win. The competition starts this month and ends in October. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/AffGrowthChallenge.
Legislation and education are currently in the forefront today. This month, the industry is celebrating residential property management careers in many ways, including through our #RPMCareers campaign. We encourage all to participate by following the Twitter account and posting selfies while at work. Learn more about the celebration and our new career job post website, www.rpmcareers.org, beginning on page 28.
We also are excited about the upcoming NAA Capitol Conference. Held March 17-18 (with the NAA Spring Governance meeting prior on March 15-16), this event moves to a new venue in downtown Washington, D.C., at the JW Marriott.
We have a special lineup of guest speakers planned, including former Meet the Press host David Gregory. This annual meeting is a great way for our voice to be heard on Capitol Hill as our members visit their local members of Congress and carry our message about the critical role that the apartment industry plays in our countrys housing.
I hope to see you in the Nations Capital!
NAA 2015 Chairman of the Board Tom Beaton, CPM