FROM THE PRESIDENT
JANELLE FRENCH | MISSION ROCK RESIDENTIAL
Look How Far We’ve Come
"Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence -
is the key to unlocking our potential"
– Winston Churchill
Interesting how quotes from great leaders never
lose their relevancy! Strength and Intelligence
are important but continuous effort is the key.
The recent COVID outbreak has challenged us all on
some level. As we think about how broad scoped this
pandemic has been, I’m sure every single one of us
can reflect on how it has impacted us, robbed us and
our families of something. Never in my lifetime did I
think I would have experienced something like this.
It has challenged us through uncharted territory,
including personally and certainly for our industry.
That being said, I think it’s a perfect time to
thank the Association for stepping up in such a
big way to help its members navigate through this.
Peggy Panzer and the entire COVID Task Force &
Crisis Team has faced this head on and it has been an
enormously valuable help to us all.
Since this is my first official letter to the AAMD
membership, I’d like to tell you a little bit about
myself on a more personal level and how I got
started in the industry. I grew up on a farm in
rural South Dakota, to put rural in perspective,
there were 24 students in my high school graduating
class. I moved to Rapid City, SD to attend college
where I met my husband Brian. After graduating
college, we moved to Denver to expand our career
opportunities.
During our search for an apartment I was
inspired by the leasing consultant and thought
“I could do that” and it’s all history from there. I
started my career as a leasing consultant and have
worked my way up through the ranks learning the
industry from the ground up. It’s been a rewarding
experience and I have so many people to thank.
First and foremost, I’d like to thank my husband
Brian and my family for all they have contributed
to my career through the years. Brian, thank
you for the countless times you made me feel
comfortable and the extraordinary sacrifices you
made to do that. Thank you for believing in me
and supporting me even when things were difficult.
You’ve always listened without judgment, spoken
without prejudice, helped me without entitlement,
understood without pretension and
most importantly loved me without
conditions. You are my rock!
I’ve had the privilege of working
alongside some of the most amazing
industry leaders along the way as well. There are too
many to list, but a few key people I want to thank.
Bernadette Tanberg, you gave me my first leasing
position, my first Regional Manager position and
mentored me for many years. You taught me it’s
all about the people, you can learn the strategies,
property evaluations, budget writing and all those
things but the people make it happen. Thanks
Bernadette!
Kal Zeff – most of us have at least heard the
name, some of us knew him, and a few of us were
fortunate enough to have worked with Kal. Over 10
years at Carmel I advanced from leasing consultant
to then manager at Torrey Pines, Coventry Village
and Spyglass Hill along the way. Kal frequently
visited the properties and I spent many afternoons
walking those properties with him. One day when
we were walking Spyglass, we passed by an apple
tree. He stopped, reached up, picked an apple and
took a bite, and then shared with me that he and his
sons had planted those trees themselves. It was just
a passing moment, but one of those moments etched
in time for me. I learned an important lesson from
that ‘passing moment’ – regardless of your ‘title’
or your ‘position’, don’t be afraid to dig in when
needed and get your hands dirty. Do what it takes;
get it done. Thank you Kal; you were an inspiration
to many; an incredible leader and a kind, generous
man.
Thank you to Mission Rock and my current
leaders, Pat Hutchison and Meredith Wright. When
it comes to passion for our business, Pat is matched
by no one! Her passion drives Mission Rock and our
team to be the best they can be, and she cares so
much about each of us. Pat is an icon!
My office is right beside Meredith’s and over
the years I’ve watched people from every Mission
Rock department (including me), go in and visit
her for advice. They leave inspired and with a clear
sense of direction, the words brilliant and bright
come to mind. Meredith is truly a guiding light for
me, Mission Rock and our industry. Thank you,
Meredith & Pat, I consider it a high honor to work
with you both!
My team – Shayna Maxon, Melissa Eisenhauer,
Theresa Quaratino, Nicole Hildebrand and Toni
Moyes. I couldn’t do it without you. You are all
remarkable at what you do!
The on-site teams – YOU ROCK. Truly a
blessing, you do the real work. Day in and day out
you support our residents and care for their homes.
Thank you, thank you!
Being involved with AAMD has been a
significant part of my success as well, the creative
genius and participation that has evolved out of the
AAMD office is astonishing. It’s a tribute to the staff
and core leadership of the organization.
Scott, I want to congratulate you and express
our deepest thank you for your leadership. It will be
hard to follow a leader that has had such an eventful
and successful year.
Finally, there are 3 simple goals I’d like to focus
on in my year as AAMD President.
First, more involvement from the on-site team
members. They are our future leaders; their voice is
important and can help us bring clarity, especially
as it relates to the resident perspective, and how our
service impacts the residents.
Second, a continued focus on the legislative
issues the industry will face in 2020 and 2021.
Third, a transitional focus on COVID related
issues and establishing the new normal for our
industry as a result of this pandemic… and how
AAMD can facilitate an open discussion about best
practices.
The Apartment Industry has stood the test of
time and has transformed into more than I could
have ever imagined during my career. We’ve all
worked together to keep us moving forward, and I
can wait to get started. To quote Winston Churchill
again,
“The farther backward you can look, the
farther forward you are likely to see”
– Winston Churchill
I look back at AAMD’s long term history and see
how far we’ve come, as well as how far we can go!
2020 June Awards Thank you to our
When we all look back at 2020,
the one thing we are likely going
to remember is an inordinate
amount of Zoom meetings, so it
is only fitting that we finish our
fiscal year with June Awards &
Installation Event via Zoom.
Watch The Full
Event Here
Presenting Sponsors!
6 | TRENDS JULY 2020 www.aamdhq.org