BOARD PERSPECTIVE
BY JARED MILLER , AAMD PRESIDENT
Building Upon A Great Year for AAMD
Amie Robertshaw delivered incredible leadership and accomplishments over the last year and left some big shoes to fill . AAMD will continue to focus on building on those accomplishments . I would like to thank the board of directors , committee chairs , vice chairs , members and supplier partners for your dedication and hard work over the last year . Your commitment to AAMD is inspiring .
I am so excited for what the future holds for AAMD . With your continued support , we can continue reaching milestone achievements and provide additional support for our dynamic industry while helping to create a larger , more diverse talent pool .
I ' ve been fortunate to be in the multifamily industry since 1996 . I was a poor college student when I stumbled into this industry and started as a part-time leasing professional . I ' ve never looked back .
I have stories ... lots of them . Some I can share , others I ’ d rather keep locked in the vault . There is one that illustrates how small the apartment industry is .
In the early 2000 ’ s , I led the acquisition and renovation of a student housing community called Lexington Crossing in Gainesville , Florida . I was 26 years old at the time and had absolutely no student housing experience , and I was thrown into underwriting the asset without any guidance . No pressure .
A year or two ago , Amie and I were casually talking about our careers and how we both lived in Florida . We realized how close our paths had crossed – to the extent we may have met before . When Lexington Crossing was sold , a young manager was moved to the community during the transition . Amie was that young manager . Lexington Crossing is 1,773 miles from Denver – showing that even with such a distance , multifamily is very small .
This industry is about relationships and connections . We need to build bridges , not burn them . When we help each other , we all succeed . We need to lift each other up and keep the talent within our industry . The newbie you interview today , may just be the CEO one day .
The opportunity to serve all of you isn ’ t a role I take lightly . We are fortunate to work in such a dynamic , inclusive , and growing industry .
Sometimes our industry is given a bad rap . We read articles , hear news reports , and see viral social posts about greedy landlords . That isn ’ t who we are , who the industry is or indicative of the incredible members of AAMD . What the media doesn ’ t hear is how insurance is going up 20 % per year , the monstrous tax bills we just received , the skyrocketing cost of turning and maintaining apartments or the impact of all those new and pending regulations . All of that doesn ’ t keep us from energizing our local communities , giving back to organizations that provide housing to those in need and a host of other volunteerism . We are fortunate to work in this industry , provide housing for people … and we truly do it with heart . We all come to work daily to make an impact on those that call our communities home . Be proud . Hold your head up high .
Jared Miller is the Chief Operating Officer at RedPeak .
6 | TRENDS JULY 2023 www . aamdhq . org