BOARD PERSPECTIVE
BY TAMERA GREENE , AAMD OWNER DIRECTOR
Multifamily Heroes : Look No Further Than the Women in our Industry
Last year , Dictionary . com selected “ woman ” as its word of the year for 2022 . There were many women who set great milestones . Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first black woman Supreme Court justice and Laurie Leshin became the first female to lead JPL ( leading USA ’ s first successful mission to Mars ). Taylor Swift even broke Ticketmaster ’ s website when tickets for her tour went on sale .
The multifamily industry has been dominated by women for many years . According to Zippia , 62 % of property managers in the US are female . This is an increase of 1.3 % since 2010 . There are approximately 125,000 female property management professionals currently working in the US .
Though women have held prestigious positions and continue to still be the firsts of many job sectors of the industry , why does it feel as though the glass ceiling still has not broken yet ?
In a study commissioned by Multifamily Executive , executive compensation research firm Equilar found that women are shut out of the boards of directors of four of the country ’ s top 16 multifamily REITs : Blue Rock , BRT Apartments , NexPoint Residential Trust , and Preferred Apartment Communities . The analysis also found that women account for 17.2 % of all board members , slightly below the Equilar 500 average of 20.9 % female and just above the Russell 3000 average of 16 %.
Though the number of women and minorities in leadership roles at multifamily and commercial real estate
companies remains stubbornly low — well below 20 % for women and in the single digits for minorities — diversity and inclusion initiatives are now a hot topic within the industry .
I stand on the shoulders of many influential women leaders who are my “ Multifamily Heroes ”. They are courageous , fearless and have made an impact in my life and many others .
Sharon O ’ Connell always spoke the truth with her southern sultry wine collection ...
Peggy Panzer ran the COVID Taskforce Marathon in seeking answers and solutions to a pandemic crisis ...
Angela Fletcher was elected first black woman president of AAMD ...
Susan Lind waves her flag in shining a positive light in our industry ...
Lynett Brockman has spent decades providing career opportunities throughout Denver ...
Foy Bailey was that “ Boss Chick ” at Community Interiors and top sponsor of AAMD ’ s most prestigious event for many years ...
Susan Maxwell is the PrinciPAL of Zocalo Community Development ...
Carol Levey created the “ Blue Print ” on how we should conduct ourselves as business leaders in the ever changing industry ...
and Aimee O ’ Connor- Senior VP / Exec . Board Member of Thompson Thrift who forged the path to start the community management department .
These are just a few women in our industry who have knocked down the doors for many of us who continue to make a mark and carry the badge of honor within our various organizations .
The multifamily industry has provided an amazing platform for many women over many decades . I am proud to say I am part of such a dynamic industry and Association that recognizes the diverse talents of women . Whether you work on the property management or vendor side there have been rich bonds and a sisterhood of excellence formed through the years .
As we attend the “ Multifamily Heroes ” themed AAMD Education Conference and Trade Show this month , please make sure to reach out to the superhero who influenced your career and thank them !
Tamera Greene is the Regional Manager at Thompson Thrift Residential .
6 | TRENDS MAY 2023 www . aamdhq . org