Letter from the President
Jennifer Morales , CAM , CAPS
Shelter Corporation
Welcome to 2021 ! I am so excited to serve as your SAAA president this year ; it is amazing how quickly 3 years can go by ! I am truly honored to serve as SAAA president and look forward to all of the exciting things we have planned for this year !
As we all can appreciate , this past year has been a challenging one for all of us . We all navigated the world of changing rules , countless executive orders and never-ending zooms in 2020 . As we move forward , we can only hope that we are on the path to a much better year . First and foremost , this includes getting back to some sense of normalcy . Whether we will get back to a complete normal or not is still anyone ’ s guess ; however , no matter what this year holds , we will persevere together .
I know everyone is looking forward to in person events coming back this year . TAA ’ s Education Conference , # TAAONE , is here in San Antonio this year and is scheduled for April 14- 16th . TAA and the TAAONE committee have worked to make this a great , safe conference for everyone to enjoy ! The first SAAA in person event is our Live2Lease Conference that is scheduled in May ! We are so excited to bring this event back for 2021 ! We know it will be a fun , motivating day for the onsite teams and a chance to get together again . We also have many other events planned throughout the remainder of the year including Casino Night , Maintenance Mania , Cook Off ( planned for the Fall !), Tradeshow , Business Exchange and the PAC is working on an outdoor PAC event as well . Be on the look-out for more information on this soon ! We missed hosting our events in 2020 and are looking forward to seeing everyone again this year !
At the San Antonio Apartment Association , our mission is to educate , communicate and advocate for professionals in the rental housing industry . One of the ways we do this is by staying informed and proactive regarding legislation and government affairs . In 2020 , the apartment industry was hit hard due to the pandemic and the legislation surrounding it . SAAA and Government Affairs volunteers rose to the occasion to ensure that our local officials made informed decisions on these issues . In addition , SAAA worked alongside city officials to help draft the Notice of Tenant Rights so it made sense for both our industry and residents . We were also were involved in the creation of the city ’ s rental assistance program that helped our residents in need . As we move into 2021 , we expect that our industry will continue to face challenges on the legislative front . This is one of the reasons it is so important to not only get involved , but to support to the Political Action Committee ( PAC ). The funds raised for PAC help our cause when we are looking for support . In January , we will be rolling out our new PAC CLUB . This exciting monthly donation program will make it effortless to make recurring PAC donations . This program has many benefits included so be on the lookout for more details !
I have been a part of this industry for over twenty years now and have always attended SAAA events . It was not until I attended Leadership Lyceum in 2014 that I really understood everything the Apartment Association does . I finally got the bigger picture ; there is so much more than just education and events . I encourage each and every one of you to get more involved this year . Get engaged ; join a committee , donate to PAC , poll watch , attend events , and sign up for education classes . Commit in 2021 to learning more about SAAA and what it is all about !
With appreciation ,
Jennifer Morales