As regular readers of this column know, I usually devote myself to a specific compliance-related topic or two. But today — and with apologies to Monty Python’s Flying Circus — I’ d like to offer up something completely different: an open and personal letter from me to you.
As of the end of this year, I will no longer be leading regularly-scheduled on-site training programs offered by NCHM. This does not mean I am leaving NCHM, or that I am retiring. I plan to continue developing NCHM’s compliance-based training and webinar programs, and will still be responsible for this column, eHotline, and my occasional blog. Management firms and PHAs will also be able to request me to train their organization — what we call “Special Programs” — on a limited basis.
During the past 22 years, I have trained many thousands of housing management professionals. I want you to know that this has been one of the finest privileges and greatest joys of my life. I’ve spent over 4,000 days on the road and would not trade nor change a day of it. The opportunity to meet you, to listen to your concerns, to provide guidance, to educate and provide you with food for thought, has enriched my life on many levels. I hope I have made at least a modest contribution to your professional development and compliance knowledge.
I was 31 years old when I joined the NCHM staff, and will soon reach the age of 54. The AARP is willing to accept me as a member, and HUD defines me as “near elderly.” Put simply: travel has become more difficult, more stressful and more tiring. It has become harder to do that which I love and which has been my life for more than two decades.
All of this means that you will be seeing me much less, though my “virtual” presence will continue strong. And while I suppose there is some chance we’ll not meet again, I will still be here and part of the best housing management training and consulting organization in the United States.