More than a year ago, I used this column to announce that I had made the decision to come off the road after two decades of constant travel delivering numerous NCHM programs. Those of you who attended NCHM programs the year before doubtless remember the limitations on my mobility that was evident. Since airports seem to be getting larger at the same time that airline seats are getting smaller, my decision was a prudent one!
But just because a decision is correct doesn’t mean it’s easy. I have very much missed the opportunity to spend time in the company of housing professionals not only as a trainer, but also as a colleague. I totally understood the feelings of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, who said, “I hate being on the road, but I can’t play drums at home, so to play drums, I have to go on the road.”
So when NCHM President Glenn Stevens announced that we would organize a National Housing Management Institute in Chicago on June 16-20, I jumped at the chance to be part of it. Well, not literally, because I cannot actually jump these days…but figuratively to be sure.
The Institute is a rare opportunity for me to meet and talk to you face-to-face about the issues that are important to you and to our industry. It is also a chance for me to meet with my colleagues from around the country to “talk shop” — what’s it like training these days? How do we make our programs even better? How do we use technology more while not losing the personal touch that has made NCHM the training provider of choice for so many? I look forward to discussing these and other topics with my friends and colleagues.
What will the Institute mean to you? Of course, first and foremost, it’s an opportunity to attend one or more NCHM training programs conducted by our leading trainers. But that’s just the beginning. You’ll have the chance to meet and talk with the leading members of NCHM’s team — a team that I have no hesitation in saying consists of the best minds in the business as well as hundreds of years in combined experience. You may be attending a compliance-oriented training, and then want to explore the management operations impact of a particular policy or procedure, such as a pet policy or tenant selection plan. Or you might be taking a housing management course and just have a question or two for one of our compliance experts on a “back-home” issue. You will be able to do that at the Institute. You will also get a chance to network with your colleagues in a casual yet business-oriented setting. And, if you join us for the special Wednesday General Session who’ll have the opportunity to hear from, and interact with, Mr. Antonio Riley, the Midwest Regional Administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
And if you want to sit and chat with me you won’t have to chase me down. Not only can I not jump, I also can’t run!
I look forward to seeing you in Chicago.