Apartment Trends Magazine November / December 2016

ASSOCIATION NEWS Retiring NAA President Reflects on Outstanding 18 Year Career Doug Culkin, CAE, has been a fixture as President & CEO of the National Apartment Association for the past 18 years. He came to NAA in 1999 and found an association facing serious financial issues, operational concerns and in need of strong day-to-day leadership. During his tenure, he has shored up the finances and provided the leadership needed for the association to grow, in addition to leading a substantial period of growth. Culkin recently sat down to reflect on his noteworthy career. After nearly 18 years in the apartment housing industry you have witnessed many changes, from the meteoric growth of the industry itself to the rise in its professionalism, not to mention membership increasing from 24,000 to more than 72,000. What are some of the other major changes you’ve seen during your time at NAA? The biggest has been seeing NAA become a reputable organization. When I started, NAA wasn’t in a good financial position, and for the last 17 years we’ve had an operating surplus. Our staff has grown from 24 people to 75, and NAA has grown from representing 3.4 million apartment homes to 8.7 million apartment homes globally. We expanded the NAA Click & Lease Program across the network, which has generated a significant amount of revenue for both NAA and its affiliates. We combined the education department with the NAA Education Foundation to form NAAEI, the National Apartment Association Education Institute. We grew the Education Conference from 2000 to almost 10,000, launched the Student Housing Conference & Exposition, MAXIMIZE: Multifamily Asset Management Conference and the Executive Forum for C-suite leadership, which is held several times a year in conjunction with our major events. "Legacies are for elected officials. As a staff, we're stewards of the organization. The organization belongs to its members." We also went through the rebranding two years ago and developed a modern look that works as well today as it will for years to come. It also included a tagline, “We Lead the Way Home,” which emphasizes that 8 | TRENDS • NOV/DEC 2016 apartments are a home for many and not just temporary stops along the way to buying. The organization itself has changed. We’re now looking globally to increase membership, starting with the establishment of the United Kingdom Apartment Association (UKAA) this spring.. And financially, we went from $250,000 in the bank to anywhere between $13 to 15 million in reserves. In reflecting on your time at NAA and looking at all your accomplishments, from growing membership to taking the association across the pond with UKAA, what would you say has been your greatest accomplishment at NAA? My biggest accomplishment was making NAA a financially secure and respectable association in the industry. When I started in 1999, the National Multifamily Housing Council had two and a half times our budget. Now our budget is two and a half times theirs. We are the preeminent organization in the apartment housing industry. There must be many things you love about NAA, and setting aside your continued work on international initiatives, what do you think you will miss the most? I’m going to miss the people and the friendships the most, which made it one of the great joys of working here. I’ll also miss the industry. The entrepreneurial spirit of our members who are truly dedicated to filling an important need in our country’s economy -- providing the much-needed service of quality apartment housing to 50 to 60 million people — is what keeps this industry on track. www.aamdhq.org

Apartment Trends Magazine November / December 2016 | Page 10