NAA Education Conference & Exposition: 'leading the way'.

We made headline news. We hit a home run. We were in step with the beat. In New Orleans, NAA's annual Education Conference & Exhibition held June 19-21 combined a jazzy lineup of education, entertainment, networking and good times. NAA members were treated to keynote speakers ABC News veteran Sam Donaldson, baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr., as well as some traditional jazz, the classic tunes from The Drifters and the funky music of The Pointer Sisters.

NAA conference attendees agree this was NAA's best conference ever. They bonded by exchanging best practices at all levels of property management, working to raise NAA PAC funds, while gaining great insight and striking strong partnerships on the multifamily industry's largest trade show floor.

"Members I spoke with told me that this was the best conference they had ever attended," said Dave Watkins, Greystar Management, Tampa, Fla., who served as the 2003 Conference Committee Chair. "People thought the education sessions were dynamite, all the vendors talked about getting a lot of traffic and some solid leads.

"Attendees said Sam Donaldson showed them a humorous side they had never seen, and Cal Ripken, of course, knocked 'em dead. The facilities were great and everyone was very complimentary about the location and the work of the entire NAA staff," he said

Hap Hunnicutt, GAPS, whose 23 years of dedicated service to the industry earned him NAA's most prestigious honor, became the ninth inductee into the NAA Hall of Fame in a ceremony held June 19.

The three-day event was capped by the revved-up excitement of the second annual BMW car lease raffle. The two three-year leases (last year we gave away two one-year leases) were made available through NAA's record number of eight Platinum Sponsors-Apartment Finder, Apartment Guide, BellSouth, Coinmach, For Rent, Homestore.com, Rent.com and Sears.

On the conference's final afternoon, two NAA members drove off in style behind the wheel of 2003 Z4 Roadsters.

They were not the only ones who left happy. Conference attendees took with them the latest valuable industry information about economic conditions, marketing, trends and legislative issues, while learning how to better communicate and motivate their staffs, satisfy their residents and grow their businesses.

All the while, attendees were surrounded by award-winning experts and colleagues, including this year's winners of the PARAGON Awards--NAA's annual recognition of the best in the industry.

NAA Members Offer Rave Reviews

Lucy Garcia, a Regional Manager for The Wilson Company in Tampa, Fla., said she thought the opportunities for networking were outstanding.

"It also helped me with recruiting," said Garcia. "And I was glad to get the chance to meet some of my vendors face-to-face.

"The education session were very valuable, especially the one by Larry Johnson about customer service. He was a great storyteller and I learned a lot about the importance of the differences between average service and excellent service. Dan Thurman's motivational session was funny and informative. This was just what I needed to bring back and share with my staff."

"What I enjoyed most were the education sessions," said Cyndi Brush, Owner, Brush and Co., Augusta, Ga.

"The session by Rick Ellis gave me some great techniques to use when leasing apartments," Brush said. "But I also enjoyed The Drifters' performance at the Opening Party. I came with my daughter and daughter-in-law and we all had a blast dancing along with The Drifters."

Carie Fowler, Property Supervisor, McSha Properties, Norman, Okla., said the session "Inexpensive, Creative and Useable Marketing Solutions for Any Marketing Problem" was insightful.

"The range of ideas was excellent," said Fowler, an eight-year industry professional attending her second NAA Education Conference & Exhibition. "It wasn't just about pricey ideas. It had inexpensive solutions, and ones that fit both rural communities and big-city properties. It was educational for all types of managers."

First-time attendee Travis Henderson, Senior Vice President for Winn Residential in Richmond, Va., complimented the performance of speaker Roger Dow of Marriott Corp.

"This was a great refresher course on the importance of customer service," said Henderson. "Building relationships is the key. That's where the rubber meets the road. You can have all kinds of rules and regulations in place, but having a strong relationship is what's most important.

"I also heard that the presentation on mold was outstanding. It amazes me how little regulation there is for mold and the lack of information some people have in terms of how to treat it," he said.

"The trade show gave us a great opportunity to see some old friends and to meet some new ones. I learned a few ways to improve our business and to save us money."

Todd Katler is Vice President of Sales for Platinum sponsor Rent.com. He said that "the 2003 NAA Education Conference was a huge hit for Rent.com. We were able to close over $200,000 in new business on the trade show floor and expect that number to triple over the next 45 to 60 days! Thank you NAA for giving us the platform to earn substantial new business while spending precious time with our existing clients, as well."

Two Members Drive Home In BMWs

Lorrie Nunley, Director of Properties for Vintage Realty in Shreveport, La., wanted to make sure she toured the NAA trade show floor on Saturday as she was eager to see whose names would be drawn as the winners of the two three-year leases for BMW Z4 Roadsters on the final day of the NAA Education Conference & Exposition.

How stunned was she when she heard her name called?

"It was just unbelievable, it was like the whole room went dim," said Nunley, a 19-year multifamily housing industry professional who was attending her sixth NAA Conference. "I've never won anything, and driving a BMW around is beyond my wildest dreams."

Chuck Bryan, an Investment Manager for Pinnacle in Dallas, was attending his first conference. He said he gained a wealth of information and met many key people in the industry throughout the first two days of the conference. Then, he experienced the capper: His name was called as one winner of a BWM lease.

"This is the biggest item I've ever won," said Bryan, a musician during his spare time who is used to driving around in a 1986 van. "When I heard my name, I was just crawling inside. I tried to hold back my emotions; and not let it show. But my wife, Donna, she's going to freak out when she hears about this."

Bryan has spent seven years in the industry, including the past two at Pinnacle.

"I'm just thankful that my boss [Region President Rick Graf] invited me to come along. What a great week."

Nunley said. "With a contest like this, it just shows that you HAVE to be here."

Talking Politics With Sam Donaldson

Opening General Session keynote speaker ABC News veteran Sam Donaldson shared his honest, sarcastic and humorous comments about current events as he addressed a packed house on the first day of the Conference.

Donaldson, who has covered all U.S. administrations from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush, displayed his loud, powerful broadcasting tone and mixed in his admitted pompous personality while entertaining the crowd. He spoke of admiration of past president Ronald Reagan and retold his failed political predictions that applied to the Clinton election in 1992 and the continuous scandals that dominated his eight years in office.

He looked forward to the coming election cycle, not shying away from predicting a presidential run by Hillary Clinton.

"If Bush shows any sign of weakness between now and 2004, Hillary will come out and she will try to exploit it," Donaldson said. "She has the support of the Democratic Party activists. The biggest challenge she faces is gaining the acceptance of women voters. It also depends on whom she is running against and what are the issues at that time.

"But you can tell from her actions today, that she is positioning herself to run in 2008. I have no problem with the country having a woman in the Oval Office, but we have to realize that once a woman gets that office, they won't give it back."

Jeannie Milar, Flournoy Properties, Columbus, Ga., said Donaldson was a great opening speaker. "I've never seen him in that kind of an atmosphere," she said. "He was very enlightening and very entertaining. It was great to hear someone who speaks with their mind, from their heart, instead of reading a prepared speech."

Her colleague Renee League said Donaldson's stories about what makes great leaders applies to her professional setting.

"What Donaldson talked about helped me, because it affects all leaders in all businesses," League said.

Robin Terrell, CAM, Summit Property Management, East Lansing, Mich., said Donaldson's imitation of Reagan was outstanding. "With humor, he kept everything he talked about very entertaining," Terrell said.

Donaldson also spoke candidly about serious news topics such as the search for weapons of mass destruction, the power of conservative political talk shows and Bush's willingness to make political compromises.

"I've been watching Donaldson on television for a long time, but didn't really realize until today that when he is sarcastic on television when questioning his guests, he can still remain fair," said Steve Radcliffe, Dominion Inc., Minneapolis. "He was a great speaker to have for our industry's audience."

Ripken Inspires Audience

Another personality that has been in the spotlight for years spoke during the General Session. The entire country has watched with both awe and excitement the incredible baseball career of all-time great Cal Ripken Jr. Considered the Iron Man of Baseball, Ripken's name is synonymous with hard work, dedication, teamwork and inspiring greatness in his teammates. Ripken shared his real-life experiences with NAA conference attendees as keynote speaker.

"He didn't preach to us on how to do something, but he just shared what he did to become the success that he is," said John Charles, Morrow & Associates, Irwin, Pa. "That was the best way to do it.

"I especially appreciated his philosophy that when you are going to go to work, you go to work; and, that practice doesn't make perfect, but rather, perfect practice makes perfect."

Ripken told how the knowledge he gained in baseball in terms of leadership, management, teamwork and work ethic has helped him in the business world, as well.

"He was awesome, and I don't even know that much about baseball," said Mary Langum, CAM, NALP, Pinnacle Realty Management, Dallas. "I loved hearing him tell us about the value of a good work ethic, helping others and to 'Just do it.'"

Ripken has founded the Cal Ripken Baseball league, a national program for players ages 5 through 12, and one of the league teams, Kenner (La.) All Stars, were on hand at the General Session. Players from Kenner, who won the Cal Ripken Baseball Louisiana state title last summer, met personally with Ripken before the keynote address and then were introduced during the assembly.

"Even though [Cal] is a star, he's a regular person," said Kenner ballplayer Devon Hastings, age 12.

"I thought he might be kind of quiet, but he wasn't," said Kenner ballplayer Keith Villafranco, age 12. "He was a good guy to be able to just talk baseball with. I learned a lot about how baseball works."

"I was happy to hear his basic, motivational information with no hype," said Bobby Torres, a Platinum Sponsor with Apartment Guide. "I learned the important thing is to just go out there, keep your eye on the ball and do it."

Ripken, who had more than 3,000 hits in his career, talked about the good feeling that comes with doing something right. He shared the story of his 13-year-old daughter Rachel, who he asked to clean her room. When she was done, he told her to look over the room and enjoy the good feeling she had about her accomplishment.

"If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right," said Ripken, a two-time league Most Valuable Player.

Lori Ricci, Gatehouse Management, Mansfield, Mass., said. "There was real value in that he just shared his life's experiences with us. I thought his comments about his [daughter] were particularly touching. The comments came from his heart."

Hunnicutt Enters NAA Hall of Fame

NAA honored its own All Star at the conference. Hap Hunnicutt, CAPS, President, Equity Development Co., Houston, was inducted into the NAA Hall of Fame. He served as NAA President in 1996 and has been an NAA Board member since 1987. Hunnicutt was introduced by the 2000 Hall of Fame inductee and longtime friend Rob Johnston, CAPS, CPM, First Communities, Atlanta.

"When I first heard the news I was humbled," said Hunnicutt, whose parents were surprised guests of NAA and in attendance to hear the news for the first time. "I am honored. I want to thank my family, my friends and NAA for this great honor."

Johnston spoke of Hunnicutt's sincere dedication, hard work and many contributions to both NAA and the multifamily housing industry.

"His passion for people and causes is his compass," said Johnston. "He commits his heart and soul to everything he does and then asks, 'What can I do next?'"

Hunnicutt, who served on the Board of the Texas Apartment Association and the Galveston Apartment Association was instrumental in NAA's development of the lease program and currently is NAA PAC Subcommittee Chair and Chair of the TAA Education Foundation. In 1997 he raised $600,000 while serving as President of the NAA Education Foundation.

"I am confident in the direction and leadership in place at NAA," Hunnicutt said.

Economist 'Bullish' About Economy

Renowned Economist Dr. Arthur B. Laffer delivered a thoroughly bullish economic forecast while speaking to approximately 100 attendees at NAA's Education Foundation brunch on June 19.

He predicted that the economy will adjust dramatically in 2004 and that the "best is yet to come." Laffer called asset valuations "extraordinarily low right now" and said he believes members of the Bush administration are now "all on the same page" in terms of working toward growing the economy.

Laffer, an admitted conservative who referred to Ronald Reagan as "God" when commenting on the former U.S. president's economic policy, said the current administration "has the wind at its back going into the 2004 election campaign and will likely win by a landslide. The Republican Party is in position to pick up many of the more than 30 U.S. Senate seats that will be on the line that November.

Board of Directors Meeting Highlights

* The Board of Directors approved the motion that, beginning in 2004, UNITS magazine will be published 12 times per year.

* The Board of Directors decided that membership dues will go unchanged in 2004.

* The Board of Directors approved a new affiliate the Washington Multi Family Housing Association based in Seattle, which includes 119 members. Kari Anderson, Area Vice President, Equity, Tukwila, Wash., is Association President.

* The NAA PAC raised nearly $10,000 during the conference.