Thank You For Letting Me Serve

It is hard to believe I have been serving as your president for the past two years and now my term has come to an end. It seems like yesterday that I wrote my first article for the Focus that encompassed my goals for making the CIAA a better organization. Hopefully, I have succeeded to some degree.

Being president of an association like the Central Illinois Apartment Association opens your eyes to the need for excellence and involvement in issues relating to your life’s business. I became a landlord at the age of 19 and I am still amazed at how much about this business I do not know. We all strive to be better property owners and landlords, but it is like trying to hit a moving target. Change is inevitable and particularly in this economically challenging time period.

As president of CIAA I was privileged to meet and interact with many top professionals in our community. From city council members to community leaders the Central Illinois Apartment Association is a respected entity with a long history of portraying the property owner and property manager as a professional business person. This kind of positive public exposure is important to help offset the oftentimes negative image portrayed by the media and a few of our customers.

This month’s general meeting will be held on December 17 and will focus you and your input into the coming year. We will also hold an election of officers for 2010 and beyond. Please attend and give us your input. Our association is only as strong as the people who are involved.

Finally, I would like to thank my Board of Directors (for all of their hard work this past two years) and Marita Booker, CIAA Coordinator, for outstanding support and loyalty to me during my tenure. It has been my pleasure to serve you as president and I look forward to remaining on the Board of Directors as Past President. See you at the next meeting!