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Letter from the CEO
By CASEY WATTS MORGAN, HAA CEO
ON FEBRUARY 19, HAA PRESIDENT JOHN BORIACK QUICKLY ASSEMBLED A TEAM OF HAA MEMBERS in order to develop strategies responding to “Snow-vid” membership needs in the aftermath of the state’s unprecedented winter storm. This taskforce was comprised of members of the HAA Executive Committee as well as the VPALs and key industry experts. Their expertise included plumbing, fire sprinkler maintenance and repair, general contracting and local supplies. Meeting twice a week, the main objectives of the taskforce were to identify the immediate needs of the membership and identify ways to provide as much information as possible in a timely fashion. As a result, HAA jumped to action and changed an already scheduled Expert Exchange to focus on winter storm needs. The Expert Exchange on February 24 included plumbing expert Mark Park with AAA Plumbers, fire sprinkler expert David Stone with American Fire Systems and landscaping expert Deborah Winkelman, Rotolo Consultants. This Expert Exchange was packed with valuable winter storm-related information and had record attendance with more than 100 views. It was so popular that TAA circulated the recorded program among state-wide association executive officers days later! HAA also solicited photos from members illustrating the around-the-clock hard work of our vendors, suppliers and property management staff repairing the many plumbing and maintenance needs in the wake of the winter storm. Photos were posted to HAA’s social media and published in the March ABODE. We have more in this issue starting on Page 30. Additionally, HAA staff circulated the HAA Directory and Buyer’s Guide, available online at www.haabuyersguide.com, encouraging members to utilize the services of other HAA members and provided tips on how to remain vigilant against fly-by-night contractors or scam artists. A week after returning from the winter storm, HAA’s General Counsel Howard Bookstaff shifted the focus of an already scheduled Legal Lowdown to address resident rent discount or concession requests as well as lease termination concerns. The related Q&A was also distributed to the members and made available weekly through HAA’s ThisWeek. Finally, the HAA Public Affairs staff stayed in close contact with the City of Houston’s Housing Department, providing status reports on the industry’s recovery process and partnering together in order to provide assistance to some properties that were left without water for extended periods. The staff also stayed in constant communication with the Houston Fire Department so that HAA could help members address miscommunication from the City concerning fire watch protocols and other best practices in the aftermath of the storm. Overall, the HAA staff and Snow-vid taskforce were hard at work behind the scenes troubleshooting on behalf of HAA members and providing critical resources to assist the industry recover as quickly as possible. Thank you to HAA president John Boriack for his leadership in assembling this team in such a timely manner and to HAA members who volunteered their time on the taskforce. Together, the taskforce and HAA staff were able to efficiently respond to member needs during yet another “unprecedented event!”
www.haaonline.org
April 2021
ABODE
9
