President’s Corner – A thank you

By CHRISTY RODRIGUEZ, 2022 HAA President

AS THE YEAR IS COMING TO AN END, SO IS THE TIME I HAVE LEFT AS YOUR HAA PRESIDENT. I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE BIG WINS WE HAVE HAD IN 2022, AS WELL AS THE DEDICATED MEMBERS WHO HAVE HELPED US FINISH THE RACE!

There is no “I” in team after all, and these milestones truly could not have happened without the contributions from our tireless members, hardworking staff and the great leadership that we have here at HAA.

I could not fit all of this year’s accomplishments in one magazine, even if I tried. But I wanted to make sure a few were noted to show the magnitude of growth we saw this year, which wouldn’t be possible without the support from our members and volunteers.

Our members showed up in a big way this year, reaffirming everyone’s passion for this association, starting with the HAA NEXT Committee, which raised more than $13,000 for Halo House Foundation this year during the group’s Multifamily Game Show. It was followed by the fan-favorite 2022 Chili Fest, raising more than $41,000 for the Houston Apartment Foundation.

As President, I appointed a Charitable Task Force to help the organization focus our charitable deeds and efforts. This group was led by Immediate Past President, John Boriack and worked diligently to identify three deserving charities – NestQuest, YMCA and Shelters to Shutters – that HAA will support and partner with moving forward to optimize our charitable reach for the organization.

Attendance exceeded expectations for the Houston Apartment Foundation’s education offerings in 2022 and it is evident that education offerings are in high demand. In 2022, the organization combined the Education and Outreach departments to ensure that member needs continue to align with the organizational structure. It is my hope that this combined focus will allow us to continue to support membership needs for many years to come.

As this was an election year, we had high hopes for our Government Affairs team and they did not let us down. The HAA PAC held a 96.5%-win rate within their endorsed candidates this election season and PAC membership grew by 46% in 2022.

None of these accomplishments would be possible without the support of HAA leadership and I would like to share a special note of gratitude to the Executive Committee, Past Presidents, Board of Directors and HAA Leaders who have put countless hours into HAA and have supported me over this past year. Please check out all of their names listed on Page 4 and, for a little holiday fun, check out our “Guess Whose Pet” Game at right!

I consider my time as President of the Houston Apartment Association a great honor and privilege and will forever cherish the year of 2022. As I continue my volunteer journey as a Vice President at Large for the Texas Apartment Association next year, I look forward to serving you for many years to come.

Thank you for being a part of my journey and allowing me to be a part of yours. I am honored and humbled to have served alongside all of the “heart” working members and staff and appreciate your service to our organization.

Graciously humbled,