August 2013 • Vol. 50 No. 8
The Official PublicaTiOn Of The arizOna MulTihOusing assOciaTiOn
The Reverse Trade Show Drives Business By Joanna Grassinger, AMA Tucson’s Freaky Friday Reverse Trade Show brought AMA members together for a role reversal that mirrored the famous film. For an afternoon, associate members networked with management companies to learn more about their properties and their service needs. Hundreds of AMA members gathered into 57 vendor teams to visit with the 24 tables representing management companies in the ballroom of the Hilton. Event emcee, Mike Rochon of Distinctive Carpets, kept the afternoon moving quickly as he gave instructions on the “speed networking” set up. Despite his “tough-guy” costume, Rochon served as comic relief throughout the trade show. The management teams adopted the theme with great enthusiasm and creativity. With a little help from their friends at Valley Protective Ser-
Scotia Group impressed attendees with their smart Valley Protective Services’ uniforms.
51st Legislature, First Regular Session Finally Comes to a Close By Courtney LeVinus & Jake Hinman, Capitol Consulting What a year! Possibly the best way to describe this legislative session is simply, unprecedented. What began as a typical and somewhat unremarkable legislative session turned into an all-out war of words between Governor Jan Brewer, Senate and House leadership and conservative Republicans. Most of the vitriol between party members was attributed to the Medicaid expansion backed by the Governor and moderate Republicans. Both sides drew their respective lines in the sand which culminated in the Governor calling an abrupt special session to thwart leadership and force budget and Medicaid negotiations. The move sparked rumors of a legislative coup between the moderProfessional Publishing, Inc PO Box 30327 Portland, OR 97294-3327
ate and conservative Republicans. In all my years of working at the Capitol, I have never seen anything of the sorts. The 51st Legislature, First Regular Session, convened on January 14th 2013, with twenty-eight freshman lawmakers (a third of the entire legislature) taking office for their very first time. Though Republicans returned to the Capitol without their supermajority held since 2009, they still maintained control of the Senate (17 Republicans – 13 Democrats) and the House (36-24). The State continued its recovery from the Great Recession and the legislature passed an $8.8 billion budget for the 2014 fiscal year. The new budget contained an additional $69.1 million for Child Protective Services and child-welfare programs, $17 million for the developmentally disabled; and $82 million for K-12. Even with the sunset of the temporary one-cent Continued on page 3
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vices, the Scotia Group came prepared to serve dressed as guards in full uniform. Prime Residential got freaky and their management team took home top honors for their freaktastic décor and theming. Visitors to their tables were welcomed with toys and colorful games while their team sported wild wigs. The AMA’s trophy fit the theme perfectly. Prime Residential was presented with a pink bulldog trophy bearing a “Best in Show” ribbon. The Reverse Trade Show creates a unique opportunity for associate members to meet property management companies and decision makers in a single afternoon. The organizing committee, led by Mike Ruske of Prime Group and Michelle Winston of Apartment Finder, devised a simple system to ensure that regular members were able to meet with nearly every associate member over the course of the afternoon. The process Continued on page 10
Dunlap & Magee Partners with St. Mary’s to Provide Summer Lunches By Lucina Chavez, AMA Arizona summer months can be particularly tough for Arizona families with younger children. During the school year, many families take advantage of school breakfast and lunch programs that offer children stable meals. Once fed, these children are able to concentrate better in the classroom and get the nutrition they need to grow. When the summer comes around and classes are out, some families struggle to feed their young ones nutritious meals every day. To address this serious issue, St. Mary’s Food Bank developed the Kids Café meal service program. For some of their clients, this may be the only meal of
the day. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by the Arizona Department of Education, Kids Cafe continues its efforts to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry so they can live healthy and productive lives. This summer, St. Mary’s partnered with Dunlap and Magee, other apartment communities, community based health clinics and schools to offer locations where families could pick up their meals. The apartment communities offered a logical, accessible destination for the program and it’s an amenity for residents who take advantage of the program. Continued on page 7