Colorado-Real-Estate-Journal_319905

Page 18 — Property Management Quarterly — January 2023 www.crej.com Associations: BOMA L et me start with saying…how in the world is it 2023 already? It seemed as though 2020 and 2021 dragged on during the crux of COVID-19 and now 2022 has come and gone in a heart- beat. Now that life is basically back to “normal,” I’m excited to kick off a new year and serve as the 2023 Denver Metro BOMA President. The 2023 Denver Metro BOMA theme is Raise Your Voice – Taking Hold of the Future . What does that mean, you ask? I envision this theme in three equally important parts: As an industry, we need to be heard and advocate for our ownerships and City. What are the issues you face at your buildings or are communicated to you by ownership? Let BOMA help! Bring it to the forefront and allow this great association to fight for our buildings and ownerships. Policies that affect our industry are an ongo- ing challenge and need to continue being pushed at the local and state levels. This doesn’t mean getting political, it means ensuring that unfair and unjust policies are not passed. By staying involved I have been able to create a real value for my ownerships. Over the past few years, Denver Metro BOMA has advocated for/against sev- eral initiatives, including homeless- ness and electrification, both of which greatly affect our industry and build- ings. Without our members speaking up, we would have legal homeless camps on our properties and owner- ships paying astronomical tax penal- ties for not complying with unreason- able new code requirements. This also means getting involved and giving back. The events, committees, and advocacy efforts would not be where they are without member support and involvement. Support fellow members at lun- cheons and events, join a committee, and share your ideas and resources to make this asso- ciation the best it can be. Some of the best relationships I have made in my career have been due to my involvement in BOMA. Emerging professionals are the next generation of leaders in our industry. As the next generation of leaders, it’s important to guide and mentor our emerging professionals. For those of us tenured in this industry, we need to encourage our EPs to get involved. Everyone has a voice and will be heard. Share ideas and thoughts, net- work, and communicate what BOMA can do to help your growth. If we want to leave this industry in good hands and better than we found it, we need to work together. After all, didn’t someone help mentor and teach you early in your career? Some of the best ideas come from the most unexpect- ed places. A story I like to share goes back to my early days in BOMA in 2005. I had just started in the indus- try and was excited to learn more about BOMA and meet the tenured generation of leaders. I recognized a property manager from a neighbor- ing building and decided to go intro- duce myself. What I expected to be a pleasant interaction was anything but. Her response to me was, “why are you talking to me?” While I could have been discouraged and given up on BOMA, I realized that one person wasn’t going to hold me back and I would not allow someone to stifle my voice. I was going to get involved and be heard. Speak up! Even if you’re not the loud- est person in the room, it doesn’t mean you aren’t heard. As someone who is considered soft spoken in the vol- ume of my voice, it has taken me a long time to learn that even when I am interrupted or talked over, to not be discouraged and keep sharing my ideas and thoughts. Speaking up doesn’t mean being confrontational or having a thick skin. It means sharing ideas and resources, bringing light to future issues and obstacles, and sup- porting fellow members and cowork- ers. We need everyone in this associa- tion to speak up, no matter what your title or experience are. We all have important things to say, so be heard! Serving as President for Denver Metro BOMA means the world to me. I am proud to be a leader, advocate, and voice for our industry. This association has gotten me out of my shell, grown my leadership skills, and introduced me to some of the best people I know. Please join me in raising your voice in 2023 – the future of our industry needs us! s Raise Your Voice – Taking Hold of the Future Amanda Darvill, RPA, LEED-GA Group Manager – JLL 2023 President – Denver Metro BOMA