Conference Education Sessions

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EDUCATION SESSIONS

Tuesday, 5/13/25

Conference Opening/General Session Keynote l 8:45 AM - 10:00 AM

The TA DA of Teamwork!  l  Joel Zeff

We are all improvising. We face challenges, disruption, change, and obstacles without a script or rehearsal. To find success, we need to work together, build trust, and create opportunity. During this session, Joel will discuss how the tenets of improvisation create successful teams during change and disruption. Joel has spent the past 30 years performing and teaching the lessons of improvisation. This interactive, engaging and hilarious session will focus on staying in the game; facing fear; building trust, and asking the important question, “How do I help the people around me be successful?” Joel will also bring his famous TA DA energy as he discusses the importance of opportunity, positive support, and active listening in collaboration. Yes, you will have fun and laugh during this session. You will also learn how to collaborate more successfully as a team, and navigate change. Are you ready for the TA DA?

Education Breakout Sessions l 10:15 AM - 11:15 AM

Why EQ Matters: Emotional Intelligence Strategies to Build Diverse and Inclusive Teams  l  Rebecca Rosario

Who's wrong, who's right? It doesn't matter! When it comes to building cohesive teams, we can't expectpeople to instantly abandon everything they (think) know or believe. Creating a sense of belonging andemployee engagement start with Emotional Intelligence. Individual attitudes and values have a big rippleeffect that impact both personal and team success. By increasing individual EI, everyone can begin toexperience the upside of creating a diverse and inclusive culture.

Leading With L.O.V.E.  l  Steve Wunch

Knowing that recent events have had a negative impact on employee engagement, mental health, and overall well-being, leaders need to have insight into how to create a workplace that speaks the language that people need to hear...now more than ever. This interactive session gives leaders insight into what makes a team member feel valued by leadership and provides participants with actionable ways to immediately impact their teams. Leading With LOVE explores the softer (yet IMPORTANT) side of leadership. Attendees will take away actionable behaviors related to: LISTENING - the 3rd Dimension of Listening Leaders will gain understanding around how to be a more effective listener and how the 3rd dimension of listening impacts employee engagement, productivity, and company culture. OBSERVING - Management by walking around - Leaders will learn how to be more “active” in their management style and how leading from the field has a more powerful impact than leading from the office. VALUING - A leader’s lesson in perspective. ENCOURAGING - Leaders will take away actionable ways to show team members that they are valued. How to be a Leader who CHEERS and allows the TEAM to do the work! Everyone knows happy teams are the most productive teams!

From Wrenches to Wi-Fi: Making Tech Your New Tool Belt  l  Chiccorra Connor & Adrian Ciprian Danila

Join us for a lively and interactive session where we'll help maintenance staff embrace the digital age! From navigating apps to troubleshooting tech, we'll show you how to work smarter, not harder, and advance your career in the process. Get ready to ditch the old ways and embrace the future with confidence!

A Crash Course in NC Government Affairs  l  Sarah DuBose

Curious about how North Carolina's government works? This session is perfect for anyone interested in gaining a clear understanding of the state’s legislative process and how laws are made, which state agencies have the most impact on the rental housing industry, and how advocacy from everyday people can influence public policy decisions. No prior knowledge or experience in government affairs is needed—just bring your interest in learning more about how North Carolina’s government operates.

Education Breakout Sessions l 11:35 AM - 12:35 PM

The ABC's of Effective Communication  l  Rodney Smith

In a world where communication is necessary, choosing the right words to speak is important but what happens when the body lacks congruency? The effect of poor communication often leads to misunderstandings and unsatisfactory outcomes. This inspiring training offers real-world verbal and nonverbal communication techniques to help build trust and increase self-awareness in a variety of circumstances that you can walk away with and use instantly!

How to Create Contracts & Service Agreements that are Good for Both You and Your Vendors.  l  Chris King-Dye

Discover how to create successful contracts and avoid time-consuming apples- to-oranges bidding processes. Learn ways to reduce change orders, increase service quality and get the best payment terms and guarantees. Contracts and Service Agreements should create lasting partnerships that provide for credible and trustworthy negotiations and successful end products and services. Take advantage of scope and bud templates that will save you time, money, and headaches!

Doing You! Personality As A Professional Asset  l  Ishea Shepherd & Dana Duckworth

Join us for the "Doing You" session, a transformative experience designed specifically for residential property management professionals. This workshop will empower you to leverage your authenticity and unique personality as strategic tools in enhancing your personal and professional brand within the industry. During this session, you will learn how to embrace your authentic self to boost confidence and establish a compelling presence in property management. Discover how aligning your true passions with your professional role can set you apart and propel your success. We'll explore the powerful impact of mindset on leadership, teaching you to reframe challenges as opportunities for growth and innovation. Additionally, you'll gain valuable strategies for building effective relationships with both tenants and team members. Through effective communication techniques, active listening, and collaborative strategies, you'll learn how to foster trust and cooperation, enhancing tenant satisfaction and team dynamics. This workshop is an excellent opportunity to refine your personal branding as a leadership tool, enabling you to achieve greater professional recognition and career advancement. By the end of this session, you'll have a deeper understanding of how your personality can not only enhance your professional interactions but also lead to tangible success in the property management field.

Living Room Learning  l  Insert Speaker

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Education Breakout Sessions l 4:15 PM - 5:10 PM

Born to Be Dope!  l  Ryan C. Greene

Born To Be Dope is the Hip hop meets personal development training that teaches how to 10x your leadership impact, influence, and income by being unapologetically great at being you! Learn how to master, magnify, and monetize your unique dopeness for business and professional success.

Can’t We All Just Get Along – Communication & Conflict Skills for Service Teams  l  Rich George

In this session, participants will gain a new understanding of dealing with the difficult people in their lives. They will gain a set of skills as well as a strategy to handle the stress created by difficult people and situations. Participants will understand the mechanics of communication at their core and they will discover that pitfalls and triumphs lie in the words or phrases that we choose. At this program's conclusion, participants will be able to L.E.A.R.N. their way through conflict and have a new energy for the challenging aspects of their lives and careers.

How to Lose a New Hire in 10 Days – and other Dangers of Disorganized Onboarding  l  Kara Rice

The continuing labor shortage means finding and hiring team members is one of the toughest challenges facing multifamily supervisors today. When you finally find that new team member, your work isn’t done. Unfortunately, new hires often experience a chaotic, disorganized welcome to their new role and workplace – which can leave them wondering if they made a good choice. In fact, data shows that about a third of new hires don’t even make it to the 90-day mark. Creating a thoughtful and effective onboarding experience is key to ensuring your new hire doesn’t flame out before they even become a contributing member of the team. Learn how to start them off strong, so they stick around.

Living Room Learning  l  Insert Speaker

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General Session  l  5:20 PM - 6:20 PM

Legal Issues Update  l  Samantha Simpson & Jared Schmidt

Join us for an in-depth exploration of the latest legal developments impacting the multifamily housing industry, both at the state and national levels. This session is designed to arm attendees with the most current and relevant information available, ensuring they are well-prepared to navigate the complex legal landscape. Our expert speakers will cover a spectrum of critical topics including debt collection practices, fair housing regulations, screening protocols, and other emerging issues affecting operations. Attendees will gain valuable insights into new best practices that can enhance their portfolio management while identifying and mitigating operational risks. Don't miss this opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and ensure compliance in today's evolving regulatory environment.

Wednesday, 5/14/25

Education Breakout Sessions l  9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Finding an Extra Hour Every Day: Time Management Tips & Strategies  l  Randy Dean

In this popular program on “finding an extra hour of time” every day, Randy Dean, MBA, “The E-mail Sanity Expert”®, uses humor and high energy as he goes into many of the most common areas of productivity loss (and possible gain!) afflicting many busy professionals: e-mail and input overload, managing multiple projects/tasks, maintaining “traction” when interrupted, clearing mental clutter for better focus, keeping staff on task, tracking deliverables (and getting them on time!), and better managing your calendar and contacts for better time and relationship management. He also shows specific strategies for Microsoft and Google users in this session so they can apply the overriding strategies to the software they use every day. His goal is to help stressed performers learn new and immediately useful strategies and tips for finding a few minutes on your daily tasks, activities, and actions, leading to (hopefully!) an extra hour of productivity every day.

Leasing In A Concession Driven Market  l  Megan Orser

Are you looking to enhance your apartment marketing strategies and lease more units in a competitive, concession-driven market? Do you want to go beyond the basics and take your marketing and sales efforts to the next level? Then this is the perfect opportunity for you! Join Smart Chick Megan, a national award winning specialist, as she provides you with the tools and insights to: 1. Determine your community's changing demographics and adapt your marketing strategies to target the right audience. 2. Build effective outreach methods to maximize synergy with local businesses and residents, increasing your community's visibility and appeal. 3. Learn effective strategies for selling apartments in a concession-driven market, including leveraging concessions as a marketing tool, creating unique value propositions, and differentiating your community from competitors. This is an excellent opportunity to enhance your apartment marketing skills, learn new strategies, and connect with industry experts. Don't miss out on this chance to take your marketing game to the next level and achieve your community's sales goals!

Education Breakout Sessions l  10:45 AM - 11:45 AM

Think Like an Owner: Adopt These Key Initiatives For Success  l  Kristi Fickert

Today’s multifamily teams are entrusted with millions of dollars worth of assets and tasked with a myriad of responsibilities that encompass sales, marketing, operations, customer experience, human resources and even facilities management. But, no matter your role or experience level, learning how to view performance through an owner or investor’s lens can give you newfound perspective and know-how that dramatically improves your overall performance in a new way and drives even more tangible results - for you personally, and your property. We’ll bridge the gap between owners and on-site and regional teams and hear directly from some of today’s brightest owners about their expectations, goals and strategies - and how to apply their sharp investment acumen to our everyday multifamily processes. We’ll examine the successful habits, tools and processes they utilize and will help you level up and start thinking - and operating - like one of them.

The Multitasking Myth: Why Focusing on One Task is the Key to Success  l  Anna Javellana

Are you a busy property manager looking to maximize your productivity and achieve greater success? We're often told we must multitask to be a successful property manager. However, research shows that multitasking is actually ineffective. Join us as we dive into the powerful benefits of focusing on one task at a time. In this session, we'll uncover the myths surrounding multitasking and discover why one-task focus is the key to success. You will learn powerful techniques to enhance your ability to concentrate on a single task and discover how to manage your energy effectively, enabling you to get more done in less time. Finally, we'll cover the importance of setting clear boundaries within your team to create a cohesive, focus-driven environment.

Conference Closing/General Session Keynote l 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

LEAD AMBITIOUSLY  l  Deborah Gardner

When it comes to being a leader, few traits are more misunderstood than ambition, and the stakes have never been higher in the multi-family housing industry. Resident expectations are rising, talent is elusive, communication is harder to manage, and technology races ahead. The multi-family housing hustle? It's as real as it gets! But fear not, where there are challenges lies opportunity and unity strengthens, contribution inspires greatness, and shared success becomes a culture noticed.    Irrespective of your role or title, it's time to recalibrate your thinking and actions. Whether building a powerhouse team, untangling internal dynamics, or embracing innovation, ambitious leaders manage to keep challenges in perspective and move forward. Better understand that when you are adapting, changing lanes, and taking strategic action, you are transforming ambition into winning results. Are you ready to turbocharge your success? Brace yourself because this is not a "talk". It's an experiential life-altering experience designed for you. An electrifying, red-bull, double espresso-powered straight-shooting message with loads of fun. Up for the challenge?

Questions? Email info@aanconline.org.