Reflections on 2014

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3 min read

December is typically a hectic time for our members as they race to meet year-end deadlines and finalize budgeting and plans for 2015. Between the upcoming NCHMA Annual Meeting (December 8-9) and a busy lame-duck session of Congress (both tax extenders and appropriations remain hanging in the balance as I write this piece), our staff won’t have much time to spare either. But I did want to take a moment to reflect on some of the important work that we did this year and what I’m excited about going into 2015.

I am particularly proud of the success we have had with our Preservation Through Energy Efficiency Initiative. Four road shows in, we are already seeing tangible progress and many owners taking actionable steps to make smart investments in their portfolios. Our next scheduled event will be on April 9 in Indianapolis and we hope to announce at least one additional stop later this winter.

Our Revamped Website, Future Events

If you haven’t explored the updated housingonline.com, it’s worth a quick tour. We made significant upgrades to the interface and expanded the number of resources available to our members, including a whole new library tied to the PTEE initiative. It’s now easier than ever to receive and share the latest affordable housing and tax credit development news, register for a conference, or purchase a product from our expanding store. Your login is your access to a whole portal of critical business news, policy developments, and much more. Members and customers can look forward to even greater resources in 2015 and the ability to further customize their communications preferences.

Our Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) User Group convened three face-to-face meetings with senior officials at HUD to provide feedback and host dialogues on how to maximize the efficacy of RAD. We are excited to host the next convening of this group, in conjunction with our Public Housing Joint Venture Symposium, on February 18 – immediately prior to NH&RA’s 2015 Annual Meeting in Key Largo, Fla.

NH&RA will be hosting a kick-off event for its Next Generation Leadership Initiative on December 2 in Boston. The aim is to bring together “Next Gen” leaders for an afternoon of education, brainstorming, and networking. I believe this effort will help shape both the future of NH&RA and the industry for years to come.

Farewell to a Colleague

As you may already know, our long- time colleague and editor of this magazine, Glenn Petherick, is retiring this month. In our ever-evolving industry, Glenn’s transactional insight and reporting have been constant and essential resources for countless tax credit professionals for more than twenty years. I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Glenn for nearly ten of those years and I will always appreciate his consummate professionalism and insight. Glenn, I wish you the best of luck in retirement – yours will be difficult shoes to fill!