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On Tuesday, December 12 CAA members and guests gathered at the Junto hotel to recognize Don Brunner, the 46th President of the Columbus Apartment Association (CAA) at the ceremonial Installation Dinner. The evening began with cocktails and a social hour before Laura Swanson, Executive Director of the CAA invited everyone to find their seats and welcomed them to the event. Swanson thanked the over 130 CAA volunteers who contributed almost 1100 volunteer hours to the CAA in 2023 through committees, workgroups, events and more. Swanson then moved to the business portion of the program and recognized and installed the newly elected members of the CAA Board of Trustees, CAA Executive Committee, CAA Associate Council, and the CAA delegates to the Ohio Apartment Association (OAA). The focus then moved to the installation of Brunner as incoming President, Swanson welcomed Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of BRG Realty, Jeff March to the podium for the formal installation and swearing in of the CAA President. Throughout his speech, Brunner emphasized the importance of the legislative process and the CAA being a participant at all levels, locally, state and nationally. “As we move forward, we have a lot of headwinds facing us today as we go through in our industry. Legislative issues, locally, state and nationally, we’re fighting those. The things that happen at the local level really affect nationally, so we need to really pay attention to that,” Brunner said during his speech. “If we can bring you to sit there with that representative and help get our point across, it’s so important. So, you might think you’re just a small town, but small town becomes state, becomes national.” Brunner also emphasized the importance of being involved, joining a committee, attending events and donating to the CAA Community Assistance Foundation. A full transcript of his speech can be found in the fourth quarter Apartment Age. Swanson returned for a brief toast and invocation followed by dinner. Members continued to celebrate and network throughout the evening enjoying live music and winding down a successful year. The CAA would like to thank all of the members in attendance at this year’s Installation Dinner. We look forward to seeing everyone at a CAA event in 2024. Building on Strengths to Build a Better Association Transcript of CAA President Don Brunner’s Speech Thank you very much, it’s my pleasure to be installed and Jeffrey, we’ve been friends for a very long time, working partners and thanks for always being supportive, thanks for being here tonight. My first duty, pleasure and honor is to provide Mr. Steve Papineau his gavel, Steve would you come up sir. It’s been an honor to work with Steve over the past couple of years and he’s always very much an advocate for Columbus, the Apartment Association and he’s done an amazing job. Thank you very much. Steve’s done a great job, we’re lucky to have him. I’d also like to thank the CAA staff; they’ve done an amazing job. We should have won the Affiliate of the Year award this last year, wish we would have. Next, I’d like to thank my BRG family for always allowing me this opportunity. Thanks for being here tonight, thank you for allowing me to be involved and spend the time in the various associations, I really appreciate it. I’d like to thank our other Board members, both Associate Council and the Board. It’s going to be a great couple of years working together, I’m very much looking forward to it. It’s great to see you guys all installed today. Last, but not least, I have to thank my beautiful bride Karen, who is always by my side. For those who don’t know me, my first role is Grandpa, Papa, we have six and a quarter grandkids, so we’ve got one coming, so we’re pretty excited. Husband, CEO, some of the kids we’ll worry about later. Jeff’s always worried that I spend a little too much time away from the office, so I try to pick that up. Jeff did mention, just a quick background for you guys, I started on the supplier side, I do understand both sides, I worked on the supplier side, I was on the Associate Council in Cincinnati for four years. So, pretty familiar with the supplier side. Then my beautiful wife worked for Apartment Guide for 18 years. Hopefully, working together and blending both because membership and the advancement of the Association is about Primaries and Associates working together. I have a decent background on the side and hope to continue that over the next couple of years. As we move forward, we have a lot of headwinds facing us today as we go through in our industry. Legislative issues, locally, state and nationally, we’re fighting those. The things that happen at the local level really affect nationally, so we need to really pay attention to that. Property taxes and insurance are a big deal for us, especially here in Columbus. One of our properties alone, we’re paying almost $.25 per dollar in rent in taxes, so it’s an issue that we’ve talked to the state level, in the Senate, I had the pleasure of testifying on that a few weeks ago. Interest rates and staffing, staffing especially here in Columbus is really difficult. Wages are increasing drastically for that. We have to work together to try to find ways and ideas to try to help bring in new talent to our industry and get the word out in all levels from the management side and the supplier side. We’re a great industry people just don’t know about us. We need to get the word out about that. As we work together to make changes the PAC is very important both at the local level and the national level. We’re going to ask you to contribute, we’re going to be pressing that number this year to contribute both locally and at the national level. Our local dollars are important it gets us a seat at the table, and if you’ve heard the term ‘if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu’ and that is so true. Those PAC dollars is what gets you to the table, so we’re going to as you this year to reach deeper, so we can have those PAC dollars to get involved, to get active, to get to the table to get heard. They are actually our kind of key to get to the table to talk about our issues, so we need you to contribute. In the national portion that we haven’t always, here in Columbus contributed to, part of that money, once we hit our fair share number, comes back to us direct to our own representatives that we want, so it’s important that we do that as well as we move forward. Key contacts are one of the most important things in the legislative piece, so as your kids are at soccer games, practice or basketball and you happen to find you have a City Council person there or a township trustee or anybody, a fiscal court officer as one of our ladies here from BRG is, you need to talk to those people, you need to share with the association that you have those contacts, because we will look to pull on those contacts. As issues come up, whether It’s about some kind of fee or anything coming up in that area, we need that information, those contacts because that’s what gets us to the table and has a different approach. If we can bring you to sit there with that representative and help get our point across, it’s so important. So, you might think you’re just a small town, but small town becomes state, becomes national. You need to make sure you share that. Our Public Policy group does a great job, and Steve’s going to be heading that up this year and it’s so important, please make sure you get that information to us. Next is donations to our charitable organization, Community Assistance Foundation, that money that we contribute that helps the needy, helps pay for rent, rent assistance, and other issues is also a good thing that we can share with our representatives that we’re doing that. We’re not only the greedy landlords, but we’re also giving back in the community, so we give back today, and we need to get that message out. The more dollars we have coming in and we get out is just a better way to get that message out. We need to ask that you contribute to that as well. We have a great bowling event coming up in February, so please make sure you attend or sponsor the more there the more money can go to that function. We need to attend our events. We have great events in Columbus, both fun events and business events, please come to both. The fun events are great, the golf outings and things but the tradeshow and other things we do like the Reverse Auction, the bowling, all the general meetings, there’s a lot of great work that’s done and it’s a great way for you to get your name out if you’re a supplier, a new Primary or owner side, you can meet people. It’s a great way to network. Please come out to our events. That’s what makes us stronger. Volunteer for committees. Any type of talent you have, please share that with the office so we can take advantage of that and enhance our association. Thank you for the opportunity to work for you guys for the next two years. I really appreciate it and thanks for being here tonight.