President's Message
I didn’t know when I joined NARPM® in 1995, that I would come to this position of standing as your national president. However, I did learn very early that obtaining all the keys to excellence involved not only being a good property manager, but also a good leader. To become a leader, I needed to give service to the organization and volunteer.
My parents raised me to think that volunteerism was not a burden, but an honor. They felt that through volunteerism, I would obtain additional keys to life that I would not get in a classroom. I would be able to use these lessons, both personally and professionally. This happened for me with NARPM®.
I am a second-generation property manager who had no intention of entering this profession. I was quite content working in the banking industry, interfacing with non-profit organizations to meet their community reinvestment act requirements for lending. It was only a fluke when my mum’s partner, Suzanne Cameron, MPM® RMP®, left for medical reasons that I joined the company they founded 22 years ago. What I thought was going to be something I dabbled in for a year or two has now turned into 18 years. I became one of their partners eight years ago. In fact, prior to joining the Around The Clock Inc., CRMC® team, I would give my mum a hard time, asking her why she was even doing this at 58, when she should be thinking about retiring. She may tell you differently, but I would have to say this was the ONLY time it paid off for her not to listen to her son. For those of you who may not know, my mum is Mary Tungsvik, MPM® RMP®.
Last year, our company collected more than 1.1 million dollars in gross management fees. For some of you, this may not be a big deal. For us, it was a milestone goal of which we are certainly proud. I am telling you this because we would not have obtained these goals if it were not for NARPM®. It seems that many of us stumble into property management, not knowing anyone, not having a true education in the profession, and not knowing the vendors who are a part of those keys to excellence. Through networking, education, designations and volunteering, NARPM® is that vehicle. Twenty-five years ago, our founding members started our organization with these principles in mind. Our core values still remain and they will take us through another 25 years as we work toward being the industry leader in our profession.
If you are going to your local chapter meetings, attending regional conferences, taking designation and educational classes, and networking with fellow members and vendors, are you doing everything to become a successful business leader? I’m glad you’re taking advantage of most everything NARPM® has to offer. It is one of my core beliefs that if you are not giving back by volunteering for NARPM®, we are all losing. You are losing because, through volunteerism, you obtain an education in leadership, in communication, and in working with different personalities. These assets can be applied to your employees, owners, and tenants.
So, I ask each of you, what keys to excellence are you looking for? NARPM® offers a full ring of keys that will unlock your goals and potential talents, taking you on a journey of a lifetime to become a leader in your area.
From my heart, I encourage each of you to say “yes” to NARPM® when you are asked to participate at a local, state or national level. I guarantee that you will inspire other members to do the same thing when they feel your excitement to advance the professionalism of our industry and organization. Collectively, imagine how it would be like a wildfire spreading across the United States and abroad. For 2013, I dare each of you, no, I double dog dare you, to make it a personal goal to show two non-members in our profession what NARPM® is about. They will join, just like you. They will see that the benefits and return on investment they get greatly outweigh any time commitment.
In closing, remember I am here for you, the member. If there is anything you think that we can do better to inspire others and push our organization to be the leader in the industry, I want to hear from you. It is only from all of us participating that we can be “GREAT.”
James Emory Tungsvik, MPM® RMP®
2013 NARPM® President