Off to the Races!

By NAHRO President Patricia Wells

First of all, I’m thrilled to again welcome NAHRO’s new CEO, Mark Thiele! Late last month, we huddled with then-Interim CEO Mike Gerber and the NAHRO staff in Washington D.C. to brief Mark on the state of our beloved association (it’s strong! And the future is bright) and to ensure a smooth transition.

I left that meeting energized from the dedication and vision of CEO Thiele and the NAHRO to ensure that our future reflects the priorities and needs of our membership.  The focus on bringing continued value to each member’s success is a high priority.

Thank you again to Mike and the NAHRO staff for continuing to provide the information, advocacy, training, and networking opportunities we depend on as housers and community builders during our recent interim period, especially since our journey took place during such an unprecedented time in our history.

We’re just two weeks into Mark’s term, and he’s hit the ground running (or shall I say flying)! He and I have been travelling to both state and regional conferences. It’s been a joy to gather in person with so many of you across the country. What I have observed almost universally is a sense of enthusiasm as if we are coming out of a period of hibernation and emerging with newfound spirit, ready to tackle some of our biggest challenges with fresh ideas and vision.  Being able to engage, hug, learn and have fellowship with the NAHRO family these past few weeks has been re-invigorating!

With each visit, there is one major consistency: we ARE family!  From the first hello upon arrival, the camaraderie amongst our chapters and regions is so genuine I always felt “at home”.  From my first visit in with our Arkansas State Leaders, to “coming home to Steel Pier” with the Great Mid-Atlantic Region, to a rousing welcome from our Texas State family, these past few weeks have been amazing.

One of our shared priorities for these visits is to hear from you all about what NAHRO’s doing right, what NAHRO could be doing better, and above all, how NAHRO can better serve you, your agency, and your community in these ever-changing times. I thank all of you who’ve shared your comments, your ideas and your dreams about how we can create a better NAHRO. For those of you who I haven’t had a chance to speak with yet, my inbox is always open – please feel free to contact me at president@nahro.org.

Our staff and faculty are working hard to improve and expand your NAHRO experiences. Once NAHRO’s new association management system (AMS) is set up, we’ll all have a smoother and more efficient online purchasing and registration experience. On the back end, NAHRO staff will be able to process transactions and provide member services more quickly and thoroughly. The transition will take place the week of May 23-27 – during that time, please be patient with any glitches and errors on the website. Staff will be working to get the new system up and running as soon as possible, delivering a powerful new tool to add to your toolbox.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to the NAHRO staff who haven’t missed a beat throughout all of this preparation. They are keeping busy with the twice-monthly Washington Update webinars that are underway; an ever-expanding array of professional development trainings and webinars are on offer; and our NAHRO Online Summer Symposium which is scheduled for Aug. 2-3, with the topic of homelessness and housing scarcity  It’s a sobering subject, but we will continue to improve this human condition with the help of a full  day of speakers and information followed by a Virtual Hill Day to drive home the need for action. I hope to see you there!

As we continue our work to create more pathways to affordable housing in all of our communities, I am reminded of Rich Strike, the winning horse in last week’s Kentucky Derby. As a long shot, it was clear that not many people had faith in his ability to win the race. Nevertheless, the horse and his jockey, Sonny Leon, took off strong, maintained a steady pace, seized opportunities to advance where they could, sought new openings and then gave it all they had to reach the finish line. That spirit of confidence and perseverance is what propelled them to victory. I have faith that this nationwide association of housers have those same attributes, and through smart strategic planning, strong teams at home and new opportunities that present themselves along the way, we will continue the work we do until we reach the finish line—with all families housed.

NAHRO, we are doing great things, and I can’t WAIT to celebrate all of us in San Diego!

Thank you for doing what you do from the heart,

Patricia