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Ginger Catherman, CPM®, RPA
President, IREM Maryland Chapter
Happy New Year everyone! 2020 was a challenge for many of us, perhaps personally and professionally, and I am both excited that a new year has begun and hopeful for what 2021 will bring. I speak on behalf of the IREM Maryland Chapter leadership team that we miss "seeing" our members and industry partner friends! As of now, we are planning for virtual events through May with (fingers and toes crossed) our first in-person event of the year at an outdoor venue in June.
Our first event, our Virtual Industry Partner Reverse Tradeshow, is today, January 26th. Thank you in advance to all of the members who will participate, I will see you there! As we've said many times, but always bears repeating, we COULD NOT do any of this without the ongoing support of our Industry Partners. We have four NEW Industry Partners who have joined us in 2021. They are: - Valcourt Building Services
- TRC Engineering
- Installation Services
- Saul Ewing Arnstein and Lehr LLP
We have placed vendors in categories, by trade, to make it easy for our members to search. If you are an IP and note that any of this information for your respective company is incorrect, please contact Lori Crook at [email protected]. While we are on that subject, it is also a good idea for both our Industry Partners and members to check, and update accordingly, their member profile on the IREM website. Many of us change jobs or phone numbers and forget to modify this information.
Our second event, the Virtual Member Benefit and CPM® Candidate Lunch, is coming up quickly, on February 3rd. If you are looking to earn your CPM® designation in the near future or just want to better understand what that entails before taking the plunge, this meeting is for you! Last year we saw many Candidates fast-track due to the post-Covid online class opportunities and the flexibility of working remote. Take advantage of these opportunities while they last!
I look forward to another year as your IREM Maryland President and am excited about the year ahead!
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2021 Executive Committee 
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IREM MD would like to congratulate & welcome the 2021 Executive Committee!
Chapter Officers
President:
Ginger Catherman, CPM®, RPA
Konterra Realty
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President-Elect
Theresa Leatherbury, CPM®
Rachuba Mangement
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Secretary/Treasurer Beverly Willis, CPM®
AHC, Inc. | 
Immediate Past President
Amy Natoli, CPM®, RPA®
The Brick Companies
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Chapter Directors
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Director
Sonya Campbell, CPM®
Cove
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Director
Melissa Moore
CPM®, ARM®
The Donaldson Group
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Director
Richard Henneberry
CPM®
American Partners
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Director
Steve Margerum
CPM®, ARM®
Cove
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Director
Kristy Myers
CPM®, ARM®
KETTLER
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Director
Ninette Patrick-Williams
CPM®, ARM®
Habitat America
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Director
Sha'ron Turner, CPM®
Enterprise Community Investment, Inc.
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Member Spotlight: Ninette Patrick-Williams CPM®, ARM® | Sha'ron Turner, CPM®
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Ninette Patrick-Williams, CPM®, ARM®
Habitat America
Ninette Patrick is a Vice President at Habitat America, Inc. She oversees company-wide Learning and Development, as well as, managing a portfolio of properties located in Montgomery County, Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Ninette co-developed Habitat America University (HAU), the learning management platform used to provide educational development opportunities for the company. She develops and facilitates educational programs, leadership committees, service award programs, mentorships, and the annual employee celebrations. Ninette is a member of the Habitat America Best Practices Committee and participates in the development of policies and procedures for the organization.
To read Ninette's full bio click Here.
Sha'ron Turner, CPM® Enterprise Community Investment, Inc. Sharon Turner, CPM®, is the Development Equity Manager at Enterprise Community Asset Management and manages all facets of risk mitigation and disbursements of capital contributions to the development partners and investors for a high-volume portfolio. Sharon has 20+ years of industry experience in commercial property management, accounting, lease administration, and affordable housing. She enjoys the challenge in her current role of creating win-win solutions for the partners and investors while balancing risk. Sharon is passionate about the company's mission to curtail housing insecurity and to give everyone a fair opportunity to live in a safe and decent community to create happy kids, happy families and happy citizens.
To read Sha'ron's full bio click Here. |
Upcoming Events
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Wednesday, January 27th, 2021
2pm - 4pm
The IREM MD Industry Partner Reverse
Trade Show is a virtual event where Owner/Managers virtually meet with Industry Partners in a speed dating format.
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Member Benefit & CPM Candidate Lunch
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021 12pm - 2pm
Join us to learn about all of the benefits of being an IREM Maryland Chapter member. This year's Luncheon will be Virtual...
but lunch is still on us!
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Emergency Preparedness: Planning for the Unexpected
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 Emergency Preparedness: Planning for the Unexpected
The year 2020 has proven that everyone should prepare for the unexpected. Most communities and properties already understand that emergencies happen. However, creating a plan for these emergencies is often neglected. While we all hope that the need for an emergency plan never arises, having one on hand is imperative. Will you remember all the steps to take should an emergency arise? Will you be able to remember everything that occurred during the incident?
An emergency is a disturbance that was unexpected and causes property damage and/or displacement of residents. Examples include fire, flood, storm damage and mold. At the time of a disaster, you are faced with situations that can impede your ability to handle this situation effectively. During this time, you are responsible for protecting and preventing loss of life, protecting the health and wellness of residents/tenants and employees, protecting the physical asset of your property, and projecting a professional image to your residents/tenants and community. Having a plan on hand will help work through these steps. With many steps to take during an emergency, referring to a manual will help guide you through the process. This manual should be kept in multiple places (corporate office, manager's office, leasing/business office) and stored in multiple formats (flash drive, hard drive, cloud) to ensure it is always available. The following contact information should always be included in any emergency plan: - Emergency and non-emergency police and fire department phone numbers
- Employee personal contact information
- Resident/tenant list and emergency contact numbers as well as next of kin contact information
- Utility list and shut-off locations
- American Red Cross contact information
- Restoration contractor contact information
- Local hotel/motel agreements (for residential properties) and contact information
- 24-hour pharmacy phone numbers
- Insurance carrier, broker, and agent emergency phone numbers
- Scripted response to the media
In addition to the above contact information, the following property information should be included in your emergency plan: - Property photos, both exterior and interior
- Property building plans and engineered drawings
- Type of roofing associated with the building
- Landscaping and vegetation of property
- Specific details of all common areas, including flooring and lighting
- Special features such as ornamental cut glass, sculptures, or artistic ironwork
- Occupancy/vacancy report
- Existence of lead paint, asbestos, or other contaminates
A vital step to take, prior to an emergency, is to choose a restoration contractor. This contractor will handle the emergency service, including cleaning, drying, temporary utilities, etc. In addition, this contractor will handle all phases of the restoration process, freeing management to handle other important tasks. Your contractor should be chosen based on reputation and relationship. It is also best to choose a contractor who is IICRC Certified, licensed and insured.
Once the emergency is over, you will need to compile all event related documents. It is recommended that the following documents be kept together to be organized and processed later: - All receipts
- All photos, thumb drives, SD Cards, etc.
- All service tickets
- All resident/tenant correspondence/emails
- All insurance inspections
- All police reports, fire damage reports
We all know that emergencies happen. How we prepare for these emergencies can be the difference between an unexpected event being managed smoothly or not. If you do not have an emergency plan in place, your restoration contractor can work with you to create one.
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Industry Partners
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 During these tough times, it is more important then ever to support our Industry Partners and local businesses. Remember, our IPs are here for all your residential and commercial needs!
For a full list of our Industry Partners
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