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January was an exciting month for IREM – a great way to kick off the new year! On January 20^th we held our 2021 Economic Forecast, which featured an incredibly informative and entertaining presentation by Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D., who shared a tremendous amount of data and helped us make sense of what these facts and numbers might mean beyond the surface. (Special thanks to Landmark Associates General Contracting and the Flynn Law Group for their generous sponsorship of the event.) We also recognized our past presidents – an inspiring list of leaders who have helped to move our organization forward and position it for future success and positive impact! So great to see so many of you, albeit virtually – thank you to everyone who attended! One of my favorite parts of the day was recognizing our newest Certified Property Managers (CPMs) and Accredited Residential Managers (ARMs.) Earning these credentials takes a commitment on the part of the individual, and also demonstrates that individual’s dedication to real estate management, quest for self-improvement, and drive to excel in the field. Our newest CPMs include Laurie McGrath of Peabody Properties, Patricia Juba of Peabody Properties, Yoany Vargas of Housing Management Resources Inc., and Kimberly Parker of the Abrams Management Company Inc. Joining them are our newest ARMs: Maureen Rocheleau of First Realty Management Company, Christopher Rice of First Realty Management Company, Jeanine Elswick of Poah Communities, Franz Israel of Boston Building Solutions, Leaveine Damas-Younge of Peabody Properties, Martine Laurent of Cambridge Housing Authority, and Meghan Grzybinski. Congratulations to all!

We have some great events upcoming over the next few months as well. February 11^th features a virtual networking Ask the Professionals (CPM, ACoM, ARM) Night. On March 11^th we look forward to holding a virtual wine tasting, and April’s virtual networking night will feature IREM Bingo as well as cocktails and conversation, taking place on the 29^th. And as we proceed into the second quarter of the year, we’ll meet again at our next legislative and chapter meeting to be held on April 7^th, where we’ll install more new members and welcome Cheryl Gray, our immediate past president, as guest speaker. Looking ahead, save the date of September 13^th, for the 24^th annual IREM Boston Golf Tournament, to be held at Granite Links in Quincy.

A fraction of the way into the new year has shown us glimmers of hope, with some of our more vulnerable residents receiving vaccines, and a promise of more to come for all. Yet we still must be resolved in our efforts to keep ourselves, our colleagues, and our residents safe, as the storm has not yet broken. And as we have come this far, it’s important to take stock of all that we have accomplished up to this point, to realize we’ve achieved things we may not have even considered just one year ago, and to know that the experiences of the past several months have built up strength, stamina, and resolve to carry us through whatever dark days are still ahead. With our strong network of IREM colleagues, ready to lend advice, experience, or even just an ear, we know that together we will get through this! We look forward to the future!

Melissa Fish-Crane is the 2021 president of IREM Boston and Principal & COO at the Peabody Properties.