Emerging Leaders at NAA's Advocacy Academy

Last month, two members of WMFHA’s Emerging Leaders community, Alex Akins and Libby Patton, attended NAA’s West Coast Advocacy Academy in Orange County. The program brought together housing professionals from across the region to learn practical strategies for strengthening advocacy and elevating the industry’s voice in public policy. Below, Alex and Libby share their reflections from the experience.

Alex Akins – Community Director, InSite Property Solutions; Emerging Leaders Alum

“If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”

That phrase echoed through nearly every session at NAA’s West Coast Advocacy Academy, and it will definitely stick with me. It summed up the main question we explored over two days in Orange County: How can the multifamily industry make an impact at the table where important decisions are made about the future of our industry?

After this year’s Day on the Hill event, and as a graduate of the 2025 Emerging Leaders Program, I became very passionate about housing policy and government relations, so I jumped on this opportunity to learn more. I joined other WMFHA members (Libby Patton, Amanda Gunn from Rockwood PM, and William Schneider from WMFHA’s team) to learn directly from NAA’s Government Affairs leaders: Seth Turner (Senior Manager of Grassroots Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement), Jim Wilson (AVP of Political Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement), and Zach Quimby (Director of Public Affairs). Each session offered tools, context, stories, and strategies for how I could advocate more effectively, especially outside of the legislative sessions.

One of my biggest takeaways was how much research and preparation matter before meeting with lawmakers. Data shared from The Congressional Management Foundation over the two days surprised me, and many of the assumptions I had made about elected officials just weren’t true. Officials want to hear from us, but in a way that connects real stories to policy. As housing professionals, we have the opportunity to collect these stories every day. We see the faces and hear the experiences that we can put behind the numbers. When we share those stories, we bring something real into what can otherwise be a pretty abstract policy discussion, something that won’t get lost in the noise of the other 23 meetings your lawmaker or staffers may have that day.

I left the Academy feeling beyond motivated and better equipped to play a small part in improving Washington’s housing landscape at a time when our industry might need it most.

Libby Patton – Property Manager, Rockwood Property Management; Emerging Leaders Alum

Since participating in the inaugural cohort of WMFHA’s Emerging Leaders Program and spending two years engaged in Day on the Hill, my passion for the multifamily housing industry has only deepened. Those experiences sparked a realization that advocacy, in all its forms, is not just an important aspect of our work as housing providers but a personal calling. So, when I had the opportunity to attend the Advocacy Academy, I knew it was the perfect next step in my journey.

Prior to this experience, I heavily relied on data to strengthen my advocacy efforts. Through the Academy, I learned that while data plays a crucial role, it’s the personal stories behind the numbers that truly move people to action. Facts inform, but stories inspire. One of the most impactful sessions explored systems thinking and the “wheel of implication,” a framework that challenges us to look beyond traditional boundaries to identify unexpected allies and build stronger coalitions for change.

Perhaps the most valuable lesson I took away was the importance of reframing how we view advocacy. It’s not about being “against” another side. It’s about recognizing that we all share the same fundamental goal of ensuring safe, stable, and affordable housing for everyone. Our perspectives on how to achieve that goal may differ, but collaboration and empathy are key to finding common ground and making meaningful progress for our communities.