Emerging Leaders Justine Lopez & Chelsy Parrish, ARM, attend Apartmentalize

Two of our 2025 Emerging Leaders had the opportunity to attend the National Apartment Association’s Education Conference, Apartmentalize, in June. We asked them to share some of their highlights with our members.

Justine Lopez:

Was this your first time attending Apartmentalize?
Yes it was my first time! 

What was the highlight of your week?
Connecting with other professionals across the country and sharing ideas in a space designed for innovation and growth. Also, the sessions were incredible — it’s always energizing to be surrounded by so much industry passion. So many people that I had genuine conversations with, it was refreshing.

What were some of the takeaways from the sessions you attended?
• Creativity isn’t optional — it’s essential. We have to find innovative ways to meet residents where they are. Be Creative- let AI help in systematical things.
• Preventing fraud and getting it right at the start can drastically reduce delinquency down the line.
• People-first leadership is more than a buzzword — it’s what retains talent and drives performance. And of course, a reminder that it’s okay to not have all the answers — just ask better questions.

• Incorporate meditation/taking a breather in our day to day! 

• WMFHA winning State Affiliate of the Year!

Did you make connections with any new suppliers that you might use in the future?
Yes! I had some great conversations with Kaboosh (love the scented paint idea) and Jetty/Rhino — both had exciting solutions that seem much more resident- and property-friendly compared to others.

Nuture Boss, Meet Elise, Reshome, Move For Hunger ( we already partner with them but would like to encourage more involvement), Build-to-rent, AFI, Restoration, KASTLE, Respage

SHOUT OUT TO EVAN HAPPEL-Community Boss Brunch- what an amazing turn out and so much fun to connect! 

Any other thoughts or comments that you have about the conference that you would like to share?
Apartmentalize is always a reminder of why we do what we do. It was refreshing, insightful, and fun. I walked away feeling proud to be in this industry.
It was awesome for WMFHA to encourage to take a picture together and that would be awesome to be more encouraged- because in a National setting we all feel a little lost but knowing some people from WMFHA felt like I was not so lost and part of a bigger entity. 

I also would love to figure/learn how to bolster our region in the other categories that NAA has. The award hour was awesome not just because some of our own people were in the running.

 Being able to share this experience with my Mentor, Yolanda Armijo was honestly unreal in the most amazing way.

Chelsy Parrish, ARM:

Was this your first time attending Apartmentalize?

Yes, and I can confidently say it won’t be my last.

What was the highlight of your week?

Honestly, it was the conversations between sessions that stuck with me the most. Being surrounded by passionate professionals from across the country and hearing how they’re navigating the same challenges from completely different perspectives, that’s where the magic happened.

What were some of the takeaways from the sessions you attended?

• Innovation doesn’t require a huge budget, just curiosity and a willingness to ask “what if?”
• Leading with hospitality means making people feel seen, not just served. It’s about connection over transaction.
• Fraud prevention is evolving beyond just front-end screening. There’s a strong shift toward proactive, resident-centric strategies that build trust and reduce risk.
• A big personal reminder: slowing down isn’t a weakness. Making space to breathe helps us show up better for our teams and our residents.

• DEI is more than a checkbox. It needs to be baked into hiring, training, and how we measure team engagement.

Did you make connections with any new suppliers that you might use in the future?

• Elise – I’m still nerding out over how far AI has come. Tools like Elise are going to be a game changer not just for leasing but for ops and maintenance too. It’s about using tech to give us more time back for the human side of the job.
• Jetty – I’m excited to explore how Jetty can help reduce barriers to housing for renters who may not meet traditional financial requirements but are otherwise solid applicants.
• PetScreening – This is a must-have for catching ESA fraud and helping us ensure fair and compliant policies.
• I also had great convos with reps from Updater, Nurture Boss, and AFI—lots of exciting tools that make the move-in experience smoother and more personalized.

Any other thoughts or comments that you have about the conference?

Apartmentalize is one of those rare moments where you get to step back from the day-to-day and zoom out. It was inspiring, energizing, and honestly just fun. Huge props to WMFHA on winning State Affiliate of the Year! I’ve been so grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such an accomplished group. Hearing about everything that went into that award made me incredibly proud to collaborate with a team that’s raising the bar for the industry.