Join us May 7-9 at the ONE Conference in Houston, Texas! 
Owner/Manager Awards
Anita Marcino Leasing Professional/Assistant Manager of the Year
Anita Marcino, CAM, CAPS, NALP, another tireless advocate for industry education and professional development, was a past president of the Apartment Association of Greater Dallas and a former Vice President at Large on the Texas Apartment Association Executive Committee. In her position with First Worthing, Marcino was responsible for bringing large groups of site-level employees to the annual TAA Education Conferences, and First Worthing was one of the first large management companies to host company meetings in connection with the TAA Education Conference. Marcino was instrumental in the development of the Professional Leasing Program in the Apartment Association of Greater Dallas, which was adapted nationally as the National Apartment Leasing Professional program. TAA’s Leasing Professional of the Year Award was named in honor of Marcino in 2011.
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Barbara MacManus Apartment Manager of the Year
Barbara MacManus, CAM, CAPS, CPM is a long-time member of the San Antonio Apartment Association and a leader in the Texas Apartment Association’s education efforts. MacManus served on the task force that developed the original CAM (Certified Apartment Manager) course and even helped to write the original curriculum for the course. TAA’s first CAM of the Year Award was presented in 1989. This award, and its successor, the Apartment Manager of the Year Award, are named in honor of MacManus. She is also a recipient of the Jennette Hunnicutt Distinguished Service Award.
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Rita Kirby Regional Property Manager of the Year
Rita Kirby, CAM, CAPS, CPM was a strong advocate of life-long learning. She was a member of the task force that wrote the original CAPS (Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor) curriculum, and is the “namesake” for the Texas Apartment Association’s Regional Property Manager of the Year Award, formerly known as the Professional Designate of the Year Award. She was a past president of the Apartment Association of Greater Dallas, a past chairman of the TAA and NAA Education Committees and a past president of the Dallas IREM chapter. As principal with The Resource Company, Kirby authored the TAA Bluebook crime awareness and prevention guide and the Apartment Association of Greater Dallas’ Fair Housing Compliance for Apartments guide. She developed a Human Resource Management Guide for Apartment Professionals for AAGD and the National Apartment Association. She was also a recipient of the Jennette Hunnicutt Distinguished Service Award.
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Mary Williams Maintenance Professional of the Year
Mary Williams, CAMT was an active member of the Apartment Association of Greater Dallas, and helped to move the Certificate for Apartment Maintenance Technicians program from a classroom lecture series to a hands-on program emphasizing practical skills. AAGD was also the first local apartment association with a training facility that could accommodate these skills-training elements of the revamped CAMT program. The Texas Apartment Association’s CAMT of the Year Award, which was first presented in 1989, is named in honor of Williams.
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Bob Ross Independent Rental Owner of the Year
Bob Ross was the fifth president of the Texas Apartment Association and also served as president of the National Apartment Association. His family-owned and operated business, Bob Ross Realty in San Antonio, is still an active member of the Texas Apartment Association and the National Apartment Association. His son, Marc, followed in his father’s footsteps at the company and in his association involvement, serving as a president of TAA and as chairman of the National Apartment Association.
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Company Awards
Mike Clark Supplier Partner Company of the Year
Mike Clark spent his career as a principal with Alpha-Barnes Real Estate Services, now part of Asset Living. A well-respected affordable housing executive, Mike is a past president of the Texas Apartment Association and the TAA Education Foundation, the Apartment Association of Greater Dallas and the Fort Worth Apartment Association and advocated tirelessly to raise the profile of supplier partners at the local and state levels. When this award was created to honor outstanding efforts of industry supplier partner companies and the impact they make serving our members, Mike was a natural choice as namesake to recognize all he did to help supplier partners have more visibility and opportunities with local and state associations.
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Affordable Housing Awards
The TAA Affordable Housing Awards celebrate excellence in the affordable housing industry by honoring exceptional providers, visionary leaders, and groundbreaking community initiatives. These awards highlight those who go “above and beyond” through efforts such as delivering creative resident services, forming innovative partnerships with local governments, neighborhoods, or organizations, and supporting special missions, including programs for homeless individuals, veterans, or people with disabilities. These remarkable contributions make a lasting impact on communities.
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Special Recognition
Olin Steele Supplier Partner Lifetime Achievement
Olin Steele was the consummate team player and a dedicated apartment association volunteer. He was instrumental in founding a number of Texas Apartment Association local affiliates around the state, serving as a role model for associate members and demonstrating the vital role supplier members play in supporting and furthering the goals of all our associations. “His biggest strengths were his heart and his word,” according to his son, Ron Steele. “If he gave you his word on something, you could certainly count on it, and that meant a lot to him,” Steele said. Olin Steele worked for Solon, which later became WEB Service Company, and eventually Coinmach. All have been long-time supporters and sponsors of TAA and local apartment associations. TAA first presented an award to the outstanding product/service member of the year in 1987, making it the first such award recognizing an individual’s contributions to the industry and the association. The award, named in honor of Olin Steele, is still the only award exclusively recognizing the important role played by associate members.
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George Allen Association Executive of the Year*
For 35 years, George B. Allen, CAE served the rental housing industry through his roles on the Texas Apartment Association staff team, culminating in his retirement as Executive Vice President in 2015 after 25 years in that role. From the time he was hired as General Manager in 1980 until his retirement, George was an integral part of TAA’s success and a vocal and active advocate for affiliate executives and association members at every level of the apartment association family. George was also instrumental in developing a professional staff that created best-in-class member services, including a successful legislative advocacy program, what we know today as the TAA Click & Lease Program, innovative education programming and an expanded conference and trade show. This award is named in his honor.
*Nominations for the George Allen Association Executive of the Year Award may be received only from local association presidents or presidents-elect. Nominated AEs will then be contacted and asked to complete an award application.
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