DALLAS APARTMENT industry veteran Ron Shelton, CAPS, Senior Vice President, Amalgamated Management Corp., will be inducted into the NAA Hall of Fame on June 23.
Induction into the NAA Hall of Fame represents the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an apartment professional. Shelton is the 14th person inducted over the 72-year history of NAA. He will be recognized during the 2011 NAA Education Conference & Exposition, June 23-25, in Las Vegas.
Shelton, the 2009 NAA Chairman of the Board, has been an apartment industry professional for more than 30 years and has more than 25 years’ experience in senior-level apartment industry leadership.
Enduring Economic Turmoil
During his year as NAA Chairman of the Board, Shelton guided NAA through the nation’s challenging economic climate that had a great effect on Americans and the apartment industry.
Shelton not only provided strategic leadership as NAA faced a turbulent external environment, but also turned internal challenges into growth opportunities for the association.
He led efforts to build a stronger NAA presence in California, and membership from that state has been growing at a steady pace ever since. Further, Shelton piloted NAA through a sometimes turbulent restructuring of the government affairs program, which has resulted in both an expanded scope of service for NAA members and a higher profile for the apartment industry in federal, state and local advocacy. The success of both of these endeavors is reflective of Shelton’s determination to ensure that NAA was well-positioned for the long term.
Shelton made valuable contributions to NAA’s efforts prior to his year as Chairman, particularly in education. In 2005 he was named the first NAA Education Institute (NAAEI) President and was instrumental in forging the path that led to NAAEI’s rewriting of its designation programs and efforts to promote apartment career tracks. Shelton also challenged NAAEI to utilize technology to improve program administration.
Dealing with Katrina’s force
He also twice served as NAA Education Committee Chair and was Chair of the 2006 NAA Education Conference & Exposition, which had to redirect its efforts mid-year, searching for a replacement venue after the original choice (New Orleans) was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina the prior fall. The Colorado Convention Center in Denver ultimately was chosen and the event proved to be a huge success.
Shelton began his career as a part-time grounds person with Lincoln Property Company while attending the University of Texas-Arlington’s school of business. He moved up through Lincoln Property Company to become a Regional Property Manager and continued in that role overseeing properties in Dallas and Houston until 1989.
In 1989, he left Lincoln Property Company to become Vice President of Operations for SBC Realty Company. About a year later that company was purchased and ultimately became Apartment Investment and Management Company (AIMCO). Shelton was a Regional Vice President with AIMCO for more than 13 years.
In 2002, Shelton left AIMCO for Amalgamated Management Corporation. Amalgamated is part of Indianapolis-based parent company Irwin R. Rose and Co. Today, Amalgamated/Irwin R. Rose owns and operates 29 communities (5,000 apartment homes) with 26 located in Texas.