2025 Emerging Leaders Kicks Off

The

The 2025 Kari Anderson' Emerging Leaders Program kicked off the yearlong program on January 28! This year's cohort is comprised of 20 diverse members representing different companies, positions, ages and experience levels. Each member was identified as a current and future leader that will be on the forefront of taking our industry to higher levels.

Each cohort member is assigned an industry veteran as a mentor. Over the next year of the program, the mentors and cohort will meet monthly to work on goals and the mentors will provide guidance and advice to help propel their mentee to the next level of their career.

Their first meeting started with a high energy mentor matching done draft style. They also heard from some members of last year cohort who created videos offering their support to this year. 

They then got to participate in a very informational session on advocacy led by Carter Nelson, WMFHA's Public Affair's Manager which was comprised of a visit from Burien Mayor, Kevin Schilling. Mr Schilling gave a fantastic presentation with tips on how to interact with your local officials. Following his presentation, Kathryn Hedrick, WMFHA Lobbyist led the group in a session about the process of turning bills to laws in Olympia and what to expect when the group attends WMFHA's Day on the HIll on Feb 6.

The cohort and the mentors are anticipating a great year:

So excited to be part of the second cohort of this program! Can’t wait to connect and learn with all of these individuals. - Andy Rockstead, FPI

Over the next year, I look forward to sharing my knowledge, learning from others, and collaborating with a diverse group of passionate professionals who are ready to make an impact. It’s an honor to support the next generation of leaders in our industry! - Melayna Fitzgibbon (mentor), Thrive

Our first session was great! Meeting so many amazing professionals in the multi-family industry and learning from the guest speakers we had was incredible! - Logan Whitley, All Covered Paint

This year, I am privileged to be able to serve as a mentor in the Kari Anderson Emerging Leaders cohort. I am so stoked for my mentee Olga and I cannot wait for all of the amazing things we will accomplish together - Ariel Castro (mentor), Thrive