Bridge to the future

To learn what’s ahead for IREM in 2026 and beyond, JPM spoke with the incoming 2026 IREM officers: 

President:
Mindy Gronbeck, CPM^®, CCIM, CSM, CRX
Hawkins Companies LLC, AMO^®
Boise, ID 

President-Elect:
Kim Collins, CPM^®
Bradley Company, AMO^®
Indianapolis, IN 

Secretary/Treasurer:
Ryan M. Huffman, CPM^®
Hunt Midwest
Kansas City, MO

President Mindy Gronbeck, CPM^®, CCIM, CSM, CRX  

JPM: IREM’s new strategic plan goes into effect in 2026. How will carrying out the plan affect your year-long tenure as IREM president?

Mindy Gronbeck: My focus is being the bridge between our old plan and the new, honoring where we’ve been but also embracing where we are headed. It’s about bringing our members and leadership together around the new plan and showing how it moves us closer to our mission.

JPM: How do you see the skill sets of you and your fellow leadership team members, Kim and Ryan, complementing each other in 2026?

MG: We each bring decades of experience from privately held companies with long histories in the industry. Ryan and I have backgrounds in development and management, while Kim brings expertise in full-service brokerage and management. From the IREM perspective, we share a common foundation in chapter leadership, with each of us having served as a Regional Vice President and on the Board of Directors. Together, this creates a truly well-rounded perspective. 

We’re all passionate about the work we do and the reason we’re here. Someone recently asked us, “What part of the strategic plan excites you the most?” and each of us had a different answer. The variety of focus and enthusiasm makes our officer team balanced, collaborative, and stronger together.  

JPM: How do you plan to enhance the membership value for both domestic and international members, especially in terms of education, networking, and professional development?

MG: As we roll out the strategic plan, we engaged an advisor to guide us through the process. The real measure of success, though, will be how our domestic and international members respond. Their feedback will tell us if it resonates, if there are pain points, or if some elements don’t feel relevant. That is why it is so important for us to remain open to realignment for different countries and then tailoring networking opportunities, education, or programs as needed.

JPM: What role will IREM play this year in addressing key challenges facing the industry—such as sustainability, workforce development, or regulatory challenges—and how will you advocate for members on these issues? 

MG:  The Certified Sustainability Program has experienced tremendous growth since its launch, and I am optimistic it will continue to expand its impact. On the workforce development side, the IREM Foundation plays a critical role through various scholarships, mentorship opportunities, and career resources that attract new talent. Our advocacy team does an amazing job of providing timely education to members through webinars or working directly with members who are dealing with issues every day. They are tracking issues that affect our industry at the federal level and proactively reaching out to members in states that will be affected by these changes. 

JPM: What do you find the most valuable about IREM from a leadership perspective?

MG: One of the things I’ve valued most in my travels is the opportunity to listen to members share their challenges and then connect them with the right resource, whether that is another chapter, a fellow member, or someone from HQ, who can help solve their problem. These visits are more than a quick greeting or a five-minute update about IREM; they’re about truly understanding needs and ensuring members have resources to help them solve their problems.  

President-Elect Kim Collins, CPM^®

JPM: How will your experiences as 2025 IREM Secretary/Treasurer inform your new role as President-Elect?

Kim Collins: I just finished my second year on the five-year arc of the leadership team that starts with the Secretary/Treasurer Nominee year. What that means is I feel like I’ve been slowly getting prepared for this role for two years already.

I have been engaged in a variety of initiatives—anything that IREM touches, from discussing a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with an international partner to chairing the Investment and Finance Committee. In that role, we review how our investment portfolio is performing, plan the budget for the next year, and evaluate how our lines of business and events are performing. 

It really gives you a front-row seat to see how much IREM touches and the incredible breadth of what we do. While you can never eliminate all surprises, it helps me get more in tune with everything that’s happening. When surprises do come, I feel more prepared to handle them in coordination with the team.

JPM: What do you hear from members about ways IREM can better support their careers and their property management companies? 

KC: One thing I’m hearing a lot about lately, especially after the success of PropertyCon, is how we can find ways to connect more on specific property types or asset classes. For example, members would love education on what’s happening in the industrial or medical sectors. Our members are looking for phenomenal high-level education around property management and ways to become experts in their specific fields.

People are also looking for real mentorship opportunities—chances to meet, engage, and talk to others who’ve been in their shoes and maybe gone to the next step or changed companies. We need to continue finding ways to ensure members have opportunities to engage with people who can really mentor them along the way.

We continue to hear about technology and proptech. Some people want to lead digital change at their own companies. I think it’s monumentally important that we keep discovering not only what these tools are, but also educating our members on how to actually use these tools in their day-to-day work.

Finally, we frequently discuss how people at different career stages all have different needs. Are we meeting our members where they are, whether they’re brand new in property management or seasoned professionals? What are we doing for members who have been around for a while—those who may be directors or executives at this point and are managing teams rather than properties? How do we make sure we’re finding ways to keep them highly engaged with IREM?

If we can ensure we’re providing great value propositions to members at every stage of their careers, it really translates into supporting their companies. We’re hopefully providing training that companies don’t have to, and we’re making our members experts that their companies can leverage for business development.

JPM: IREM continues to expand its international presence. What are some of the challenges and successes you see as international membership grows? 

KC: Every country has its own regulations, market dynamics, political challenges, and climate. We’re constantly having to make sure we’re not only targeting the right opportunity areas, but also that our content is adapted to the needs of each region.

In South Africa, we have property managers taking care of mining quarries—that’s a property management job that we don’t really encounter in the U.S. We have to figure out how we’re really serving those managers in a way that’s relevant to them. 

It’s interesting that as I engage more on an international level, some of our very established international chapters are facing the same challenges as our domestic chapters—like how to maintain membership and continue providing value. Our challenges around maintaining member interest and keeping content relevant are surprisingly universal.

On the positive side, we’re seeing our greatest membership growth internationally. People are still clamoring for the amazing education that IREM has to offer. There are many countries that don’t have anything like this, so it’s incredible to see how interested they are in engaging with IREM once they hear about who we are.

One of the most awesome things about IREM is this special gift of a global community. We can do a better job of sharing and funneling knowledge and interesting information back and forth between our domestic chapters and our international presence. How cool is it that in Japan they’re converting some high-rise office buildings into vertical farms? There are fascinating ideas, technologies, and advancements happening around the world that all members can really learn from. I want to make sure we’re building that kind of information-sharing pipeline as we continue to grow worldwide.

I had the opportunity to visit our chapters in Japan this summer, and it was an amazing experience. It was my first time in Asia, but what really stuck out to me was watching 85 CPMs get installed and pinned. They had so much respect, excitement, and pride in that designation when they earned it. I almost forgot what a big deal it was because it had been so long since I got mine. It was really moving. That continues to be a great success for us—the quality of our education and the respect that our credentials have is recognized around the world.

JPM: What advice do you have for new or prospective IREM members on getting the most from their IREM experience? 

KC: Jump in with both feet. Start with a small course, start with microlearning, or just go to a golf outing. But volunteer and show up to your local chapter events. Don’t be afraid to raise your hand for leadership roles—that’s what really sucked me in from day one.

The real magic in IREM is the relationships, but you don’t get those if you don’t show up. When you have a question, call someone and ask. I’ve never called an IREM friend with a question and not gotten an answer. And it’s nice to have that resource outside your coworkers, you know, in case you don’t want to look like you don’t know what you’re doing in front of them!

Volunteering locally is where I learned how to be a leader—how to build my first agenda, run a meeting, stand up, and talk in front of people. It’s amazing to get those growth opportunities in an environment where it’s not in front of your boss.

I’ve been with IREM for nearly 20 years. IREM has truly been a career partner for me. I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.

Secretary/Treasurer Ryan M. Huffman, CPM^®

JPM: What are your top three goals as the 2026 IREM Secretary/Treasurer? 

Ryan Huffman: As the 2026 IREM Secretary/Treasurer, my primary goal is to advance the implementation of IREM’s 2026 strategic plan by collaborating closely with the Finance and Audit Committee to ensure resources are allocated effectively to support the organization’s priorities. My second goal is to provide steadfast support to President Mindy Gronbeck in executing her vision and initiatives for the year, ensuring alignment with IREM’s mission. Finally, I aim to actively listen to our members, gathering their feedback to refine and adapt the strategic plan as it unfolds, ensuring it remains responsive to their needs and drives measurable outcomes.

JPM: 2026 is the first year of IREM’s new five-year strategic plan. How will the plan guide your experience as a leader over the next three years? 

RH: The 2026–2030 IREM strategic plan was crafted with input from our members, and serves as a roadmap for my leadership over the next three years. It provides a clear framework for prioritizing resources and initiatives that best serve our members and advance the organization’s mission. The plan emphasizes leveraging emerging technologies, such as AI, to deliver timely and relevant knowledge products to our members, ensuring they remain competitive in a rapidly evolving industry. Additionally, the plan’s focus on expanding IREM’s global footprint will guide efforts to foster a vibrant, interconnected global community. By facilitating knowledge-sharing and resource development across our 43 member countries, we can create a collaborative environment that benefits both domestic and international members.

JPM: How can IREM increase member engagement in 2026?

RH: To enhance member engagement in 2026, IREM should prioritize personalized, one-on-one outreach to make members feel valued and inspired to participate. Direct, meaningful interactions—such as inviting a member for coffee to discuss their involvement with IREM—build a sense of connection and recognition. Additionally, chapters should focus on hosting engaging, market-relevant events, such as property tours or showcases of unique real estate projects like Subtropolis, to draw members together and foster a sense of community. These initiatives, grounded in personal connection and shared experiences, will strengthen member participation and commitment to IREM’s mission.