Our time is now

2026 IREM President Mindy Gronbeck, CPM^®, CCIM, shares how trust, connection, and purpose guide her leadership as she works to strengthen member engagement, expand global reach, and elevate the property management profession worldwide. Gronbeck serves as executive vice president of property operations for HAWKINS, AMO^®, a full-service real estate firm specializing in real estate development and management headquartered in Boise, Idaho.

How did you get into property management?

Like so many of us in this profession, I didn’t set out to build a career in property management; I fell into it. At the time, I was working at a retail outlet mall when the mall manager encouraged me to apply for the general manager role he was vacating. I had zero formal real estate training and honestly had no idea what I was walking into. But he clearly saw something in me, and that moment opened the door to an industry that has become an incredibly rewarding career path.  

Did you have a mentor, either in your PM career or in your life overall?

Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to have had leaders who believed in me and pushed me to grow long before I saw my own potential. After settling into my first real estate position, I told my manager I didn’t have enough to do. He took that as a challenge and started giving me the different pieces of real estate management: leasing, budgeting, marketing, events, and operations. He really handed me everything I needed to know to learn about our industry. Once that property was sold, I found HAWKINS and have been there for 23 years. Our owner was a CCIM instructor and told me to find the best education for a property manager, which led me to IREM and eventually to this current leadership journey after getting my CPM designation.

What does it mean to be a leader, either in your real estate company or within IREM?

To me, leadership is based on trust, in developing people, and in creating an environment where employees can truly thrive—whether that’s within our properties, our companies, or within IREM. Leadership means seeing the bigger picture and making decisions that consistently reflect integrity. It means leading with empathy for the people around you and having clarity of purpose about where you’re headed.

I’ve been with HAWKINS for more than two decades, and with such a long-tenured team, traditional advancement opportunities were naturally limited. I turned to IREM as my pathway for leadership development. I grew through chapter roles, stepped into the RVP position, served as chair of the Legislative and Public Policy Committee, joined the Board of Directors, and now have the privilege of serving this organization as an officer. It’s been a journey shaped by learning, service, and the belief that leadership isn’t a title, it’s how you show up for others.

As an IREM leader, what have you learned about what property managers need to know and how IREM can fill that gap?

What I’ve learned over the years is that property managers are relationship-driven. They crave community, connection, and ongoing education that sharpens their skills and helps them be the best versions of themselves. And they want to know they’re not alone, especially in an industry where the challenges can feel constant and overwhelming.

Right now, IREM fills that need in many ways. It not only delivers exceptional education, but also provides advocacy, community, and a true sense of belonging. Through my own leadership journey, I’ve seen firsthand that IREM members are eager for mentorship, practical tools, and a voice that genuinely represents their needs. As leaders, our responsibility is to ensure they feel supported, empowered, and equipped to thrive in today’s demanding environment.

What are IREM’s strengths as we enter 2026, and what will you be focusing on throughout your tenure to make it even more vital by year’s end? 

Well, first and foremost, we have a solid strategic plan focused on professional development, membership, and community. IREM’s greatest strength has always been its people: our members, volunteers, and the staff who bring passion and expertise to what we do every single day. 

And as we move into 2026, our key strengths are credibility and commitment to growth. We are the global standard for ethical and professional real estate management. We never stop evolving to ensure we’re meeting our members’ needs.

My theme for this year is “Our time is now.” I want to elevate the property management profession as a sought-after career path and spotlight that an IREM education will give you everything you need to be the best property manager and a leader in our industry.

This includes expanding our global presence and connecting members across our borders, elevating our voice, and pursuing advocacy to influence the issues that affect our profession. Also, we will strengthen our member engagement through membership, technology, telling our stories, and reminding everyone that this is their professional home.

What are your top priorities for strengthening member engagement this year? 

Member engagement starts with that connection piece, and one of my priorities is encouraging local chapters to create meaningful experiences for our members, and expanding mentorship opportunities by connecting new members with experienced professionals.

Then, celebrate the successes our members achieve every day by highlighting their impact on our industry. I strongly believe that when people feel connected to something bigger than themselves, engagement naturally follows.

How will IREM’s new strategic plan guide your work over the next year? 

Our new strategic plan, as I mentioned earlier, is the road map for how we’ll lead the institute over the next five years. With professional development, membership, and community at its core, the plan has a clear focus on innovation in our industry and the needs of our members woven throughout. It’s about turning strategy into action, making sure that every initiative strengthens our members’ careers and elevates the value of professional real estate management. 

We’re aligning our goals with measurable outcomes and expanding partnerships, growing our membership domestically and globally, and ensuring that every decision reflects our mission to empower ethical, knowledgeable leaders in our industry.

In recent years, IREM has made significant strides in expanding its international presence. How do you see this continuing in 2026? 

I’m super excited about the momentum we’re seeing internationally, and I only see that energy continuing in 2026. We will focus on strengthening relationships with the existing chapters while supporting new ones in emerging markets where real estate management is rapidly evolving. I think this expansion isn’t just about geography; it’s about sharing the same standards, ethics, and education that unify property managers across different cultures. Our global community reminds us that property management is a universal language built on trust, expertise, and that human connection piece.

When you first meet an IREM member or visit a chapter, do you have an icebreaker question that helps you quickly understand how IREM can support their work? 

When I first meet an IREM member, I like to start by learning where they are in both their IREM and career journeys. I ask a few questions to understand their goals, experiences, and what they hope to achieve.  At some point, I try to ask them what keeps them up at night. That question usually elicits a conversation about what IREM can do to support them. It gives me an idea of whether I can lead them down an educational or advocacy path, or just connect them with a network they can use to solve their issues. Every answer reminds me of why we exist: to celebrate wins they may have, strengthen their skills, or just let them know that someone is here they can rely on when times get tough.