Safety first, safety always

Cheryl Gray, CPM IREM President

Last year, when JPM decided its May/June 2020 issue would focus on safety, it was done with the outdoor season in mind; summer would be approaching, and people would be more active, making use of outdoor spaces and coming and going more often from their properties as the weather improved. Stories were planned that speak to those topics— features about maintaining pool safety and property security, for example—and production got underway.

It’s an understatement to say that circumstances have changed. The onset of COVID-19 shines a blinding spotlight on safety in ways that are paramount now but seemed far less so months—or one month, even a week—ago. It’s a disruptor of immense scale, affecting almost every aspect of our lives and livelihoods, including property management. It’s become critical for us to exercise agility in our jobs, re-evaluate our processes to adapt to the present situation and adjust, for our safety and the safety of the people in our care—our tenants, residents and staff.

IREM is helping property management professionals face the challenge head-on, with new offerings like a coronavirus resource page on irem.org, containing a wealth of information updated regularly. We have also launched a Community Room where members can virtually gather and share ideas and stories with others in the IREM community.

Realizing that most people are currently working from home and not in their offices, where the print edition of JPM is most often delivered, we are providing the May/June 2020 issue in digital format only. Rest assured, it’s the same great content, and it’s accessible online wherever you may be. You’ll find the pool safety and property security features I mentioned, as well as columns about how owners and property managers are addressing climate change in their investment and operating strategies, and how insurance concerns vary in different regions around the globe. And exclusively at jpmonline.org, you’ll find a selection of IREM members’ experiences and responses to the COVID-19 crisis.

As the world’s response to COVID-19 continues to evolve, so will IREM’s, and so will JPM’s. We’ll be here supporting property management professionals as you address the rapidly changing conditions that come with this deadly virus. And we’ll get through it together.

On behalf of IREM and JPM, I wish you well. Be safe.

Cheryl Gray, CPM
IREM President