For the fifth year running, the National Apartment Association has announced the latest class of participants in its Diversity Leadership Program, an annual program for 15 multifamily professionals from diverse backgrounds.

The initiative provides education sessions, career planning, mentorship and guidance, according to the NAA website. These include both virtual sessions and in-person events at the association’s Apartmentalize conference. 

The announcement comes amid a scaling back of diversity, equity and inclusion programs in some industries. Companies like Walmart and Meta are part of widespread changes happening across corporate America that have been accelerated since President Donald Trump took office in January, according to The New York Times.

Despite the shift, the NAA’s Diversity Leadership Program and its associated DEI Committee have moved ahead unabated this year.

“Looking at NAA DEI board members that were former graduates of the program, looking at our industry speakers and leaders and seeing them continue to thrive and continue to contribute to NAA and the local affiliates, makes us extremely proud of this program,” Tiana Heath, senior manager of industry relations at NAA, told Multifamily Dive.

In order to participate, applicants must be NAA members from an underrepresented group with three to seven years of experience in the multifamily industry and provide personal statements and professional references to the organization.  

Here, Heath talks with Multifamily Dive about the DLP’s origins, operations and impact on future multifamily leaders. 

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

MULTIFAMILY DIVE: How was the Diversity Leadership Program developed, and how does it operate? 

TIANA HEATH: First and foremost, this program is all about training our future leaders in the industry. It includes curated sessions, including understanding yourself, what drives you and how that translates into your leadership style. 

We also have a tailored mentor process. These are mentors that are sourced from past program participants and industry leaders that are doing the work today that really get that one on one attention to each participant each year.

Not only that, but being able to give them a complimentary pass to Apartmentalize, one of our largest rental industry conferences, gives them a time not only to meet each other, but also understand everything that NAA can provide and gives them a chance to meet their mentors in person, which is one of the highlights of the program.

How long has this program been active?

It's been active for five years. It started in 2020 and it actually came out of our national DEI committee. The leaders of that committee got together and said, we want to absolutely educate the leaders of our industry, and we want to make sure that they get the hands-on guidance and education that they may not have access to where they're at. So let's form a program that exposes them to true leadership training, along with other industry sessions that really dive into what they are going to face as leader, from leaders that are currently doing it.

Why is it important for the industry to support individuals from underrepresented groups?

To ensure we cultivate an industry in which every individual is valued and given the opportunity to thrive.

How do these programs contribute to and shape participants' individual careers and the industry as a whole?

We continue to get such strong applications from these emerging leaders that really have the skills and want to take their careers to the next level. And I think what this program really brings is a place where people can not only learn about themselves and what drives them as a leader, but see how that translates to their actual leadership style, and give them real tools to be able to go out and lead successful teams. 

Through the years, what I've seen personally is participants that graduate through this program continue to contribute, not only on the local level, holding board positions with their local affiliates, but also go on to contribute to NAA's national committees. As a matter of fact, our chair of the DEI Committee this year is a DLP graduate. He continues to help and shape and mentor these future leaders.