ARLINGTON, VA | September 8, 2016 – The Board of Directors of the National Apartment Association (NAA) is delighted to announce the selection of Robert “Bob” Pinnegar, CAE, as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the association. Established in 1939, NAA and its federation of nearly 170 affiliates serve as the leading industry trade group for the apartment housing industry.
“I am honored to be selected as the next CEO of the National Apartment Association,” Pinnegar said. “My goal is to make NAA membership a necessary part of the business plan for all successful multifamily housing owners, operators and developers. Additionally, I plan to ensure that NAA’s voice is strengthened in legislative and regulatory matters at the federal, state and local levels.”
Pinnegar’s intimate knowledge of the apartment housing industry combined with his political experience and background in association management will benefit NAA and the industry. “NAA has been highly successful under the leadership of [NAA President and CEO] Doug Culkin,” he said. “We have significantly contributed to the increasing professionalization of the industry and benefited from the sustained demand for rental housing. Our industry annually contributes over one trillion dollars to the U.S. economy, and with this success comes political, legal and regulatory challenges at all levels of government. My role will be to see to it that NAA and its affiliates thrive and prosper so we can maintain an economic environment that will ensure the continued success of our industry.”
The apartment housing industry has enjoyed years of unprecedented success, driven in part by demographics, the emergence of a rental economy and an ever-increasing number of “renters by choice.” NAA has been uniquely positioned to leverage the strength of the industry and its attendant opportunities for growth, having increased its membership by 12,000 since 2011 to over 72,000 members, as well as expanding into the global apartment housing marketplace.
Marc Ross, 2016 Chairman of the NAA Board of Directors, said, “I am confident that the Board of Directors has made the right decision in selecting Bob as our new CEO. His extensive experience in apartment association management combined with his keen political savvy will be of great benefit to NAA in the years ahead.”
Pinnegar succeeds retiring CEO Douglas S. Culkin, CAE. During Culkin’s 17-year tenure with NAA, he oversaw the dynamic 750 percent growth of the organization’s revenues, enabling an expansion of programs and products resulting in an unprecedented boom in the apartment housing industry. Pinnegar will continue to serve as COO through his transition to CEO during the remainder of this year.
Throughout the 1990s, Pinnegar was deeply involved in public policy and campaign work. He started his professional career on the staff of then-Rep. Bill Lowery (R-Calif.-41) from San Diego, later transitioning to local staff and campaign positions, and eventually becoming the lobbyist for the San Diego County Apartment Association® (SDCAA).
In the 2002, Pinnegar served as Executive Director for SDCAA and worked to strengthen the organization’s business operations while ensuring the advocacy efforts remained a top priority. In 2011, he accepted the position of COO of NAA, where he was charged with increasing the capacity of the organization and its affiliates to better serve the industry.
About NAA
The National Apartment Association (NAA), America’s leading voice for the apartment housing industry, provides its members with the best range of strategic, educational, operational, networking and advocacy resources they need to learn, to lead and to succeed. As a federation of nearly 170 state and local affiliates, NAA encompasses over 72,000 members representing more than 8.4 million apartment homes globally. NAA’s purpose is to enable every single one of its members to fulfill his or her professional goals with great competence, speed and the highest standards of ethics. To learn more, visit www.naahq.org.
