On June 25, 2014, the OPMA (Onsite Property Management Association), the new national organization focused on short-term rental property management, held its first official advisory board meeting in Altanta.
The OPMA Advisory Board currently comprises the following council representatives:
- OPMA’s president, Paul Wohlford, Resort Collection, Panama City Beach, FL
- Brent Howie, Provident Hotels and Resorts, Clearwater, FL
- Matthew Brittain, Brittain Resort Management in Myrtle Beach, SC
- Marco Manzie, Paramount Hospitality Management, Orlando
- Jim Olin, C2G Advisors, LLC
- Tony Santilli, CSA Travel Protection
- Steve Zimmerman, Beach House Logos
- Larry Hall, PARS Springer-Miller
- Rick Fisher, executive director of OPMA
- Keith Wilt, OPMA’s treasurer
One of the association’s first orders of business was to approve a motion to further add three representatives from the on-site manager community, bringing the total number of advisory board representatives to eleven—seven on-site property managers and four suppliers.
The full-day business agenda generated discussions around a number of growth initiatives. One major priority was to continue increasing the on-site manager member base, which is important for a lodging segment that contributes tourism tax revenue dollars on a local and regional market basis throughout the country.
According to Rick Fisher, executive director of OPMA, “What’s ironic is that OPMA represents what could be defined as one of the largest lodging sectors and yet, until the launch of OPMA back in March of this year, this lodging segment has had no real voice or representation in the hospitality marketplace. Quite frankly, there are a number of leisure destinations where on-site managed rental properties represent the dominant lodging segment for overall rental unit inventory.”
Paul Wohlford, president of OPMA, agrees that the organization remains focused and is on the right course. “OPMA continues to gain momentum and will diligently work to ensure the success of on-site rental management companies while setting the standards for unmatched guest service. We are also pleased to report that since our official launch just four months ago, our on-site manager member base already represents approximately 25,000 rental units of inventory and $8 billion in real estate assets.”
According to their press release, “There will be more announcements forthcoming from the OPMA Advisory Board meeting that the council attendees believe will reflect groundbreaking industry news and developments and will further position OPMA as the major voice and advocate for the short-term on-site property management community.”
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