RPOA’s Clay Powell Set to Retire in January

By Brad Beckett

It is not often that a leader stays the course with an association, through good times and bad, for nearly a quarter of a century. Earlier this year Clay Powell, director of the Rental Property Owners Association of Kent County (RPOA), announced that he would be retiring in January 2023 after almost 25 years of service.

Since becoming the association’s first director in 1998, Clay’s leadership helped the RPOA double the size of its membership and shore up finances, which enabled them to become one of the largest and most successful real estate investor associations in the nation.

The RPOA has won multiple awards from National REIA for its government affairs efforts, public relations, education, publications, website, and podcast, as well as once being awarded an outstanding REIA of the year. Clay also served on NREIA’s board of directors for several years.

In addition, Clay was very active in government affairs. He also served as the executive director of the Rental Property Owners Association of Michigan (RPOA-M), which focuses exclusively on lobbying the state legislature. Many of Michigan’s laws regarding rental property were improved and many bills that would have been detrimental to the rental housing industry were killed during Clay’s tenure – which also ends in January.

I had the opportunity to talk with Clay at National REIA’s Mid-Year Leadership conference in Milwaukee this summer. He said by then he’ll be a “young 62,” and is very much looking forward to retirement. “We are ready to do all the things we love to do more often and without work being in the way of when and where,” he said. As for his service to the RPOA, Clay told the board that “It has been an honor and a joy to work for the RPOA.”

Indeed…If you get a moment, visit RPOAonline.org and drop him a congratulatory note.

Brad Beckett is the Director of Education & Outreach for National REIA.

Iron ArrowSTRATEGIES Make Your Own Land Trusts Download a Complete Guide & Forms for Creating Your Real Estate Land Trusts

• Iron Arrow STRATEGIES Iron Arrow STRATEGIES Iron ArrowSTRATEGIES • 1031 Alternative Solutions • Defer Capital Gain Taxes YOUR Profits Iron Arrow STRATEGIES IA ARROWHEAD LOGO• Make bigger profits when selling on an installment contract • Eliminate the risk of selling on a note or contract • Make more money when selling on a lease option • Eliminate confrontations with tenants • Combine this one essential step with LLCs for dy-no-miteasset protection • Avoid due-on-sale, transfer taxes, reassessment upon sale and seasoning issues • Obtain privacy of ownership and avoid frivolous lawsuits • • • • • • Receive Your FREE COPYof “Reasons to Use a Land Trust” at: LandTrustsMadeSimple.com Mr. Land Trust® Randy Hughes More than 50 years experience

For more information, contact Randy at: