40th Anniversary Memory from Tom Deitche

I have so many fond memories of the great networking events, making great friends and just enjoying the company of those in our apartment industry that it’s hard to select just a few memories to share, but here are a few that stand out in my mind: Some of my fondest memories were the elaborate and funny skits that we used to do at the breakfast general membership (Bacon & Bits) meetings. Usually this was to promote some upcoming event like Casino Night or Educational function.

There was one skit where Ron Lucas was dressed as a ghost and he was chasing Jim Buckhardt around the room. I think it was to promote the upcoming casino night with a spooky/scary theme that year.

Another funny skit was Rose Newman-Clevenger and I dressed up in very tacky and 70’s style clothes to promote a professional business attire fashion show that was being held later that month. I was dressed up like Herb Tarleck of WKRP with plaid coat & pants, white belt and white shoes. Rose was dressed up like a floozy, almost flapper style garb and we were up front saying how we heard there was a professional attire fashion show later and that we might want to check it out.

I also have fond memories of when the Association office was located in Stoney Creek Office Park.  It was the first office space that we actually owned the building versus renting. This was a milestone for us since I remember that owning our own building gave our Association a sense of permanency and stability. We originally bought one suite and then purchased the adjacent suite next to it a couple years later to make into a maintenance training facility.  I remember Scott Robinson, Linda Binford and I tearing out walls on a weekend to open up the two suites into one. It was a scene right out of “Fixer Upper” with Linda ordering Scott and myself around like Joanna Gaines does to her husband Chip.  We had a great time playing demolition team and we were so excited to help make our dream of having our own maintenance training center. There was such a shortage of qualified maintenance technicians at the time and we hoped that this would enhance those skills already in the maintenance field as well as get more technicians to get into a maintenance career.  

Tom Deitche, CPM

Managing Director

Bradley Company

Tom started in the multi-family industry as a maintenance technician at Canterbury Green and worked his way up to General Manager of the property. He was later the President of Guardian Management. Tom was a long serving member of the AAFW-NEI Board of Directors holding the offices of Treasurer, Vice President, and President in 1996.