How the MIND Program is Turning Mentees into Industry Leaders

BY DESIREE ROMERO & JENNY JORGENSON

 The MIND (Mentoring Into New Dimensions) Program, an initiative of the Apartment Association of Metro Denver’s Inclusion & Diversity Committee, continues to meet the moment with its quarterly panels, each one intentionally centered around what our mentees are navigating in real time. This quarter, that meant tackling Battling New Construction. To tackle this topic, we were fortunate to have an incredible panel featuring Marcella Eppsteiner, April Andrews, Brian Sanchez, and Anissa Faus, who shared honest insights and practical strategies with a highly engaged group of leasing professionals, assistant managers, property managers, and maintenance associates. One message came through loud and clear: in a tough market, you’re not just selling an apartment, you’re selling an experience. 

What made the session especially impactful, and what continues to make MIND so unique, was what happened beyond the panel itself. From early networking conversations to post-session breakouts, mentees compared notes and talked through how they could bring these ideas back to their communities. There’s something powerful about watching that shift from listening to applying happen in real time. Desiree Romero, Co-Chair of the Inclusion & Diversity Committee, says “It’s incredibly rewarding to see how much MIND has grown—not just in size, but in impact. The strength of our panelists, paired with the curiosity and drive of our participants, is exactly what makes this program work, and why it continues to create real opportunities for the next generation of leaders in our industry.”

What makes MIND so special is not just the structure, but the results. We’ve honestly lost count of how many promotions have come out of this program, but the stories speak for themselves. Leasing agents have grown into community managers. Assistant managers have stepped into multisite manager roles. Community managers have been promoted to regional managers. These are not small steps, they are career-defining leaps, fueled by mentorship, accountability, and belief. Jenny Jorgenson, head of the MIND Program, says “The mentor-mentee relationship is the cornerstone of MIND, but what grows from it is something even bigger: a sense of possibility for each mentee and a renewed passion for the mentors who give their time so selflessly.”

Beyond the one-on-one relationships, MIND creates an entire community of support. Our mentees don’t just gain a mentor, they gain a network. They lean on one another, share advice, problem-solve together, and celebrate each other’s wins. Time is intentionally carved out for connection, so when these future leaders step into larger industry events, they do so with confidence and a strong sense of belonging. MIND is not just preparing the next generation of leaders—it is empowering them to lead with confidence, compassion, and community.