Building Connection. Elevating Experience.
Reflections from Impact Summit 2026Each year, property leaders from American Campus Communities gather for a key moment of alignment within our organization. What many of us previously referred to as the Leadership Conference has transformed into the Impact Summit, a four-day event aimed at reconnecting our teams, sharing ideas, and enhancing our operations across communities. This year's Summit was unlike any we have hosted before, and we embraced these changes for maximum impact.
Held in Denver, this year’s Summit brought together property managers, regional leaders, senior service managers, and facilities teams from across the country, all focused on one shared goal: Building Connection and Elevating Experience. The energy in the room was unprecedented.
For our property teams, connection matters. The work happening in our communities every day is fast-paced and demanding. Our teams support residents, lead employees, solve problems, and manage complex operations all at the same time. Taking time to step back, learn from one another, and strengthen leadership alignment helps us return to our communities stronger.
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Throughout the week, sessions I hosted alongside leaders like Tosha Bowles and Dan Barry focused on what operational excellence looks like in practice. We talked about clear priorities, measurable outcomes, and the accountability required to deliver a consistent resident experience. One theme came through clearly. Operations and facilities succeed together.
At every ACC community, building great partnerships between the Senior Managers, Property Managers, Senior Service Managers, Regional Managers, and Directors of Property Management is vital. When those leaders operate in alignment, the results are visible everywhere, from service response times to turn readiness and resident satisfaction.
Sessions like One Team, One Plan: Partnering for Community Success reinforced how coordination around preventative maintenance, safety readiness, budgeting, and procurement strengthens how our communities operate.
Impact Summit also gave us the opportunity to celebrate the leaders and teams who are raising the bar across our communities. While a separate post [link to awards blog] highlights this year’s award winners, the recognition serves as an important reminder of the work happening every day at our properties.
Awards like Regional Director of the Year recognize leaders who set the tone for culture, accountability, and performance across multiple communities. As award winner Moses Olukoya shared during the Summit:
“When our teams understand why their work matters, performance improves, culture strengthens, and residents feel the difference.”
As we closed the Summit, three powerful leadership messages reinforced the themes we discussed throughout the week.
Keynote speaker Shola Richards grounded us in the spirit of Ubuntu: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” He reminded us that kindness is a leadership standard — shaping how we support one another, hold ourselves accountable, and show up with intention every day.
Chief Development Officer and EVP of Public Private Partnerships Jamie Wilhelm shared lessons from his Mt. Rainier expedition, using the climb as a metaphor for leadership and growth. His message was simple but powerful: meaningful progress requires choosing hard challenges, staying consistent, and pushing forward together.
To close the conference, SVP of Property Operations Tosha Bowles reinforced the importance of alignment between operations and facilities. When teams move together with trust, accountability, and shared goals, the impact is felt across every community.
Every role I’ve held at ACC shapes how I view the work our property teams do every day. For me personally, Impact Summit is always a reminder of the people behind our success. I began my career with ACC as a community assistant while attending the University of Central Florida, and that early experience continues to influence how I appreciate the dedication and effort of our property teams.
When we build stronger connections, we elevate every experience.
Watch the highlight reel below to see some of the moments, conversations, and connections that made Impact Summit 2026 so meaningful for our teams.
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