At the same time millions of people are searching for opportunity. We meet people where they live removing barriers and opening doors.

Get Involved
Get Involved

Building Careers. Changing Lives. Opportunity
Lives HERE The Trade Path Project connects underserved youth, veterans, and women to life-changing careers in multifamily maintenance and the skilled trades. Start My Career
Mission & Vision

Close the workforce gap in multifamily maintenance while opening doors to overlooked talent

Who We Serve

Youth

We reach young adults in schools, community centers, and neighborhoods where ambition is high but opportunity is scarce.

Veterans

We connect with military transition programs and veteran organizations to provide civilian career paths.

Women

With only 2% representation, women are vastly underrepresented in multifamily maintenance.

What We Do

Apprenticeship
Program

Paid, structured training and career pathways.

Mentorship
Program

Experienced leaders guide every apprentice through challenges and growth.

Community
Engagement

Direct outreach inside schools, veterans’ groups, and women’s organizations.

Career
Placement

Our network of owners and operators connects apprentices to permanent employment.

The Challenge

The U.S. is facing a skilled trades crisis

• Maintenance turnover often exceeds 90%.
• Properties lose millions annually due to unfilled positions and delays.
• Only 2% of the workforce are women, leaving an untapped pool of talent.
• Meanwhile, underserved youth, veterans, and women remain locked out of stable, well-paying careers.

The Trade Path Project provides the bridge.

Let’t Talk!
Apprenticeship Program

Our Apprenticeship Program is built for impact!

Recruitment at the community level
We visit schools, women's groups, veteran halls, and local neighborhoods.
Hands-on
training
Building skills that employers demand.
Mentorship
Program
Experienced industry leaders walk alongside every apprentice.
Paid
apprenticeships
Earn while you learn, building stability from day one.
Career
placement
Pathways into long-term careers with multifamily companies.
This is more
than a job!
It's a career pathway that transforms lives.
Apply Today

Get Involved!

The Trade Path Project thrives when people act.
Here’s how you can make a difference.

Champions

– Your support funds apprenticeships, mentorship, and outreach. Every dollar opens a door to a stable career.
   $500 = Training for one apprentice
$1,000 = Tools and uniforms
$5,000 = A full apprenticeship pathway

Become a Champion

Partners

– Open doors to apprenticeships and careers while solving your workforce challenges.
– Gain access to motivated, trained talent ready to grow with your company.

Become a Partner

Advocates

– Help us meet candidates where they live-through schools, veterans’ halls, women’s organizations, and local nonprofits.
– Spread the word, host info sessions, and connect us with communities.

Join as an Advocate

Board of Advisors

– Join a group of leaders and experts shaping programs, partnerships, and growth.
– Advisors guide the mission, expand our reach, and ensure we scale with impact.

Apply to join the Board

Donors

From Awareness to Action

Awareness: Turnover in multifamily maintenance can reach 90%. Women are only 2% of the workforce.
Belief: Our apprenticeship model creates dignity, accountability, and lasting results.
Engagement: $500 sponsors training for one apprentice. $5,000 supports a full pathway.
Commitment: Every dollar creates a pathway. Join us today.
Monthly giving option: Champion a Career Monthly.

Fund an Apprentice

Candidates

Your Pathway Starts Here!
Earn while you learn.

This is more than a job. It’s a chance to build a future.
Receive mentorship from experienced leaders.
Step into a career with growth, stability, and dignity.

Apply For Mentorship
Leadership

The Trade Path Project is guided by leaders who believe in opportunity through service

Adrian Danila

Founder & President » Multifamily executive, consultant, and workforce advocate

Cindy Clare

Secretary » Board of Directors, chief operating officer, Bell Partners

Steve Hallsey

Board of Directors, executive director, Wood Partners

Sherry Freitas

Founder & Chair » Multifamily executive, consultant, and workforce advocate

Jay Abney

Board of Directors, industry leader and workforce advocate

Genevieve Bauer

Executive Vice President, Operations at The Michaels Organization

Lacy E. Romano

Director of Multifamily Operations, US for Corebridge Real Estate Investors (formerly AIG Global Real Estate)
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Lacy E. Romano

Director of Multifamily Operations, US for Corebridge Real Estate Investors (formerly AIG Global Real Estate)

After more than 25 years as an operator for some of the industry’s leading property management companies, Lacy was recruited in 2017 by a former client to join AIG’s Global Real Estate Group. She started her career at AIG overseeing the southeast multifamily assets. Her portfolio grew to include the northeast region and in 2020, she promoted to the role of Director of Multifamily Operations for the US. Today, her portfolio includes approximately 40 assets consisting of almost 11,000 units throughout the United States including Los Angeles, Denver, St. Louis, Atlanta, Boston, and other markets. Lacy serves as the multi-family operations expert at Corebridge, helping to maximize ROI through her involvement at each stage of a deal’s lifecycle. At acquisition, she works with the regional leads to evaluate market and underwriting assumptions, through stabilization, she manages the on-site leasing and property management teams, and at disposition, she partakes in broker selection processes and hold/sell strategy discussions. She also leads the group’s Business Intelligence technology initiative. She is an ARM, a CPM candidate and holds several Affordable Housing designations. Lacy was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia and attended Emory University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology.

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Genevieve Bauer

Executive Vice President, Operations at The Michaels Organization

As Executive Vice President of Operations for The Michaels Organization, Genevieve Bauer oversees property operations across Michaels’ full housing portfolio, which includes affordable, military, student, and market-rate communities. In her role, Ms. Bauer is responsible for leading all aspects of property operations, including financial performance, compliance, resident services, and the implementation of innovative technologies to support community success.

A senior real estate executive with decades of experience, Ms. Bauer has held key leadership positions across the housing industry, most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer at MAXX Properties. Her prior experience includes Senior Vice President roles at Balfour Beatty Communities and WinnCompanies, where she was responsible for large, diverse portfolios across multiple housing sectors. Ms. Bauer is a Certified Property Manager through the Institute of Real Estate Management and holds a Certified Defense Privatization Manager designation from the Military Housing Lodging Institute. She earned her Master’s Degree in Leadership and Organizations from the University of Denver.

An active and respected voice in the industry, Ms. Bauer has served as Chair of the National Apartment Association’s Apartment Careers Committee and the Privatized Military Housing Committee. Her commitment to community extends beyond her professional roles, as she is a founding member of the National Training Committee for Entryway, a nonprofit focused on career development and economic self-sufficiency.

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Jay Abney

Board of Directors, industry leader and workforce advocate, Vice President of Maintenance Operations at Fairfield Residential

Jay Abney currently serves as the Vice President of Maintenance Operations at Fairfield Residential, bringing over four decades of expertise in the multi-housing, resort, and hospitality industries. His career has been defined by a hands-on approach and a deep commitment to operational excellence, having held pivotal roles such as Senior Director of Maintenance and Technical Education at Greystar, and National Service Performance Director at Alliance Residential.

Jay’s leadership is grounded in real-world experience, having spent much of his adult life in the field in supervisory and director capacities. He is a Dale Carnegie-trained public speaker and a recognized educator through the National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI).

His professional certifications reflect a broad and deep technical foundation, including:

  • CAMT (Certificate for Apartment Maintenance Technicians)
  • CPO (Certified Pool Operator)
  • EPA 608
  • Stationary Engineer
  • Certified Hospitality Facilities Executive (AHLI)
  • Journeyman Building Repairer
  • LEED Green Associate (GBI)

Jay is known for his ability to bridge technical expertise with strategic leadership, making him a respected voice in property operations and maintenance education nationwide.

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Sherry Freitas

Founder & Chair » Multifamily executive, consultant, and workforce advocate

Sherry Freitas is a seasoned real estate executive with over two decades of leadership experience in multifamily asset management and global housing operations. Known for her strategic vision and innovation, she has led large-scale teams through transformational growth, operational restructuring, and market expansion.

Currently she is serving as President, Multifamily Asset Services for Cushman and Wakefield, where she oversees a portfolio of 150,000+ units throughout the US. Her career includes pivotal roles at RangeWater, Greystar, Wood Partners, and ING Clarion Partners, where she consistently delivered performance improvements and spearheaded new initiatives.

A Certified Property Manager with the Institute of Real Estate and a graduate of Radford University, Sherry is also a committed industry leader, serving on multiple boards, advisory boards and industry related committees.

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Steve F. Hallsey

Board of Directors, executive director, Wood Partners

Steve is a partner at Sundance Barn Ranch in Oakley, Utah, where he is a consultant, mentor, and advisor to the real estate industry.

Before his current role, he served as Managing Director at Wood Partners for 6 years and as President and CEO of AMLI Residential for 14 years. Steve has nearly 40 years of experience in the real estate industry.

He is a frequent speaker and panelist at NAA and NMHC events, as well as other industry meetings, and is often quoted in national publications. Currently, Steve serves as a director and advisor on several boards.

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Cindy Clare

Secretary » Board of Directors, chief operating officer, Bell Partners

Cindy Clare, CPM, is Chief Operating Officer at Bell Partners in Greensboro, NC. As COO, Ms. Clare oversees the operations of 85,000 apartment homes in 280 apartment communities across the nation. She is responsible for all aspects of property operations and maintenance, lease-ups, relationships with third-party owners, Learning and Development and Marketing.

Ms. Clare has served as President of the IREM Northern Virginia Chapter, as well as Regional Vice President for IREM’s Region III. She is currently a national faculty member at IREM. She is a Past President of AOBA, and in 2017, Ms. Clare was Chairman of the National Apartment Association.

Ms. Clare received her degree from the University of Virginia. She has over 35 years’ experience in the multifamily industry and was honored in 2015 as one of the “10 Most Influential Women in Real Estate” by Multi-Family Executive. In 2022, Ms. Clare was inducted into the National Apartment Association’s Hall of Fame.

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Adrian Danila

Founder & President » Multifamily executive, consultant, and workforce advocate

With over 20 years of hands-on experience in multifamily operations, Adrian Danila has transformed the maintenance and asset management strategies of some of the largest portfolios in the industry.

Starting as a part-time groundskeeper in 2003, Adrian quickly climbed the ranks, managing maintenance teams, overseeing capital projects, and implementing high-impact efficiency systems for portfolios as large as 32,000 units. He has held senior roles with top firms such as Greystar, Balfour Beatty Communities, PMG, ECI Group and RPM Living, where he earned a reputation for eliminating inefficiencies, optimizing vendor relationships, and building high-performance maintenance teams.

As the Founder of Multifamily X Consulting Group, Adrian now applies his expertise to help multifamily owners eliminate inefficiencies, cut costs, and scale operations for maximum profitability.