Katherine Rader
Katherine Apell-Rader is the President of The Association Management Group (AMG), a firm she founded to provide top-tier management services for Common Interest Communities in Southern Nevada. With over 20 years of experience in association management, Katherine has built a career guiding volunteer boards, overseeing capital improvements, managing reserve funding, and ensuring compliance and risk management for homeowners associations. Her professional philosophy emphasizes leadership as stewardship—absorbing pressure so others don’t have to—and she approaches challenges by designing systems rather than simply reacting to problems.
Katherine’s career in community management began in administrative roles, where she developed her leadership skills over a multi-decade trajectory. She spent 12 years at her first management company, learning the value of staff stewardship and hands-on leadership, before establishing her own firm. Since incorporating AMG in December 2023 and opening its doors in August 2024, she has focused on building long-term client relationships, providing high-quality service to boards and residents, and empowering volunteer leaders through education and support.
Beyond her professional achievements, Katherine is a committed lifelong learner and holds several industry-leading credentials, including CMCA, AMS, and the PCAM designation, which she earned at a national conference. She is also a mom, avid hiker, and amateur photographer, finding balance between her personal passions and her career. Katherine encourages emerging professionals to focus on their goals, make deliberate daily decisions to advance toward them, and embrace the principle that starting point does not determine the finish: “No matter where you start, you can climb.”
• CMCA (Certified Manager of Community Associations)
• AMS (Association Management Specialist)
• PCAM (Professional Community Association Manager)
• College of Southern Nevada
• PCAM certification received in Washington DC (2017)
• PCAM (Professional Community Association Manager)
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a systems-oriented mindset—rather than simply managing problems, I focus on designing systems that create long-term solutions. Staying focused on my goals from the very beginning, making each decision with my end vision in mind, and building strong infrastructure along the way have all been key to achieving success in my career.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was: "When you're having a bad day, just survive today. Tomorrow will be a new day. The sun rises tomorrow, and you can choose to make it however you want to make it." This mindset reminds me to stay resilient, knowing that challenges are temporary and each day brings a fresh opportunity.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this industry is to keep your end goal in mind and make choices that move you closer to it. Even if you start in an administrative role, it doesn’t limit your potential—you can grow into leadership and ownership by staying focused, setting clear goals, and making intentional decisions along the way.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The field of community association management is heavily regulated and often misunderstood, requiring strong, competent leadership to protect property values, manage reserves, and mitigate risk. Earning the PCAM certification was a challenging but rewarding milestone, placing me among only 2,900 managers worldwide with this credential. There’s significant opportunity to elevate professional standards and support volunteer boards in making informed, effective decisions for their communities.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are competence, stewardship, and strong leadership that shields others from pressure while enabling them to succeed. Early in my career, I learned the impact of great leadership from my first boss during my administrative days, which shaped how I lead today. As a mother and grandmother, it’s deeply fulfilling to extend those values personally, being a positive influence both at work and at home.