When Angel Baltimore was named Momentive’s 2025 Bring on Better Leader of the Year, it was recognition of her vision for how technology, data, and people can come together to drive meaningful impact. As Senior Vice President of Information Technology at the National Apartment Association (NAA), Angel has spent decades quietly reshaping how organizations operate behind the scenes—making systems work harder, data work smarter, and teams feel empowered to innovate.
A Career Built on Purpose and Progress
With nearly 25 years of experience across nonprofits, associations – and even a detour into financial services as a digital strategy director, Angel brings a deep understanding of how technology can enable and empower mission-driven work. At NAA, where she joined in 2022, that mission is especially urgent: Championing sustainable and meaningful policy solutions that aim to ease our country’s longstanding housing affordability crisis.
“The work of our association has simply never been as important as it is today,” Angel shared. “Now more than ever, thoughtful technology strategy is an essential part of how we advocate for lasting policies that increase housing availability and deliver results for our members and the residents they serve.”
Turning Data into a Strategic Asset
One of Angel’s most significant contributions at NAA has been transforming how the organization approaches data. Like many associations, NAA had invested heavily in technology over the years, yet only a fraction of its potential was being realized. When Angel arrived, the organization was grappling with tens of thousands of duplicate records and limited trust in its data.
Under her leadership, that changed dramatically. In 2025 alone, NAA eliminated more than 38,000 duplicate records, improved data accessibility for staff, and laid the groundwork for a robust business intelligence strategy. Looking ahead, Angel is spearheading efforts to centralize data through a warehouse powered by Salesforce Data Cloud, paired with new visualization tools to make insights actionable across the organization.
Innovation Through Empowerment
Angel’s leadership philosophy is grounded in clarity and trust: have a plan, communicate it often, and then get out of the way. Shortly after joining NAA, she established technology and data governance and introduced a digital transformation strategy that aligned IT priorities with organizational goals.
That approach has paid off. One standout example is NAA’s congressional engagement tracker—a custom solution built on Nimble and Salesforce that helps measure and grow member advocacy. What began as data locked away in spreadsheets is now a dynamic system that guides members through increasing levels of engagement, from introductory advocacy training to direct relationships with members of Congress. The initiative has earned industry recognition and exemplifies how innovation can flourish when teams are empowered to act on good ideas.
“When I first started my career, I heard a lot of ‘all IT says is no,’ and I vowed to be the type of leader that would change the perception of IT departments by being open-minded and exploring new solutions,” Angel said.
A Partnership That Enables What’s Possible
Throughout NAA’s transformation, technology partners have played an important supporting role. Angel credits Momentive’s Nimble platform, and the extended developer and support teams, for helping NAA fully leverage the tools it already had. From workflow customization to staff certification programs, the partnership has helped accelerate adoption, improve integration with credentialing systems, and maximize the value of NAA’s technology investments.
Recognition That Reflects Collective Impact
For Angel, receiving the Bring on Better Leader of the Year award was both humbling and affirming. Often focused on execution rather than visibility; she admitted the recognition came as a surprise.
“I didn’t think anybody was watching what we were doing,” Angel said. “And to get validation that your organization is headed in the right direction from a digital perspective—it’s kind of overwhelming, but in a good way.”
She’s quick to share that recognition with NAA itself, an organization she credits with giving her the freedom to lead boldly and bring long-standing initiatives to life.
Looking Ahead: Building a Data-Driven Future
As NAA looks to 2026 and beyond, Angel’s focus remains clear: data, data, and more data. From streamlining hundreds of data-collection forms to expanding responsible use of AI for internal operations, her goal is to ensure NAA’s technology foundation is strong enough to support future growth and innovation.
“We’re really honed in on data,” Angel said. “My main focus is on centralizing our data and making it easily accessible across the organization.”
That mindset—practical, people-centered, and forward-looking—is exactly why Angel Baltimore exemplifies what it means to Bring on Better. Her leadership continues to shape not only how NAA operates today, but how it will serve its members and communities for years to come.
