the real estate market, were reeling from the mortgage and banking crisis. At that time, new development was rare and many smaller developers were walking away from projects, leaving the association and its members lost. This gave me a great perspective on how important the relationship between the association, the developer, and the management company was to contribute to the success of a community association. Associations that start off on the right foot and build a solid foundation are set up for short and long-term success, and I enjoy playing a role in helping to make that happen. I enjoy watching our clients grow both in the physical development of the projects and in the mental development of the people involved. As a manager of new developments, you can have a positive impact on both sides of the project by helping both the developer and the homeowners (both of whom are members in the association). While developers often establish communities with homeowners associations, they do not operate in the HOA world and are not familiar with the laws and regulations they might unknowingly violate and are many times open to ideas or suggestions for what to do within a project to avoid the pitfalls we so often see in older communities with bad documents or logistics. Homeowners in new developments are often buying into an HOA for the very first time, so not only are you educating them about the specific HOA they have bought into but also about HOA living in general. It is our job as experts in the industry to ensure that both sides of the membership (developer and homeowner) get the advice we are paid to give them for the benefit of the entire association.
Commercial and Industrial CID CATHLEEN GUERRINI, CCAM-HR.CI EUGENE BURGER MANAGEMENT
Often, with residential condo management, there is a requirement to manage condominium associations and Continued on page 12
Certification Through CACM: Why Is It Important? By Andrew Hay, CCAM-ND.PM
“Unlicensed contractors.” We’ve all heard the horror stories of associations who want to go the “economic” way and choose to use a person who has no professional license or designation to complete a project and the chaos that ensues. Do you view a CCAM® or specialized certification through CACM the same way you view a company or individual who operates under a contractor’s or professional license? More importantly, do you think that our clients can identify those who don’t and those who do carry CACM certifications? CACM was established in 1991 as a trade organization for an industry with a substantial need for standardization. Over the next 10+ years, CACM worked to establish professional standards, a code of ethics, state conferences and forums, and educational programs for the professionals who serve this industry. In 1992, CACM began offering the CCAM (Certified Community Association Manager) designation. Fast forward a decade, and the passage of AB 555 in California further emphasized the need for specific training to be recognized as a professional community association manager. A real compliment to our association, CACM’s certification was the guideline legislators used to formulate AB 555 requirements. Most importantly, CACM helped to reduce government regulation in the industry by showing elected officials that the industry could regulate itself and its members. Imagine the difficulty of passing state audits for each of your associations, especially
as often as the laws change. So how do you maximize the value of your certification? Do you think your employer markets its certified managers differently than those who are not certified? Have you ever discussed that with your supervisor or business owner? As the common interest development industry progresses and becomes more competitive, it is important to differentiate yourself, and highlighting your CCAM certification is an easy way to do so with your clients and your employer (or potential employers). Concentrate on the value they receive by having someone with the experience and education necessary to deal with the day-today challenges of management and to help your employers retain their clients. Taking advantage of the continuing education courses offered in the respective specialties is also a way to maximize your value and earning potential. The courses required for specialty certificates help to hone your skills in your respective field and provide you with a plethora of resources and contacts (peers and vendors). In short, the CCAM certification was created to limit government regulation in the industry, which has been accomplished, but it should also be highlighted to help managers achieve both opportunity and credibility with our boards and our employers. Andrew Hay, CCAM-ND.PM is Vice President of the Management Division for The Helsing Group, Inc., ACMB, in San Ramon. www.cacm.org | Vision Spring/Summer 2018 11
