Vision SPRING 2013
THE VOICE OF CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY MANAGERS
BOARDS of DIRECTORS
managing
INFORMATION
homeowners
Service Providers
CACM’s New Website Check Out the 10 Must-See Features
An Expert Manager Is a Board’s Dream Come True
In the Spotlight Get Inspired by Two Members’ Stories
CACM has gone social! We invite you to connect with us on our new social networks. Facebook We love our members, and we hope you “like” us just the same. By connecting with us on Facebook, you’ll be able to keep up with our latest happenings and access pertinent news stories, stats, and information. We hope to see you in our newsfeed soon! www.facebook.com/CACMchat
Follow @CACMchat for quick tidbits, realtime updates and the occasional moment of #HOAmanagerhumor. Watch for plenty of CACM hashtags throughout the year so you can tweet your own updates about our events and programs.
Our professional LinkedIn network could use more industry members like you. First, follow us to show your support and read up on timely articles and industry-specific news. Then, members can add CACM to the organization section of their profile, as well as list applicable CCAM, MCAM, or Specialty Certificates under their certifications.
www.twitter.com/CACMchat
www.linkedin.com/company/CACM 2
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Trust Relationships Results
Angius & Terry LLP has long prided itself on providing superior legal representation to community associations while fostering long-lasting relationships with our clients for over 30 years. In today’s ever-changing real estate and financial markets, community associations can continue to trust Angius & Terry LLP to rise to these new challenges to help them achieve favorable results. Your problems are our problems. Your success is our pride. Angius & Terry LLP: your association’s constant in a changing world.
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Spring 2O13 F e at u r e s
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The Law(s) of Community Websites A hypothetical look at the unintended consequences of an online presence By Mark T. Guithues, Esq.
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10 Must-See Features on CACM’s New Website
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Information Overload
By Patty Garcia, CCAM
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Warning: System Upgrade Required Preparing to re-boot and manage changes to the Davis-Stirling Act
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By Brian Blackwell, CCAM
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A Checklist of Checklists
By Dean Jackson, CCAM
n e w s b i t s
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Congratulations Managers
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14th Annual CACM Northern California Law Seminar & Trade Show
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New Manager & Management Firm Council Members
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New Affiliate Members
By Clint McClure, CCAM
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Help Us Help You
By Brian Kalmenson, CCAM
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CACM’s 2013 Board of Directors
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Get Your Head in the Game Presenting the board with organized information is a game changer
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Thank You to Our Sponsors
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Member News
By Kevin Lehman, CCAM
D E PART M ENTS
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4
HOA Living 101 Sharing information with new association members
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President’s Message
By Karen D. Conlon, CCAM
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From the Roundtable
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Spring Calendar: Northern California
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Spotlight on Education: New 2013 Courses
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In the Boardroom: An Expert Community Manager is a Dream Come True
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A Message from the Board
By Lori R. Storm, CCAM
Spring Calendar: Southern California Affiliate Member Spotlight: A Cancer Survivor Who Welcomed the Chance to Shift His Life Focus
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Manager Member Spotlight An Executive with Balance, Business Sense and a Philanthropic Mind
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Advertiser Index
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Homeowner Association Loans
Innovative Lockbox Processing Capabilities
Online Access and Research
Multiple Payment Options
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Vision
THE VOICE OF CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY MANAGERS
Spring 2013 • vol. 22, no. 1
President & CEO | Karen D. Conlon, CCAM Vice President | Vicki Vandruff, CAE, CCAM
Managing Editor | Brenda K. Teter
Assistant Editor | Emily Stegman
Advertising | Brenda K. Teter
Editorial Advisory Committee Brian C. Blackwell, CCAM West Coast Management Firm, Inc.
Kay Ladner, CCAM Desert Horizons OA
Matt Davenport Monarch Environmental, Inc.
Vicki MacHale, CCAM ARK Management
Bobbie Gaffney, CCAM, PCAM The Gaffney Group, Inc.
Sascha Macias, CCAM Merit Property Management, ACMF
Patty Garcia, CCAM, PCAM MCM, LLC
Clint McClure, CCAM McClure Management, Inc.
Tara Graviss, CCAM Walters Management, ACMF
Oana Mitchell, CCAM MCM, LLC
Dean Jackson, CCAM Pacific Park Plaza HOA
Susan Sharp, CCAM The Prescott Companies
Brian A. Kalmenson, CCAM Michael Abdou Insurance Agency, Inc.
Lori Storm, CCAM Merit Property Management, ACMF
Vision magazine is published by CACM four times annually to members, affiliates and supporters of the California Association of Community Managers. Magazine content ©2013 CACM. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from CACM. Opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the policies of CACM. Mention of any product does not constitute an endorsement by CACM. CACM assumes no responsibility for return of photos or art and reserves the right to reject any editorial or advertising materials. CACM does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of articles, events or announcements listed. Please address comments and suggestions to: California Association of Community Managers, Inc. 23461 South Pointe Drive, Ste. 200, Laguna Hills, CA 92653 800.363.9771 • 949.916.2226 • Fax 949.916.5557 • bteter@cacm.org Attn: Brenda K. Teter About CACM Founded in 1991, the California Association of Community Managers, Inc.SM (CACM), is the only organization in California whose membership is comprised entirely of community association managers and association practitioners. CACM empowers a network of community management professionals working in large scale, portfolio, resort and high rise homeowners associations to share and apply California’s most effective community management practices. CACM is the leading resource for California-specific education, events, activities, products, services and networking opportunities to help managers and management companies achieve excellence in the industry. Learn more at www.cacm.org, or email info@cacm.org. Do we know where you are? Attention CACM members: Have you changed jobs or moved to a new location? Go to www.cacm.org and update your profile so you don’t miss your next Vision magazine or any other important CACM communications.
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by karen D. COnlon, CCAM
Painting a Powerful Picture of Our Profession
A
great work of art has the power to change people’s perceptions of the world around them. The artist’s perspective, choice of colors, subject matter, and approach to painting dictates how viewers will respond to the piece and how they will relate the feelings it evokes to their everyday lives. Just as there is power in art, there is also great power in information. To date, the public’s idea of the community management profession has been largely limited, unimpressive, and dull. CACM wants to provide a livelier palette for the public to envision when they think about homeowners associations and the people who manage them. That’s why CACM recently began developing a statewide public relations plan that promises to paint a powerful picture of the industry, the community manager, and our organization. When this communications plan was first formulated late last year, our canvas was not entirely blank: CACM had already begun painting the picture of the value HOAs and community association managers bring to California by developing our professional education and certification programs and remaining active in Sacramento. In particular, CACM’s leadership in state-specific education and certification will serve us well as a focal point from which to expand our information outreach efforts across the state and the nation. Through this campaign, we want to promote community management as an important profession and career path that serves a growing housing market, highlighting the value community managers bring to the communities they serve. We want your board members and homeowners to recognize and appreciate the role community managers play in maintaining healthy, functioning communities. Additionally, this campaign will continue to communicate how important the state-specific certification of community managers is to HOA boards and homeowners in CIDs. Ideally, CACM wants this statewide communications effort to evoke a sense of pride, respect, and appreciation about this industry among board members, homeowners, and California residents alike. We hope that our depiction of the industry and the community manager – our portrait, if you will – has the power to change public perceptions about the community management profession and help ensure you, our members, are recognized for the incredible duties you fulfill every day. We look forward to updating you on our progress throughout the year, and we thank you for your continued dedication to this industry.
Karen D. Conlon, CCAM President & CEO
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A hypothetical look at the unintended consequences of an online presence
By Mark T. Guithues, Esq.
“We have a right to free speech, and you’re violating it!” shouted one owner. “We’ll take you to the Supreme Court,” added his neighbor. “This is our only means to assess board accountability, and it’s clear that you are unwilling to stand and take the heat,” insisted a third. The board sat quietly, unsurprised by the turnout, nor the vitriolic nature of the comments regarding the proposed closure of the online community bulletin board. Originally added to the community website as a means to brainstorm possible approaches to an upcoming paving project, the community blog had now become a neighborhood gossip channel, complete with occasional threats against fellow residents, personal attacks on directors, and inaccurate allegations of mismanagement and nepotistic contracts. Continued on page 10
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The Law(s) of Community Association Websites Continued from page 8
Just a few years ago the association was a healthy account. Few residents actually attended meetings, where the directors worked cordially, occasionally lamenting low owner participation. At the last election, two of the primary “contributors” to the community blog were elected and regularly used the blog to argue their agendas if the balance of the board disagreed with them. Having received the annual invoice for IT/web services, the board (and now, by definition, the entire community) was in conflict as to whether the entire website could be shut down, and, if not, who should be performing maintenance and possibly ongoing monitoring of the community blog. With owner allegations of future legal actions, the community association manager quickly advises the board to seek a legal opinion as to their ongoing website maintenance obligations. The resulting opinion differentiated amongst various web-based communication tools – advising in favor of some and against others. Following is an examination of the benefits and the legal issues that this and any other community association may find when building and maintaining their community website. Community Website Basics Community websites are generally created by website contractors using information collected from the board and managing agent. Creation and ongoing maintenance is paid for using member assessments. Unless required by the association’s governing documents (and we have yet to see this), a board may discontinue maintenance of a community website at any time. The association is liable for content contained within and disseminated by its community website. Community websites might include community blogs, areas for classified ads, announcements, manager stories or comments, recipes, governing documents and more. Community association attorneys are generally in favor of community websites, if for no other reason than their ability to provide a library of governing documents and community announcements. Online File Libraries
Governing documents, such as CC&Rs, bylaws, articles and rules, may be posted online alongside general HOA documents, including agendas, minutes, work requests and ARC applications. While making this document library available to owners around the clock is one of the greatest uses of the Internet for a community association, it is important
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to note that this library needs to be regularly updated. While some documents – like articles, bylaws and CC&Rs – are rarely changed, others – mainly architectural policies, rules and collections policies – are regularly revised to address community needs or changes to the Civil Code. It can become problematic to enforce a revised rule when the original is still posted on the association’s website. Community Announcements
Community announcements are often made via community websites. Whether as benign as letting folks know that the gate will be fixed on Thursday, or as important as a reminder about a fire ant infestation, a community website is a logical outlet in lieu of a newsletter. That said, it does not yet constitute legal notice. Many non-HOA attorneys errantly allow for certain legal notices to be made by newsletter. This is because Corporations Code Section 5016 states that “a notice or report mailed or delivered as part of a newsletter, magazine or other organ regularly sent to members shall constitute written notice or report pursuant to this division …” The problem is that the Davis-Stirling Act Sections 1363.03, 1363.05, 1365 and 1367 all require notices to be individually mailed or posted in a public place. For this reason, while you can use the community website to post social announcements or even reminder notices for community issues that have already been addressed via mail or a posted notice, website announcements must be considered a courtesy or secondary method of announcement. Classified Ads
Classified ad postings appear on some community websites, and community blogs sometimes reference local service providers. More than one association has been sued by an unhappy owner (and even a non-member local citizen) who relied upon the representations in an association’s website in selecting a service provider and now seeks reimbursement for the negligently performed work (and his/her own pain and suffering). Although we believe these lawsuits are generally without merit, the association must realize it will be seen as the “deep pocket” in these types of transactions. At minimum, the association should include a clear statement that the service providers posting business cards, or representations by owners regarding such service providers, have not been evaluated regarding proper licensing or insurance to provide such services, and the opinions offered by owners are that of the owners – not the association.
Online Discussion Boards
Moderated discussion boards are pages on a website where folks can provide comments on various issues. Online discussion boards can be divided by topics or “threads,” or might just be a place to post a question. They can be accessed by people at their convenience, with the option for users to receive an email message each time a comment is posted on a particular thread. Such discussion boards have a person who is actively moderating or acting as a referee. The moderator may or may not provide information or answer every question, but he or she is generally charged with keeping folks on point to the purpose of the thread. These forums work well when properly monitored daily – similar to a business that has something to sell, that hires someone to respond to questions and report marketing opportunities. With a designated monitor, negative or inappropriate information can be removed or immediately responded to with clarification. Community Blogs
Community blogs used by associations can rarely afford to pay a “webmaster,” and unmonitored community blogs are open doors for people to make
California Civil Code now places severe limitations on board discussions outside of a properly noticed and agendized meeting.
defamatory statements, threats, or personal attacks; they can also be magnets for folks looking to sue deep pockets. When a blog is monitored, the problem is that the person responding on behalf of the association is viewed as an agent of the corporation. But, this isn’t the case in the immediate environment of the Internet, where statements reflect the moderator’s opinion, rather than the thought-out and approved opinion of the entire board of directors. Moreover, California Civil Code now places severe limitations on board discussions outside of a properly noticed and agendized meeting. In conclusion, community association websites are entirely appropriate vehicles for unofficial notices, surveys and distribution of governing documents. But community blogs, whether moderated or not, present substantive complications and liability, and in the minds of many practitioners that outweighs their benefit. Mark T. Guithues, Esq., is an attorney with Community Legal Advisors, Inc., with offices in Orange and San Diego Counties.
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B
y the time you read this, we will be well into 2013. And, hopefully, we will all still be on track with our New Year’s resolutions and goals! Chances are, though, we will be caught up in the day-to-day responsibilities of our field and find ourselves struggling to get back on track. One of the keys to fulfilling and reaching goals is the discipline to develop a plan with incremental steps and to implement these steps over a period of time. To this end, the CACM Board of Directors, in conjunction with CACM staff, has determined that one of the most significant and challenging goals of our organization is to increase public recognition of our industry, our experience, our education and our certifications – both as individual community managers and as management company The goal of owners. both the CACM In the Winter 2012 issue of Board and the Vision magazine, immediate Past CACM staff is to Chair Gordon Goetz outlined increase public the goals of the CACM Board as recognition determined through the strategic outside our planning process. He talked about industry. the importance of our CCAM and MCAM certifications, as well as the ACMF accreditation for management firms. Inside our industry, we know the importance of these certifications and the extent of our individual and collective efforts in achieving these credentials. But, what about those individuals outside our industry? Statistics indicate more than 14 million Californians live in a common interest development. How many of those individuals understand the meaning of our certifications? Do they recognize the differences between a certification and a designation? And, perhaps even more importantly, do our
clients recognize the value our certifications bring to their level of service? The goal of both the CACM Board and the CACM staff is to increase public recognition outside our industry, and this goal requires determination, focus, expense of resources and time and, perhaps most importantly, your participation. To quote an often-used phrase, “Do you spin your own halo?” In addition, when annually disclosing your certifications, do you educate your board members and homeowners on the fact that, as a Certified Community Association Manager (CCAM), your certification meets all the requirements of California Business and Professions Code Section 11502 and 11502.5? Do your clients recognize that continuing education, including ethics training, is required in order to maintain your certification? And, if you are justifiably proud of the alphabet soup on your business card, do you also recognize that designations from other respected and known organizations do not meet the California certification requirements? These questions – which our recent manager survey indicated would be answered negatively by a majority of our members – bring us back to our focus for 2013 and the upcoming years. We recognize that individual managers and management companies need our support to bolster individual efforts, which is why the CACM Board and staff will be working to educate those outside our industry in an effort to raise the public’s level of awareness regarding CACM and our certification programs. So, as you spin your own halo, know that we are working to do the same On behalf of the CACM Board, for our overall industry Melinda Young, CCAM, PCAM throughout California. Board Chair
You can access a complete copy of the California Business and Professions Code online at www.leginfo.ca.gov.
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Must-See Features on CACM’s New Website
By Emily Stegman
In case you haven’t noticed, CACM’s website is donning a new look. But, www.cacm.org got more than just a face lift: it’s now easier to navigate and features informative new tools to help you succeed and connect with colleagues throughout the state. Take the time to browse our new website, and make sure you take a peek at these must see features.
streamlined navigation First and foremost, CACM’s new website is designed for easy navigation so you can find what you’re looking for faster than before. Looking for membership details or a breakdown of CACM’s certification programs? What about a list of courses or educational events? Find all that and more in the What We Offer section. Looking for something else? The new drop-down menus make it easy to find what you need. Just mouse over any header – What We Offer, Registration, Legislative News, Resources, or About Us – to see what’s available in each section.
discussion groups
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member highlights It’s no secret – CACM members are dedicated professionals who are accomplishing amazing feats on a daily basis. We wanted to recognize our members’ accomplishments and give credit where credit’s due. That’s why our new Member News and Member Spotlight pages are devoted entirely to member recognition. Member News is an online bulletin board designed to feature our members’ most recent news, both personal and professional. Select stories will also be published in Vision magazine. You can catch up on your colleagues’ recent happenings, or submit your own news.
The new Discussion Groups are the perfect way to share ideas, challenges and best practices with your management colleagues throughout the state. Search for topics, start your own thread, or ask CACM a question using this new members only offering.
The Member Spotlight is CACM’s new quarterly feature, which highlights one manager and one affiliate member who are selected through peer nominations. This feature, which is also included in Vision magazine (see pages 40 and 47 for our first two spotlights), shares our members' fun, memorable and even heartwarming stories.
To join the discussion, log in to the Members Only section at www.cacm.org, click the Discussion Group link on the left-hand side, and create a new account to start sharing your insights.
Log in to the Members Only section to access these new member highlights features.
Vision Spring 2013
registration updates The new online registration area features a revamped calendar, expanded event details, and a helpful advanced search function. To find what you need quickly, click the advanced search link to specify the category, location, course/event code, or a combination of these fields that describe the course or event you’re looking for. CACM Members: Don’t forget to log in to register for CACM courses and events at the discounted member rate.
expanded e-marketplace Search for dedicated service providers your association(s) needs through our online Affiliate E-Marketplace directory. In 2013, the CACM Affiliate E-Marketplace has expanded to include listings for all of our 600+ affiliate members. This convenient online directory is designed to make your service provider search easier. The advanced search function allows you to search for the type of service you need by category, company name, or city.
consumer resources CACM takes pride in serving its members, but we are also committed to providing the public with helpful resources. The new Resources section features many helpful tools for board members, homeowners, and managers alike. The Career Network allows homeowners associations and management firms the ability to post job openings, while community management professionals can search through the open positions and post their résumés. The E-Marketplace is an equally useful tool for any visitor to the website. The Affiliate E-Marketplace makes it easy to find quality service providers statewide, and the Management Firm E-Marketplace offers a simple way for board members to find a nearby management company. Other accessible tools in the Resources section include the “In the Boardroom” archive, which is perfect for inquisitive board members who want to learn more about how an association works and the manager’s role within it, and a copy of the Sample Management Retainer and the Davis-Stirling Recodification Table.
enhanced members only tools The password-protected member area at www.cacm.org is available exclusively to CACM manager and affiliate members. Once you’re logged in, you can view or pay any outstanding invoices, update your profile or register for a course or event at the discounted member rate. Members can also participate in our new discussion groups, read member news and featured profiles, download a member logo, and more. Plus, we’ve kept all the tools you’re used to in the Manager Toolkit, including the Davis-Stirling Recodification Table, Board Member Code of Ethics, Sample Disclosure Letters, and more!
Continued on page 16
MFC Members: You might notice this button as you browse CACM’s new website. This routes any and all visitors who click on it to the Management Firm E-Marketplace, which features all of our MFC members.
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10 Must-See Features Continued from page 15
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legislative news
CACM plays a very active role in Sacramento working to impact policy on issues concerning California community associations. These efforts ensure that legislation affecting the day-to-day work of community managers and the industry as a whole is closely monitored and addressed in a way that reflects good legislation and public policy. This dedication is reflected in the Legislative News section of our new website, which provides regularly updated bill reports, information on our Political Action Committee (PAC), and an introduction to our Legislative Advocate. Plus, you’ll find information on how you can contact your legislators and get involved in CACM’s legislative efforts.
We’re your Architects 911 Architectural Design Construction Management Application Design Review Notice of Completion Review
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categorized list of FAQs Ever wondered why board members are not permitted to attend CACM events? Curious how long your certification is valid? Need to know CACM’s course transfer policy? The answers to these questions and many more are now conveniently located in the FAQ section of CACM’s website. See if your question can be answered by browsing our categorized list of FAQs. Categories include: Board Members; Certification Programs; Courses & Events; Legislation; Membership; Publications; Sponsorship & Advertising Opportunities; and Website & Online Resources.
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social media friendly Social networking is quickly becoming an everyday activity for today’s professionals, and CACM wants members to be able to share membership news, tools and event information easily with their online networks. Now you can instantly share important CACM news with your friends and colleagues via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more. Look for the share icons at the top of each webpage to instantly share news with your social communities. So, what do you think of our new look? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Email us at communications@cacm.org.
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www.linkedin.com/company/CACM
Not only are our webpages easy to share through your social media accounts, but you can also catch a glimpse of CACM’s latest goings on via our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages. Visit these URLs so you can like our page, follow our tweets and connect with us.
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BY PATTY GARCIA, CCAM 18
Vision Spring 2013
The sheer magnitude of information coming at us on a daily basis is more than we can begin to comprehend, much less read and apply to our lives. Although modern technology is a wonderful tool, there are downsides to being accessible via so many communication channels. Emails, voicemails, text messages, RSS feeds, Facebook updates – that’s just the tip of the iceberg. How does one begin to tackle the challenge of information overload? Much like a computer, we only have space for so many tidbits before our own internal “hard drive” (i.e., our mind) starts to react. If it becomes overloaded, then our “operating system” (i.e., brain function) will shut down and a “reboot” may be in order. This can quickly lead to health issues and loss of productivity. In fact, according to Jonathan B. Spira, CEO, and Chief Analyst at Basex, their latest research on information overload costs the U.S. economy a minimum of $900 billion per year in lowered employee productivity and reduced innovation. Despite its heft, this number is conservative and reflects the loss of 25% of the worker’s day. The total could be as high as $1 trillion. There are a number of
things you can do to reduce the feelings of stress and anxiety associated with trying to organize and keep track of too much information all at once. 1. Reduce your information intake.
Yes, I know this sounds paradoxical, since we are constantly inundated with the supposed “need” to keep consuming more and more information. However, the truth is you probably do not need a great deal of the information you are taking in, because you are randomly choosing some bits here and there. The Internet reinforces this way of consuming information and learning, but while satisfying our curiosities, it is not a very good way to systematically learn and retain information on a particular subject. Continued on page 20 Vision Spring 2013
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Information Overload Continued from page 19 2. Consume information more systematically instead of randomly.
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If you focus on what you need rather than what others think you want, you may be surprised at how much you can cut out of your online time. For instance, if you are looking for reviews on a cell phone, do not get bogged down in off-topic threads in a forum that have nothing to do with the cell phone in question. If you want the answer to a scientific question, write down possible keywords, Google them, stay on topic. Bookmark things that are “off-topic” from the original search for later investigation (during your “entertainment” time; see below).
Many people who suffer from “information overload” do so because they have blurred “working” online from “having fun” online and have given up the distinctions between the two. You can see this in many office workers who are given free online reign, as they mix shopping for a birthday present with finishing the weekly reports. Most people, however, are not great multitaskers and do not readily switch gears as quickly as one can switch web pages. Blurring this line means neither is very effective; people will take much longer getting their work done, and may have less fun on the flip side.
If we are open to information 24 hours a day, we give our brains no time to relax, to change modes or to have fun. 4. Set time limits.
Information overload sometimes is reinforced by not setting limits on the amount of time we allow information to be taken in by our brains. If we are open to information 24 hours a day, we give our brains no time to relax, to change modes or to have fun. Just as we cannot switch gears as easily as most people think we can, we also should not be “always on-call” for new information in any moment or situation. For instance, I know people who do not turn off their cell phones during family events or when going to see a show. They believe information is more important than relaxing or spending some time with loved ones. The truth is, information will always be there. Unless you are the President of the United States (or his equivalent elsewhere), you have no need to be “on” 24 hours a day.
5. Chunk your information.
Being a consumer of information means learning how to consume information more intelligently. If you take in every bit of information with equal weight, it becomes harder to sort and harder to keep track of. It is better to put the information in groups to better organize it, which is what psychologists call “chunking.” For example, in the U.S., we divide our telephone numbers into three groups: a three-digit area code, a threedigit prefix, and a four-digit suffix. This method divides a long 10-digit number into three more easily managed “chunks” of information that our brain has a better time storing for long-term use. By organizing information into smaller, more easily managed chunks, you can better keep track of any new information.
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Sources: “5 Tips To Help With Information Overload,” by John M. Grohol, PSYD http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2006/12/08/grappling-withinformation-overload/ “Calculating Information Overload,” by Jonathan Spira and David Goldes http://www.basexblog.com/category/analysts/page/28/
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achieving professional excellence
Congratulations Managers
It is with pride that we recognize managers who have taken the next step in their professional career by pursuing advanced educational opportunities. Congratulations to our newest Certified Community Association Manager (CCAM) and Specialty Certificate recipients for the fourth quarter of 2012.
New CCAMs Kari Altice, CCAM Anjannette Baca, CCAM Pamela Bledsoe, CCAM Christine Borland, CCAM Nancy A. Brians, CCAM Kristine L. Caldwell, CCAM Gina M. Catalano, CCAM Jason Cotton, CCAM Matthew Gregory Demar, CCAM Monique Douglas, CCAM Alexa A. Downton, CCAM Melissa Durrell, CCAM Yolanda K. Faile, CCAM Shayne Frye, CCAM Jessie L. Gruver, CCAM Alejandro Haiek, CCAM Francesca J. Holmbo, CCAM Bradley Huff, CCAM
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Barbara J. Ingle, CCAM Kathy V. Kelley, CCAM Greg Knowles, CCAM Kevin Lehman, CCAM Timothy Lett, CCAM Sasoon Mananian, CCAM Linda Martinez, CCAM Meir Munitz, CCAM Greg Novak, CCAM Darlene F. Pedro, CCAM Candice Sanabria-Harrigan, CCAM Paul Seate, CCAM Katherine Stockbridge, CCAM Adrian M.Y. Tabatabaie, CCAM Scott Walker, CCAM
Portfolio Specialty Certificate Devin Langley, CCAM
Large Scale Specialty Certificate Carra S. Clampitt, CCAM Daniel Goodrich, CCAM Joan Liberty, CCAM Ronnie Rosen, CCAM Edward E. Simpkins, CCAM John Stewart, CCAM
High Rise Specialty Certificate Nicholas Brennan, CCAM Marla Brower Hemmel, CCAM Dean Jackson, CCAM Bruce Ratliff, CCAM Diana L. Wright, CCAM Zayra Yves, CCAM
CACM Certification Programs Want to enhance your career and display a competitive edge? CACM offers three credentialing programs for community managers: the Certified Community Association Manager (CCAM) certification, Specialty Certificate Programs, and the Master of Community Association Management (MCAM) certification. Learn more about these programs at www.cacm.org.
Continued on page 24
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Warning: System Upgrade Required Preparing to re-boot and manage changes to the Davis-Stirling Act By Clint McClure, CCAM 24
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Let’s Get Specific details for one may not meet the ellow managers: we have As community managers, it’s needs required by another. Don’t a great deal of change to manage important for us to realize our panic; plan ahead and recommend with the upcoming modifications professional role and know when your board approve contacting to the Davis-Stirling Common expert legal advice is required. your association’s legal professional Interest Development Act. AB It is always best to contact your for direction. 805 restructures the current associations’ legal professionals for Your legal professionals are version of the Davis-Stirling Act, guidance. A big part of your role as a great source for determining while AB 806 updates subsequent a manager is planning, facilitating what will affect the association’s legislation referenced by it. The logistics and executing the day-to-day operations, disclosure changes we are faced with are not association’s needs as directed by requirements, board and simply one or two laws that have the board. Think of this as the first committee meetings, notices, been amended, but are rather part of the update. Identify what agendas and so on. By relying major structural changes to a will affect your workflow and your on the appropriate experts for multitude of code sections, as well boards’ day-to-day needs in the advice, the board can exercise good as additions to the Act. short term, and what changes your business judgment and plan for Much like updating the association is required to make specifics of what your association operating system of a computer in the future. Begin by preparing needs to adjust or change on an that previously had several bandyour legal road map to break the operational level. aid fixes and now needs a complete process down, requirement by overhaul, these revisions can be You Are Not Alone requirement. seen as an update to the DavisNow is the time to absorb For example, the plan from Stirling “operating system.” Most additional information and your legal professional may likely, the last time this “operating recognize that you and your reference section 5310 of AB 805, system” was modified to this scale association have support. Attend which requires your association occurred when the legislation was a credible industry event where to change the name of your authored by prior-Assemblyman you can connect with the extensive annual budget disclosure Lawrence W. “Larry” Stirling and professional network that makes packet to read, “Annual Policy enacted in 1985 by the California up our industry. You are far Statement.” Section 4045 State Legislature. from alone, and there are many of AB 805 describes what This update does not mean management experts like you constitutes “general notice” and you need to digest and fully navigating their way through this the method of delivery. Each comprehend each and every new legislation. community is unique and the modification or amendment and Continued on page 26 be prepared for a final exam at the end of the semester. Conversely, there is no A big part of your role as a “update” button you manager is planning, facilitating can push or file you can download to be fully logistics and executing the prepared in a matter of association’s needs as directed minutes. It won’t be easy, by the board. Think of this as the but here are some ideas to help you prepare for first part of the update. managing the new information.
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Warning: System Upgrade Required Continued from page 25 Attending an annual legal seminar is recommended in California, where we are tasked with staying up-to-date on a plethora of laws governing common interest developments. CACM offers two annual Law Seminars in Southern and Northern California; the 2013 events collectively gathered more than 1,200 community managers. As part of this year’s events, attendees had access to a panel of legal and management professionals who understand community manager issues and provided their opinions for handling the transition (get a re-cap of the 2013 Northern California Law Seminar & Trade Show on pages 34-35). If you missed this year’s CACM Law Seminars, you can access a copy of the 2013 syllabi in the Members Only section at www.cacm.org. Once you log in, visit the Manager Toolkit to find these and other worthwhile tools. Build an Arsenal of Resources
Speaking of worthwhile tools, it’s important to remain confident and know there are resource tools provided by CACM and others that will help you organize this information. Keep these
resources handy and remember to use them frequently. One great tool is the new Davis-Stirling Recodification Table developed by CACM. To access your copy, log in to the Members Only section to download a copy from the Manager Toolkit. If you haven’t used the Manager Toolkit before or it’s been awhile, it may be a worthwhile opportunity to rediscover what resources are available and even print a few to add to your resource arsenal. With any change, it’s important to check to the third degree – meaning find the answer, check that answer, and then check it again to make sure you are correct. Thus, have your websites bookmarked, your attorney memos handy and your seminar booklets on standby. The platinum standard for any professional is knowing when to take the time to check your resources and be correct to the third degree. Now you are ready to tackle the system upgrades coming your way. Managing this information successfully will help you to stay on the top of your professional game! Clint McClure, CCAM, is the owner of MMI-McClure Management Inc. in Carlsbad.
Don’t forget to access helpful tools like the new Davis-Stirling Recodification Table by logging in to the Members Only section at www.cacm.org
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upcoming courses & events
Spring Calendar – Northern California
Date
Course/EVENT
Course/Event Code
Location
MARCH 2013 5 6 13 13 20-21 28
Forum Luncheon FRMEB Forum Breakfast FRMSAC Budgeting FIN300 Advanced Insurance Principles INS300 The Basics of Association Management Series CMM101-CMM102 Human Resource Management LDR400
Concord Sacramento San Bruno San Bruno Walnut Creek Walnut Creek
APRIL 2013 10 Ethics for Community Managers CMM130 North Highlands 10 Advanced Insurance Principles INS300 North Highlands 10-11 California Law Series CMM121-CMM124 Walnut Creek 16 Legislative Forum FRMLEG Sacramento 17 Assessment Collections FIN210 Concord 17 Enhance Your Professional Presence CMM200 Concord 24-26 Portfolio Management SPC430 Walnut Creek
MAY 2013 1-2 The Basics of Association Management Series 8 Reserves - What, Why, How 8 Assessment Collections 16 Fundamentals of Effective Governance 16 Effective Meeting and Election Tools 23 Facilities Management Conference
CMM101-CMM102 North Highlands FIN200 North Highlands FIN210 North Highlands BDA300 Walnut Creek BDA220 Walnut Creek FMCNC Concord
JUNE 2013 4 Attorney Connection Webinar I WEB I Online 5 Budgeting FIN300 Concord 5 Advanced Insurance Principles INS300 Concord 6 Fundamentals of Effective Governance BDA300 North Highlands 6 Effective Meeting and Election Tools BDA220 North Highlands 11 Attorney Connection Webinar II WEB II Online 12 Risk Management in Community Associations INS400 Walnut Creek 12-13 California Law Series CMM121-CMM124 North Highlands 18 Attorney Connection Webinar III WEB III Online 19 Ethics for Community Managers CMM130 Walnut Creek 19 How to Deal with Conflict and Other Communication Challenges CMM220 Walnut Creek 25 Attorney Connection Webinar IV WEB IV Online 27 Interpreting Association Financial Statements FIN220 Walnut Creek
See upcoming Southern California offerings on page 32.
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You Spoke, and We Listened! New 2013 Courses to Meet Your Needs
W
e hear you when you share your education needs, and we’re continuously working on new courses to help you be a hero to your board(s). Some of your most consistently requested learning topics have been developed into brand new courses that are available this year!
CMM220 How to Deal with Conflict and Other Communication Challenges This course weaves best practices for conflict resolution into community management-specific situations that you can relate to, practice with, and apply immediately.
FIN220 Interpreting Association Financial Statements Increase your financial literacy with the documents you present to your board, and build your confidence in teaching your board how to interpret those financials.
FIN320 Strategic Financial Planning
Read more about CACM’s education offerings and access course schedules in our 2013 Professional Development Catalog. Go to www.cacm.org/ what-we-offer/ education/) and peruse the electronic catalog or download and print a hard copy for future reference.
Lead your board out of a reactive and wasteful maintenance spending cycle, and help them improve the association’s financial condition through strategic planning during the reserve funding and budgeting processes.
SPC420 Active Adult Community Management Expand your knowledge and career opportunities by learning about the unique management needs, priorities and challenges of this rapidly growing segment of community management.
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An Expert Community Manager is a Dream Come True By Lori R. Storm, CCAM
You are the treasurer of your association’s HOA and have just received the first draft of the budget for next year. The three largest numbers in that budget are looming in your mind: insurance, landscaping and the management contract. Insurance is insurance – not much to be done about that. Landscaping, well, you get what you pay for. But, what about that management contract? Your manager is pleasant enough, but what does she really do? Maybe the association could get by without her. You set the budget on your nightstand and drift off to sleep.
T
he next thing you know you are at a board meeting. Everyone is sitting around the conference room table. You turn to your fellow board members and say, “Our manager doesn’t do that much. I think we should get rid of her.” Poof. In a puff of smoke she is gone. Hey, that was easy. “Wait a minute,” says the association’s board secretary. “Who’s going to take minutes? Certainly not me.” Just like that, a secretary appears in the chair the manager just occupied. Not bad. Your meeting begins and the secretary is furiously taking notes. One of the board members says, “Can we take this action before us?” Everyone looks at the secretary, who shrugs her shoulders. A puff of smoke and your attorney is standing by. “I am happy to advise you on that matter,” he says. Everyone relaxes and the meeting continues. “Shouldn’t we have financials to review?” you say, and a bookkeeper appears and hands out financial reports to everyone. He explains all the charges and the ins and outs of the report. “You are getting all the invoices and assessments and tracking all of that, right?” asks the president. “You bet,” says the bookkeeper. 30
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But who is verifying that the work being billed for has actually been done? The bookkeeper shrugs and a project manager appears next to him. “I take care of following up with contractors and suppliers to ensure that everything is in order. I will also help you when you need contractor bids.” Great, you think. We’re all covered now. Now the meeting is in full swing and talk turns to delinquencies. “Who is following up with owner delinquencies?” The board turns to the secretary. She says, “I am happy to send out letters. Who do you want to send them to?” The bookkeeper says, “I will give her a list of owners in arrears and a statement of what they owe.” “What should these letters say?” the secretary asks. Everyone looks at the attorney who explains in detail the law regarding delinquencies, the CC&Rs and timelines that need to be followed. “What’s a lien?” the secretary wants to know. The board lets out a collective sigh. Maybe it would be cheaper to have a collection agency take care of this. Poof – a collection agent appears. “I can take on the whole process for you. I will work with your bookkeeper on this.” Great! Now everything is being handled. The Director at Large, who also works on the Rules Committee, starts to complain about owners who are flouting the rules –
trash cans left out, clotheslines on the front porch, noisy parties late at night. Who takes care of this? The secretary says, “I’m happy to write a letter.” Hmm. A woman appears in the crowd that has formed. “I am a compliance officer. I’ll drive through your community and make note of residents out of compliance with the rules. I will send this information to your secretary for letter writing.” “I guess I need to be on staff full time,” says the secretary. “I will need to answer phone calls and emails from owners, direct calls to and from your experts, and call your vendors to help the homeowners. I can do that.” She frowns. “What do we do about after hours and emergency calls?” An arm reaches through the crowd with a business card in its hand. In a moment a man squeezes through. “I run an answering service. I specialize in handling just this sort of thing.” A homeowner shouts from the room, “Hey, what about insurance?” Your insurance agent appears with a smile on his face. “How can I help?” he asks. “Does the painter have adequate worker’s comp insurance?” “Oh,” comes your agent’s reply. “I only handle the association’s insurance. I don’t monitor contractor insurance compliance.” The crowd starts looking at one another, trying to figure out who handles this. Everyone’s gaze finally rests on the project manager. “Wait a minute,” he says. “I check for insurance coverage when I bring a vendor on board, but I don’t know if he is maintaining his insurance coverage long term.” Heads swivel toward the secretary. “Um, I don’t know much about insurance,” she says in a small voice. The crowd is starting to get unruly, talking amongst themselves, arguing about who should be responsible for what. The president pounds his gavel and brings the meeting back to order. “Let’s wrap up this meeting and get this straightened out later.” Everyone nods their heads and quiets down. The board adjourns the meeting and all the experts hand sheets of paper to the secretary. She neatens up the edges of the stack
and hands it to you for approval. “What are these?” you ask. “Invoices from all of us,” comes the unanimous answer. You, the treasurer for the board, start to pale as you look through the stack:
The numbers begin to swim before your eyes, you start to sweat and your vision goes dark. You sit straight up in bed, breathing heavily. It was just a dream. At the next board meeting you rush up to your community manager and give her a big hug. “You are doing a wonderful job,” you say. “Thank you so much!” She looks a bit bewildered and then a smile spreads over her face. “You are welcome.” Lori R. Storm, CCAM, is a community manager with Merit Property Management, ACMF, in Gold River.
CACM’s "In the Boardroom" feature is intended to provide key trends, tips and practical advice for association board members. For easy sharing, you can also access this and other archived articles online at www.cacm.org.
Attorney: $300/hour Bookkeeper: $39/hour Project Manager: $80/hour Full-time secretary: $18/hour Compliance Officer: $25/hour Collection Agent: $40/hour Answering Service: $12/hour
California Association of Community Managers, Inc. www.cacm.org
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upcoming courses & events
Spring Calendar – Southern California
Date
Course/EVENT
Course/Event Code
Location
CMM101-CMM102 LDR500 CMM220 FRMLA CMM101-CMM102 FRMVEN CMM121-CMM124 FRMSD CMM121-CMM124
San Diego Laguna Hills Laguna Hills Culver City Laguna Hills Camarillo Laguna Hills San Diego San Diego
MARCH 2013 6-7 7 7 13 13-14 14 20-21 21 27-28
The Basics of Association Management Series Leadership Values and Ethical Decision Making How to Deal with Conflict and Other Communication Challenges Forum Luncheon The Basics of Association Management Series Forum Luncheon California Law Series Forum Luncheon California Law Series
APRIL 2013 9 Forum Breakfast 10-12 High Rise Community Management 17 Ethics for Community Managers 17 Enhance Your Professional Presence 18 Ethics for Community Managers 18 Reserves - What, Why, How 24 Fundamentals of Effective Governance 24 Effective Meeting and Election Tools 25 Strategic Financial Planning 25 Forum Luncheon
FRMCV Palm Desert SPC400 Laguna Hills CMM130 Laguna Hills CMM200 Laguna Hills CMM130 San Diego FIN200 San Diego BDA300 Laguna Hills BDA220 Laguna Hills FIN320 Laguna Hills FRMOC Costa Mesa
MAY 2013 1 Budgeting 1 Ethics for Community Managers 2 Ethics for Community Managers 2 Enhance Your Professional Presence 8 Interpreting Association Financial Statements 9-10 CEO Business Forum 15 Leadership Values and Ethical Decision Making 15 Reserves - What, Why, How 15-16 The Basics of Association Management Series 16 Fundamentals of Effective Governance 16 Leadership Values and Ethical Decision Making 21 Facilities Management Conference 23 Assessment Collections 23 How to Deal with Conflict and Other Communication Challenges 23 Ethics for Community Managers 23 Reserves - What, Why, How
FIN300 Laguna Hills CMM130 Laguna Hills CMM130 Ontario CMM200 Ontario FIN220 Laguna Hills FRMCEO Pasadena LDR500 Los Angeles FIN200 Los Angeles CMM101-CMM102 Laguna Hills BDA300 Palm Desert LDR500 Palm Desert FMCSC Costa Mesa FIN210 San Diego CMM220 San Diego CMM130 Camarillo FIN200 Camarillo
JUNE 2013 4 Attorney Connection Webinar I WEB I Online 5-6 California Law Series CMM121-124 Laguna Hills 11 Attorney Connection Webinar II WEB II Online 12 Strategic Financial Planning FIN320 Palm Desert 12 Active Adult Community Management SPC420 Laguna Hills 13 Fundamentals of Effective Governance BDA300 San Diego 13 Ethics for Community Managers CMM130 San Diego 13 Advanced Insurance Principles INS300 Laguna Hills 13 Reserves - What, Why, How FIN200 Laguna Hills 17-18 Effective Governance Principles for Community Associations BDA500 Laguna Hills 18 Attorney Connection Webinar III WEB III Online 20 Human Resource Management LDR400 Laguna Hills 25 Attorney Connection Webinar IV WEB IV Online
See upcoming Northern California offerings on page 28. 32
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A FULL SERVICE LAW FIRM Experience you can rely on People you can trust Vision Spring 2013
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The 14th Annual Northern California Law Seminar & Trade Show drew more than 500 community managers for two days of informative sessions, idea sharing and an exhibit hall featuring more than 100 exhibitors. Manager attendees explored new legislation and case law, unique collection methods, dangerous requests made by boards (and how to address them), Davis-Stirling updates and more during the educational sessions. Attendees also had the option to participate in Table Topic sessions; managers visited the table (or tables) of their choice, brainstorming solutions to various topics with other managers and the attorney facilitators. This year’s event also featured the CCAM Oath Ceremony, recognizing managers who recently earned the prestigious CCAM designation; an inspiring keynote session with Eco-Challenge Adventure Racing World Champion and San Diego Firefighter Robyn Benincasa; and the evening Managers’ Reception.
34
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Thank You to Our Sponsors Diamond Sponsor
Managers’ Reception Sponsors A.C. Enterprises Allied Trustee Services ATC Assessment Collection Group B. Taylor Painting Berding|Weil
Sapphire Sponsor
Cagwin & Dorward Landscape Contractors First Bank Flynn Williams Riley LLP General Construction Services
1st Place Booth
Hughes Gill Cochrane, PC M.L. Nielsen Construction, Inc. The Miller Law Firm
Platinum Sponsor
Prestige Protection Pro Solutions Restoration Management Company Richard Avelar & Associates Roofworks & Construction, Inc. ServiceMaster Restoration Services
Gold Sponsor
Statcomm Inc. SwedelsonGottlieb ThyssenKrupp Elevator
2nd Place Booth
Continental Breakfast Sponsors A.S.A.P. Collection Services M.L. Nielsen Construction, Inc. Serpico Landscaping, Inc. Whit’s Painting Exhibit Hall Luncheon Sponsors THURSDAY A-1 Roof Management & Construction, Inc. M.L. Nielsen Construction, Inc. R.E. Brooker Co., Inc. FRIDAY
3rd Place Booth
A-1 Roof Management & Construction, Inc. Kelly-Moore Paint Co., Inc.
Honorable Mention
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Help Us Help You BY BRIAN KALMENSON, CCAM
36
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While service providers can’t create board packets or conduct violation walks, what they can do is serve as the manager’s and community’s experts. Recently I attended a board meeting for one of my clients that turned out to be quite the eye-opening experience. As I listened to the homeowner forum that preceded my item on the agenda, I was amazed at the expectations demanded of the community’s general manager. In no particular order, it was at various times requested that the manager be nothing short of an expert on matters of plumbing, building engineering, geotechnical soil conditions analysis and insurance. Many reading this might be thinking, “This sounds like every meeting I’ve been to this year!” On behalf of all service providers, help us help you. While service providers can’t create board packets or conduct violation walks, what they can do is serve as the manager’s and community’s experts and lighten the managerial load where possible. Here are a few ideas of how we may be able to help you: • Attending Meetings: While adding a service provider to the meeting agenda can potentially add length to meetings, it allows for any and all questions to be thoroughly discussed specific to that service provider’s expertise within the community. Often times, managers serve as facilitators of information between the board/ community and the service provider. Direct dialogue allows for seamless communication that doesn’t resemble a game of Operator. • Newsletter Articles: Many communities distribute newsletters to the membership on a monthly, bimonthly or quarterly basis. If the community has recently started, finished, or is in the process of a common area project, the contracted service provider would probably jump at the chance to write an article on the project for the newsletter. While there is no shortage of seasonal articles that can be included in a community newsletter, it’s always nice having communityspecific content to keep the membership apprised of how the association is working to continually improve the community. Continued on page 38
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Help Us Help You Continued from page 37 • Keeping up with the Joneses: The tasks of coming up with ways to increase efficiencies and decrease costs often falls on the manager’s shoulders. For communities looking for innovative ways to reduce costs while maintaining high levels of service in specific areas, who better to start with than your contracted service providers? • Forming Best Practices/Guidelines: Often a community will create what appears to be “common sense” rules or guidelines, only to realize after the fact that there are unexpected and unintended consequences. For many of the common rules or guidelines implemented within communities (security, life safety, insurance requirements, landscaping guidelines, etc.), it’s likely that a service provider can present practical guidelines for the association’s review and consideration. This will not only save time for the association, but more importantly will provide a more knowledgeable starting point for discussions. While the list above is by no means exhaustive, hopefully it sheds light on some of the top ways service providers can be utilized outside of their contracted duties. There is no shortage of ways that service providers can provide stress relief for managers; it’s just about finding what works best for each individual partnership.
Brian A. Kalmenson, CCAM is a Commercial Insurance Specialist with the Michael Abdou Insurance Agency in San Diego.
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maintaining high standards
New Manager & Management Firm Council Members
CACM members further their success in the industry and benefit by partnering with colleagues to share new ideas and best practices. Please join us in welcoming these new members from the fourth quarter of 2012!
Manager Members Scott E. Adam Elvia M. Arellano Kizzy Bell Kayleigh M. Bodan Matthew Brecht Amy K. Dankel Randy S. Davidoff Stacie R. Davis John A. Dehaseth Cecilia M. Deheras Brandy Eatmon Nicole Farnum Carmel A. Finnerty
Leo G. Gonzalez
Betty Morris
Management Firm Council Members
Selina L. Guillermo
Lyle Ohm
Stratus Management
Kelli Gurski
Jenny O'Neil
Michael Harrington
Lori Michelle Pillatzke
San Diego | (619) 233-0553 sue@stratusmanagement.com
Shannon Holloway
Chiquita Redmond
Charise Johnson
Justin Sacoolas
Tara T. Jolley
Zach Sanfield
Joshua R. Kroeker
Susan Schwartz
Kenneth G. Lanza
Jessica M. Senske
Karen Manahan-Gauvin
Linda C. Shifflett
Bill McAdams
Kelli M. Smith
Tyler McBroom
Randall Starrett
Ann M. Miller
Rob N. Tritz
Jesse Moreno
Nancy Villarreal
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AFFILIATE
A Cancer Survivor Who Welcomed the Chance to Shift His Life Focus Alex Terzich, 24 Hour Restoration CACM Affiliate Member since 2009
Left: Alex and his wife Bernadette.
By Emily Stegman
Do you know a CACM Affiliate Member who has an inspiring story to tell? CACM is accepting nominations for our quarterly Member Spotlight, which is also featured in the Members Only section at www.cacm.org. Log in to learn more and access nomination forms. 40
Vision Spring 2013
The growth of 24 Hour Restoration since its beginnings in 2006 has been remarkable. What started as a new business venture between two high school friends has now grown into a staff of 34 full-time employees addressing a wide variety of emergency maintenance issues – water damage, mold remediation, fire damage, etc. – and the occasional community-wide painting, wood replacement and decking project. President and CEO Alex Terzich says he and co-founder Bobby Ameen credit 24 Hour Restoration’s success to its dedication to customer service. “We really do ‘take the bull by the horns,’ and tackle a project from start to finish,” says Terzich of his staff. “We are really focused on customer service, and customer feedback is really important to us.” Together, Terzich and Ameen have a great partnership and a successful management philosophy. Not only are they intimately involved in all aspects of the company’s operation (from supervising crews on site, to inspecting work trucks and answering late night service calls), but they also make it a point to promote an open, family like environment in the office and spend plenty of face-to-face time with their employees. Yet, despite realizing his long-time goal of owning and operating his own business, Terzich admits there came a time when he was dissatisfied with the way his life was going. “I was so focused on work and business, and I was starting to put that before my faith – and that was eating me up inside,” he says. Terzich says he prayed for a big change in his life; “I asked for God to break me in some way.” Not more than two months later, in May 2010, Terzich was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a cancer that starts inside the bone marrow and grows from cells that would normally turn into white blood cells. He believes it was an answered prayer that forced him to slow down and reevaluate life and his priorities. “I honestly thought I was going to die. But, I had hope for what was to come, and I knew I had so much to gain, whether in this life or the next,” he says.
After six months of “Alex has been extremely intensive chemotherapy inspirational, and I have treatment, Terzich witnessed firsthand his was declared cancer strength, unfailing sincerity, free and, with minimal unselfishness, and of course physical effects from the his positive attitude,” says treatment, he says he felt Perlof. “He has had his fair as though nothing could share of challenges, and yet stop him. His feelings of he continues to persevere invincibleness were short and overcome with a lived, as four months later, smile.” Terzich (center) with 24 Hour Restoration’s Director of Marketing, Mike Perlof (left), and in March 2011, a routine co-founder Bobby Ameen (right). check-up determined Terzich is not shy about Terzich’s cancer had sharing his positive outlook returned and this time he on life with anyone he would need a bone marrow transplant. “My pride quickly meets. He and his wife participate in a ministry for other turned to humility,” he says. married couples, and he still visits the nurses at City of Hope, where he received treatment. While he’s there, he Against great odds, Terzich’s sister was found to be a also takes the time to talk with patients going through the perfect bone marrow match. “I then knew there was hope. same emotions he once was. It gave me the spirit to fight on,” he says. And, fight he did. After the transplant and three months of aggressive “I’m willing to share anything I’ve been through,” Terzich chemotherapy and radiation treatment that nearly took his says. “It’s fun and exciting for me to be able to do that. life, Terzich received a clean bill of health from his doctors There is satisfaction in being able to serve someone.” and is once again content with his life’s direction. “It was the best thing that ever happened to me,” he says. “It turned my life around, and my priorities have shifted to where God is first, then family, then work. Before, I was opposite of that.” Throughout his diagnosis and treatment, Terzich says he was overwhelmed by the amount of people who were there for him and who expressed how much they cared about him. He says his wife Bernadette, whom he met when she was working in the community management industry, stood by him from the first diagnosis in May 2010. The couple was engaged in October 2011 and married on May 19, 2012. “I’m thankful to be alive, and to be newly married,” says Terzich, who says he and his wife look forward to starting a family in the near future. Terzich says co-founder Ameen also stepped up to the plate and kept their business running despite his absence, and the company was still able to experience growth during Terzich’s treatment. Mike Perlof, 24 Hour Restoration’s Director of Marketing, credits Terzich with teaching him many important professional and life lessons, including “to get respect, give respect,” “never stop learning,” “nothing is impossible,” and “anything worth having is worth working for.”
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9 e m a G e In Th Presenting the board with organized information is a game changer
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By Kevin Lehman, CCAM
coach once told me, “The difference between being good and achieving greatness is knowing the Xs and Os, and also understanding all the Ys.” In keeping with the sports theme, as community managers we fulfill a coach-type role, providing our boards of directors (our quarterbacks) with the best options for their association, which are fueled by information from expert service providers (our receivers). Our game plan should be not only to provide our boards of directors with great options for their community, but also to explain the benefits of each option. Thus, a community manager’s job is not to be proficient in everything, but to be an expert in managing. And a great deal of that expertise is related to managing information. How does this play out when sharing information with your board? At the first meeting with a new board, I talk with them about expectations. Undoubtedly one board member will ask my opinion on a specific issue and my response is, “Although I am knowledgeable on this issue, the association utilizes a variety of service providers that have expertise in that particular field.” As managers, we need to trust our sources to provide us with information, review and understand that information, organize it so it’s readily available, and finally present the information to the board of directors so they can make informed decisions. Service Providers: “All-Star” Sources of Information
Community managers are bombarded with an abundance of information. A primary task of any community manager is funneling information down to trusted sources. Building trust with the companies that work with your community should start at
the beginning, meaning you should sit down with any company you are considering hiring to learn more about their history and how they do business. How long has the company been in business? Do they specialize in association management, or is this their first HOA? What credentials does the company and/or the individual service provider have? (Hint: Consider hiring a CACM affiliate member for your service needs. They are generally well versed in association work and are eager to help you succeed. Start by searching in the online Affiliate E-Marketplace at www.cacm.org.) Gather and present all of the information you find to the board of directors, which will allow them to become comfortable with both your ability to bring qualified experts to their community and with the companies themselves. Ultimately your community is in trouble if you don’t trust that the companies you’re hiring are experts in their fields and will do a great job. I know we are all busy creating board packets, running meetings, writing minutes and following up on those enforcement issues, but talking with each company and creating both a short-term and long-term goal for each community is invaluable. As an example, after I sat down with the roofing company for one of my communities, I was able to provide the board of directors with a more complete picture of their roofs. The roofing company provided two maps of the association. The first map showed all the roof repairs within the last five years, and the second map outlined the completed reroofs, along with the cost for the remaining roofs. The benefit of this new information was that it provided the board of directors another option. They could either repair the roofs like they had been doing in the past, or they could completely replace them to reduce Continued on page 44
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Get Your Head in the Game Continued from page 43
walks with all the companies at one time. When was the last the recurring repair costs. Additionally, on the community’s new time you received apples-to-apples tree trimming proposals from roof map, the board of directors noticed that a particular roof was multiple companies without a site walk? Understandably, the repaired four times within the last five years and that replacing the opinion of how often a tree needs to be trimmed may vary slightly roof would have been less expensive. The board of directors was between arborists. In order to be fair to both the companies and the board of directors, the proposals should be as uniform as possible. able to alter their preconceived mindset that repairing was the least One of the easiest ways to win over that tough board member is expensive option. If a board is only provided with option A, they may never think inviting them on a four-hour tree trimming walk and let them see all the information that gets funneled down to become a proposal. about the hidden option B, and both options should be presented to them at one time. Since implementing this procedure, this Another benefit of inviting the board member to a job walk is that particular community’s roof repair costs are down more than 50%, he or she will have more of an appreciation for the knowledge of and it’s all thanks to requesting the proper information. The success the experts, which leads to more confident decisions by the board of every association is in the specifics and, by spending a few of directors. minutes talking with the expert, I assisted the board of directors in Ensure that you have enough time to analyze proposals redirecting their fiscal future. before the board meeting and request adjustments to meet your community’s goals. By spending a few minutes to clarify the “Ys” Play the Field for Proposals of each proposal, you will impress the board of directors with your attention to detail – but, most importantly, the community For large scale projects that are going out to bid, set up job benefits because the board will receive more complete information. There is more to every proposal than the company name and the price, so highlight that information to the board of directors. Also keep in mind that no two All the information in the world can’t help you if it’s not readily proposals are the same. Not all board available and usable. Once I receive my trusted proposal or document, members will open up their packets a the next step is to organize the information. If you haven’t committed week in advance and spend as much time to saving your documents electronically, start now. It is a lot easier to analyzing the details as we do. If we only pull up an electronic copy of year three of a three-year tree trimming present the price for the proposals, then plan than it is to search for the document in storage. the board of directors most likely will only We have all been to meetings where we misplaced a document. At use that source of information. Highlight the end of each day, take 10 minutes to clear off your desk and place the warranty, scope of work and any everything where it belongs. Ten minutes of organization could save other element that the board takes into you an hour of searching down the road and also provide a clear mind consideration. to analyze the documents in more detail. One of my boards prefers to work with only local qualified companies. With this key information, I provide them with three quality bids from local companies. I started highlighting the location of the company, warranties/scope of work and finally price. This one action created a more productive environment that enabled the board of directors to act more decisively and work in a positive direction. Sometimes talking with the experts over the phone is inadequate, so it may be beneficial to have the companies clarify for themselves.
Have Your Game Book in Hand
Pull From the Bench
Invite the experts to the board meeting to explain the information directly to the 44
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board of directors. One document I pay particular attention to is the reserve study. Although I am comfortable with reserve studies, I like to invite the reserve specialist to a board meeting at least once every three years. How many meetings have you attended where a board member is fighting to add one more year of remaining life for a specific component? Inviting the reserve study company to attend the board meeting highlights the work behind the document and supports a more educated response to any question. It is great to have the company attend a meeting when there are certain components at low remaining life because the board of directors can hear the reasoning firsthand. Ultimately the expert is always the best source to get clarification on anything. At this point in the game, we are all in the pros, but what separates the all-stars is the details and how those specifics are highlighted for the board of directors. Take just a few minutes each day to open up communication with the experts, organize and analyze the information, and outline those details for the board of directors.
Kevin Lehman, CCAM, is a community manager with Euclid Management Company in Upland.
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serving your communities
New Affiliate Members
CACM members further their success in the industry and benefit by partnering with colleagues to share new ideas and best practices. Please join us in welcoming these new members from the fourth quarter of 2012!
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Action Duct Cleaning Company Altadena (626) 791-7870 www.actionduct.com
Green Bryant & French, LLP San Diego (619) 239-7900 www.gbflawyers.com
NFP D|A Financial Lafayette (925) 297-6138 www.nfp.com/dafg
SSD Systems Anaheim (800) 888-0444 www.ssdsystems.com
Allan B. Needham Insurance Carlsbad (760) 967-9595 bneedham@farmersagent.com
Heritage Paving Escondido (877) 970-7283 heritagepaving.us@gmail.com
PayLease, Inc. San Diego (858) 500-4940 www.paylease.com
Streamline Building Corporation Lakewood (714) 369-8265 www.streamlinebuildcorp.com
Archon Protection, Inc. Oxnard (805) 267-9010 www.archonprotection.com
HOA Painting-Services San Jacinto (951) 345-9232 www.hoapainting-services.com
Pilera Software Nashua (603) 782-0148 www.pilera.com
Universe Painting, Inc. Berkeley (510) 710-4689 www.universepainting.com
Atlas Pools, Inc. Laguna Niguel (949) 348-2300 www.atlaspoolsinc.com
Kevin Hennessy Insurance Services Walnut Creek (925) 944-3588 www.farmersagent.com/khennessy
Pratt & Associates San Jose (408) 369-0800 www.prattattorneys.com
White Van Real Estate Services, L.P. Irvine (951) 837-1025 www.whitevanres.com
Danmeier Architects Novato (415) 893-1650 www.danmeierarchitects.com
Mariposa Landscapes, Inc. Irwindale (623) 764-1488 www.mariposa-ca.com
SMA Reserves San Jose (408) 644-2672 www.smareserves.com
First Alert Aurora (630) 851-7330 www.firstalert.com
Netafim USA Fresno (559) 453-6800 www.netafimusa.com
South Coast Paving Costa Mesa (949) 642-4150 www.southcoastpaving.com
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manager
An Executive with Balance, Business Sense and a Philanthropic Mind Lisa Dale, CCAM, Seabreeze Management Company CACM Manager Member since 1991 By Emily Stegman
L
isa Dale, CCAM, is a community management executive by trade and a dedicated philanthropist for life. “From my earliest memory as a child, I just knew that helping others was so important – it just comes naturally,” says Dale. “I think when your passion for something is so true, it is infectious.” As the founder and CEO of Seabreeze Management Company, Inc., Dale’s passion for her career and the community management industry has been apparent for the past 25 years. In that time, her Aliso Viejo-based company (which was also a founding member of CACM) has grown from serving three community associations to now representing more than 100 associations throughout Southern California. “I think one of the keys to our success is that we have grown slowly and steadily over the years, since our new business has always come from word of mouth,” Dale says of Seabreeze. “That has given us time to stop and make adjustments to our operations and corporate structure as we go.” Equal to her entrepreneurial spirit is Dale’s drive to give back to her community. She served on the board of the Mission Hospital Foundation for nine years and, when the hospital became a nonprofit organization, Dale founded an annual fundraising gala to raise much needed funds for the facility. This gala, which raises $1 million annually, is integral to Mission Hospital’s ability to serve the health needs of the community. “I am so proud of the fact that this event raises more than $1 million each year that everyone who comes through the doors of Mission can benefit from,” Dale says. Dale represented Seabreeze Management Company as the title sponsor of Mission Hospital’s 16th Annual Valiant Women Luncheon in 2012.
As an avid supporter of the U.S. military, Dale is also an active volunteer with Operation Help a Hero. This organization supports our troops in many ways, including assembling care packages for soldiers overseas, cleaning and decorating Continued on page 48 Vision Spring 2013
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Manager Member Spotlight Continued from page 47
soldiers’ barracks, hosting baby showers for expectant moms whose husbands are deployed, and adopting families who are nominated by fellow soldiers during the holidays. “I often ponder what makes it so easy for our service members to sacrifice so much, including their lives, so we can have the privilege to live the way we do and enjoy the freedoms we have,” Dale says. “You would be stunned and saddened to learn of some of the very basic comforts our soldiers go without.”
Dale (second from right) received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Remarkable Women Awards Dinner, hosted by the National Association of Women Business Owners-Orange County, in October 2012. Also pictured (from left): Loreen Gilbert (President of NAWBO-OC), Laurie Rowen (Montage Legal Group, Entrepreneur to Watch Award), Jerri Rosen (Working Wardrobes, Philanthropic Champion Award), and Christine Walker (VP, Farmers & Merchants Bank).
Dale also inspires her staff members to participate in charitable causes. Seabreeze has been involved with Mission Hospital’s Valiant Women Luncheon for several years. In 2012, Seabreeze served as the Presenting Sponsor for this event, which supports nursing scholarships and women’s health issues. In addition, Dale and her team have volunteered their time to help build homes with Habitat for Humanity and collectively raised tens of thousands of dollars to help fight breast cancer by participating in the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Race for the Cure. “At the end of the day, I am out to make a difference in the lives of others – whether that be by the fact that our staff can assist them with their home or that their lives are better as a result of our raising money or awareness that will touch them in the moment when they need it most,” she says. Due to her professional success and many charitable contributions, in October 2012 Dale was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 17th Annual NAWBO-OC (National Association of Women Business Owners-Orange County) Remarkable Women Awards. The Remarkable Women Awards Dinner is NAWBO-OC’s signature event that recognizes local businesswomen, women business owners, and women entrepreneurs who have dared to step out, follow their dreams, and inspire others by their commitment to what is possible. Honorees are selected through a rigorous nomination and review process.
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Do you know a CACM Manager Member who has an inspiring story to tell? CACM is accepting nominations for our quarterly Member Spotlight, which is also featured in the Members Only section at www.cacm.org. Log in to learn more and access nomination forms.
Dale describes the experience of being honored with this award as humbling, thought-provoking, gratifying and overwhelming. “Although this award was given to me, it is not without the great people I share my life with, both professionally and personally, that this could have happened and made it such a great journey,” she says. Aubry Morales, Social Media, Marketing and PR Coordinator for Seabreeze, believes Dale’s recognition is well deserved. “I believe other industry members can not only learn from Lisa’s business experiences and successes, but also from her kind heart and passion to give back to those around her,” Morales says. “She inspires young women like me to be fearless in following your passions and working hard for your achievements.” As a strong female leader in the community management industry, Dale is equally committed to her family as she is to her work and charitable causes, and she recognizes the challenges many women may face when attempting a healthy work/life balance. “This topic of ‘having it all’ is again raging in the media,” Dale says. “I think we are way too hard on ourselves to achieve perfection in every aspect of our lives. Being present to enjoy what we do have, doing what we can well and accepting there are some things that just aren’t going to happen when, how or where we would like – in both work and home – should be having it all.”
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CACM’s 2013 Board of Directors In 2013, CACM welcomes one newly elected board member, Carra Clampitt, CCAM. In addition, four board members were re-elected for another three-year term: Lisa Esposito, CCAM; Dan Kocal, CCAM; Sharon Topping, CCAM; and Mary Walker, CCAM. Congratulations to the election winners, and thank you to all members who participated in the election.
Chair Melinda Young, CCAM, PCAM Walters Management, ACMF myoung@waltersmanagement.com
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Vice Chair Mary Walker, CCAM Associa – Desert Resort Management/ Rancho La Quinta Master Association mwalker@drminternet.com
Secretary René Decker, CCAM PowerStone Property Management rdecker@powerstonepm.com
Carra Clampitt Eugene Burger Management Corp. carraclampitt@ebmc.com
Kathryn Henricksen, CCAM Merit Property Management, Inc., ACMF khenricksen@meritpm.com
Bruce Ratliff, CCAM Action Property Management, Inc., ACMF bratliff@actionlife.com
Doug Christison, CCAM, PCAM Christison Company dchristison@christisoncompany.com
Diane Houston, CCAM The Management Trust - Transpacific, ACMF diane.houston@managementtrust.com
William Stewart, CCAM, PCAM Santaluz Maintenance Association bstewart@meritpm.com
Jacqueline Dynes, CCAM DyneNamic CID Management dyneamiccidmgmt@aol.com
Sandy Huseby, CCAM, PCAM Crummack Huseby, Inc. sandy@ch-pm.com
Lisa Esposito, CCAM lisae250@gmail.com
Dan Kocal, CCAM The Management Trust - Kocal Division, ACMF dan.kocal@managementtrust.com
PAST Chair Gordon T. Goetz, CCAM The Management Trust – Goetz Manderley gordon.goetz@managementtrust.com
Cherié McColley, CCAM CM Consulting cheriemccolley@cox.net
Vision Spring 2013
Sharon Topping, CCAM Merit Property Management, Inc., ACMF stopping@meritpm.com
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HOA Living 1
Sharing information with new association
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Vision Spring 2013
ou might think that as a seasoned community association manager I’ve learned it all. Not a chance. This ever-evolving industry continues to educate and challenge me with every new year. Not a week, and more accurately, not a day goes by that I’m not learning something new. Becoming a new owner in a community association is equally educational. Purchasing in an association should not only include the escrow process, but also classes in HOA Living 101! Not only do managers have the challenge of familiarizing themselves with the uniqueness of each association’s governing documents, but new owners also have the responsibility of acquainting themselves with all of these documents – often a stack of several inches of paperwork – and being prepared to comply with all of them. Huge! Most escrows pass through the management company with a request for “HOA Docs,” which includes the Articles, Bylaws, CC&Rs, Rules, Policies, etc. and/or notification of a new owner. This is the ideal time to encourage the new owner to contact the management company for a brief summary of these items specific to their association and/or direct them to a website where details are provided. While we live in the electronic age and prefer the easy option of referring owners to a site where they can read for themselves, a good ol’ fashioned telephone chat can go a very long way in helping educate new owners and dramatically reducing future fallout – which is often the direct result of uninformed owners. Alternatively, a management company may opt to provide monthly HOA 101 classes, perhaps during the lunch hour, to inform and educate new or existing owners. Often, business associates are very agreeable to assisting with this option. I’ve gathered five basic questions and answers a new owner should review. Sharing this information with your new owners is ideally part of the standard operating procedure during the escrow process.
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n members By Brian Blackwell, CCAM
What are Articles of Incorporation? Articles of Incorporation identify the corporation as an association formed to manage a common interest development as well as: • State the business or corporate office of the association • State the name and address of the association's managing agent, if any What are Bylaws? The Bylaws establish policies and procedures for the governing of an association and set qualifications for the election of directors, including: • Number and term of office • Powers and duties • Appointment of officers • When and how meetings are held • Quorum and voting requirements • Appointment of committees, etc. Continued on page 54
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HOA Living 101 Continued from page 53 What are CC&Rs? The Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions ("Declaration" or "CC&Rs") describes the rights and obligations of the membership to the association and the association to the membership. CC&Rs generally cover the following: • Restrictions on the use of property • Member and association maintenance duties • Enforcement powers • Lender protection provisions • Assessments obligations • Lien/collection rights • Duty to insure • Dispute resolution and attorneys' fees provisions CC&Rs are like California's constitution – only voters can amend the State's constitution and only members can amend the CC&Rs. What are Rules? Just as legislators in Sacramento pass laws consistent with the constitution, boards may adopt rules consistent with the CC&Rs. An association's rules and regulations typically cover, but are certainly not limited to: • Pets • Parking • Signs • Nuisances • Use of recreational facilities, etc. Rules are intended to complement the CC&Rs, not contradict them. What are Policies & Procedures? Policies and procedures are an excellent way to educate and inform owners on the necessary steps for some of the following procedures: • Architectural process • Satellite dish installation • Plumbing/water issues, etc. For example, in the event of water intrusion (a very stressful situation) owners can easily reference the plumbing policy and follow the user friendly instructions for shutting off water, contacting their insurance agent, etc. While these five frequently asked questions are important, they really only scratch the surface of an extensive educational process. For more ideas, I encourage you to log in to the Members Only section at www.cacm.org and complete the sign-in process for the new Discussion Groups, where you can pose a question to your colleagues. Ask a question, make a comment or start your own thread if you are seeking solutions to a pressing challenge. The Discussion Groups are designed for you to share ideas and challenges with your professional colleagues. Brian Blackwell, CCAM, is the CEO of West Coast Management Firm, Inc. in San Diego. 54
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show your support
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Thank you to our 2012 fourth quarter sponsors for their generous contributions. The next time you encounter a CACM sponsor, please join us in acknowledging the work and generosity of these supportive members. 1 Stop Pool Pros, Inc.
Fontaine Weatherproofing, Inc.
A#1 Emergency Service
Harle, Janics & Kannen
Accurate Termite & Pest Control
Harvest Landscape Enterprise
Advanced Painting & Wood Repair
LaBarre/Oksnee Insurance
American Asphalt Repair & Resurfacing Co., Inc.
Landsystems
American Geotechnical, Inc. AMS Paving, Inc. Angelo Termite & Construction Arborwell Artistic Maintenance, Inc. ARW - Antis Roofing & Waterproofing, Inc.
Nelson Paving & Sealing
Jack Brandt AMS
VP/Regional Account Executive 805.907.8452 Toll Free 866.800.4656, ext. 7500
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Brendan Concannon
Regional Account Executive 619.961.6346 Toll Free 866.800.4656, ext. 7480 brendan.concannon@mutualofomahabank.com
Member FDIC • Equal Housing Lender
Peters & Freedman, LLP AFN45403_0213
Equal Housing Len
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PrimeCo Painting and Construction Professional Services Construction, Inc.
Bay Alarm Company
ProTec Building Services
Berding|Weil
Reconstruction Experts, Inc.
Black Diamond Paving, Inc.
Restoration Management Company
CertaPro Painters, Ltd.
Lisa Ann Rea
PCW Contracting Services
AV Builder Corp
California Waters
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Payne Pest Management
Prendiville Insurance Agency
Boyd & Associates
Your Community Association Loan toolkit includes: • Competitive interest rates • Flexible payment plans • Innovative loan structures • Fixed rate loans • Non-revolving lines of credit
Painting Unlimited, Inc.
Associated Engineering Consultants, Inc.
Borg Fence
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P.W. Stephens Environmental, Inc.
Precision Concrete Cutting
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O'Connell Landscape Maintenance
ASR Construction
ATC Assessment Collection Group
Community Association Loans
Roofworks & Construction, Inc. S.B.S. Lien Services Scott English Plumbing, Inc. Seacoast Commerce Bank
City National Bank
Securitas Security Services USA, Inc.
Collins Builders, Inc.
Silldorf & Levine, LLP
Community Legal Advisors Inc.
Sky Security Services
Cresta Verde Landscape
So Cal Builders Services
Dan's Landscape Service, Inc.
Statcomm Inc.
DryMaster
The Perry Law Firm
Fenceworks, Inc.
Three Phase Electric, Inc.
Fiore Racobs & Powers, APLC
ThyssenKrupp Elevator
First Bank
Unlimited Property Services, Inc.
Firstline Security Systems, Inc.
Varsity Painting
Flynn Williams Riley LLP
Western Gardens Landscaping, Inc. Vision Spring 2013
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t s i l k ts c e h A C hecklis of C ean By D
J
on, acks
M
CCA
There is so much information on my desk that I’m in danger of being buried! Fire pump test, paving schedule, do those minutes, clean those carpets, and write that letter … Keeping track of all of the things I have to do is making me a little loopy. Not to mention the fact that, as I write this I’m smack in the middle of the holiday shopping season (i.e., gifts for my wife, spoil my niece, don’t forget Mom). My desk is quickly becoming a fire hazard, and more things just keep getting added to the list. Making a list and checking it twice, Bah Humbug!!! One of my bright ideas this year (and in years past) was to organize my life with a checklist. The problem is, one checklist became two, two became four (they multiply!), and now I need a checklist to keep track of my checklists. It would look something like this: To-Do List: It’s a sad state of affairs when one of the items on my To-Do List is to make more lists. Priority List: As if the To-Do List wasn’t enough, I find that I have to prioritize the items on that list, the first one being get lots of coffee. Disclosure List: There is so much interesting reading that goes into the budget package, why not make a list? Site Review: Do people, pets, plants and parking all require a list? I’ll add it to my To-Do List and find out. Violation List: Are the ne’er-do-wells behaving? How has their misbehavior resulted in yet another list? Contract Renewal List: Stapled neatly to the contract list. I could combine them, but where’s the fun in that?
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List of Mixed Cocktails to Try Before I Die: Just kind of thinking out loud here … The Naughty List and the Nice List: Useful if you wear a red suit and drive a sleigh. Also useful if you may need to levy a fine in the near future (see violation list). Corporate Calendar: Since I have nothing better to do, I’ll take my To-Do List and extend it out for a year, month by month. Upcoming Reserve Project List: Let’s see what projects are coming up for the next four or five years. Let’s put them in a list. Lather, rinse, repeat. Employee Evaluation List: The employee who keeps track of my lists gets the biggest raise. List of CD Maturity Schedules: Because nothing says excitement like CDs. Drug Interaction List: Sorry, that one was for me … Vendor List: I could combine this one with the contract list too, and then add it to my holiday card list.
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It has become a full-time job just organizing my methods of organization. Maybe I’ll get a tablet computer to help. I’ll add that to my shopping list, or maybe the list I send to Santa.
Dean Jackson, CCAM, is the General Manager at Pacific Park Plaza HOA in Emeryville.
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Member News With thousands of members spread out across California, CACM was looking for a way to keep in touch with all of our members’ latest happenings.
T
he Member News page is CACM’s new online bulletin board designed to feature our members’ most recent news, both personal and professional. Select stories will also be featured in Vision magazine. Here are a few of our first submissions:
December 2012 CitiScape Managers Earn National Recognition CitiScape Property Management Group, LLC, a CACM Management Firm Council member based in San Francisco, is pleased to announce two of its employees have been recognized in the new “Manager of the Year” contest. Given their incredible work and dedication, it is no surprise to the CitiScape team that CACM members Davina Poole, CCAM, and Nick Berg were both ranked among the top managers in the U.S. “Manager of the Year” is a new national contest for portfolio and on-site managers of association-governed communities. The purpose of the contest, which is sponsored by Association Reserves, Inc. and other industry experts, is to inspire excellence and professionalism by recognizing and rewarding the best managers in the nation. Poole was among the top 50 on-site managers, and Berg was listed among the top 50 portfolio managers.
November 2012 Seabreeze Staff Volunteers With Rebuilding Together Seabreeze Management Company, Inc., a CACM Management Firm Council member, participated in a Habitat for Humanity "Build Day" on November 2, 2012. A total of 15 staff members from this Aliso Viejobased community management company spent eight hours volunteering to help build homes located in one of Habitat OC’s neighborhoods in Santa Ana. In addition to contributing their time, Seabreeze Management donated $2,500 to the organization. The Seabreeze team members were excited to have an opportunity to experience the work that goes into building a home for families in the community.
Have some of your own news to share? We are currently seeking submissions for the Member News page, whether it be a recent award, a promotion or new hire, a marriage, or even a birth. If you have some exciting news to share on our online Member News board, send it our way. Submissions should be: • 150 words or less • Written in paragraph form • New information (no duplicate submissions or re-post requests, please) • If applicable, accompanied by a web-friendly photo or company logo (JPG, GIF or PNG at 72 dpi) • Emailed to communications@cacm.org for consideration We look forward to hearing what’s new with you!
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CuSTOmIzE yOur California Association of Community Managers, Inc.
your insights will help Business Forum prog
23461 South Pointe Drive, Ste. 200 Laguna Hills, CA 92653
After you register for this year’s CEO opportunities to customize the work
HERE’S HOW:
Your insights could earn you a day with expert strategist Michael Canic! This year’s CEO Business Forum offers you the opportunity to customize your learning experience and be entered to win a free on-site executive consulting day with Michael Canic.
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CCAMs earn 6 CEUs.
For information and registration: www.cacm.org
Plus, Dr. Esmael Adibi, Director of Chapman University’s A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research, returns this year to deliver the university’s world-renowned Economic Forecast for 2013.
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