Echo Roots

An Historic View

In 1972, a group of intrepid individuals in Northern California representing five homeowners associations recognized that housing industry growth was about to rapidly explode with communityled subdivisions. These homeowners association developments were loosely organized, and the state and residents were not prepared to deal with the challenges ahead.

In recognition of this need, a group of leaders met to solve the problems and help organize the industry. Out of their meeting, the team developed a vision for creating an association of homeowners to tackle the rapidly emerging challenges before them. Here is a remembrance of those early

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Continued from page 9 meetings from a past Echo board president, Tsuki Morgan, as told in her opening remarks at the Echo 20th Annual Seminar (edited for brevity):

“Meetings were held in a cramped, stifling hot little room at 1666 The Alameda. Around the paper-strewn oversized table were some of the greatest common interest subdivision consumer advocates in the state of California. Doug Christison, Phil Decker, Fred Gund, and Al Wilson were starting to create the rules by which condominium rights games would be played. Bylaws were drafted and committees were set up. Membership goals were established.

From this little room the concept crystallized that Echo was established to protect the common interest subdivision homeowners and their boards of directors. To achieve this goal, Echo decided to educate the boards of directors and to write, or help write, ordinances that would benefit homeowners. Outlines on the basic subjects to be covered at seminars and in the newsletters were worked upon until everyone sort of agreed.”

This resourceful group canvassed homeowners associations across the greater Bay Area to generate support for and solicit membership in this foundling association. As a result of their efforts, on June 11, 1973, the Executive Council of Home Owners was incorporated in the State of California to officially begin their mission of providing a forum for the exchange of ideas between homeowners associations, and for the growth, education, and development of boards of directors and officers of all common interest developments. The first Echo Newsletter (later the award-worthy Echo Journal) was published in May of 1974, and it has been in continuous publication since then.

It quickly became obvious that there was also a need to develop a network of HOA providers –attorneys, CPAs, contractors, and management companies, among others – people who understood the unique nature of HOAs. These business partners were invited to become a part of Echo. This very quickly transformed into the First Annual Seminar, which came to be known as the Echo Expo. It was not only the first, but in the early days it was the only HOA-centric event held in California. Thus, the industry was born, and the Expo became not only a place for vendors and other resource providers to confer and showcase their offerings, but also a place for board members and homeowners to learn. Thus, the board honed the mission of Echo to include education, advocacy, and networking, for the benefit of creating a better quality of life in HOAs.

Realizing that Echo could better serve its membership by developing more specific learning and networking opportunities, the regional and vocational-specific Resource Panels were born in the early 1990s. These Resource Panels continue today, and they provide valuable local resources to our membership, help to develop networking communities, and provide peer-to-peer learning opportunities.

In 2022, Echo HOA member Miguel Sanchez suggested and worked with Echo to establish the only club exclusively for HOA board members. The Echo Board Members Club is where ideas, thoughts, and stories are shared peer-to-peer between board members (or former board members) who are or were in the trenches. The online club meetings are moderated by those who understand the nuances of the industry. This sharing has continued to be a valuable part of the new Echo, one focused on boards and engaged homeowners learning together to foster a better quality of life in HOAs.

Echo evolved out of necessity into the primary convener and thought leader of the volunteers in the common interest development world. All this because a few people in the early ’70s saw the explosive future of HOAs in California and cared enough to step up and organize the people most impacted into a formal body of knowledge and into an association solely concerned with homeowners living in common interest developments.

Today, 50 years later, the original goal of Echo – to protect the common interest development homeowners and their boards of directors – remains unchanged. The membership of Echo has grown to more than 1,200 homeowner association members representing more than 125,000 individual units and 200 business and professional members. Beyond serving its own members, Echo works to strengthen its representation by pursuing working relationships with other common interest development advocacy groups. Echo remains a vital and necessary association whose mission is still relevant. As Tsuki Morgan said over 30 years ago:

“Without Echo, there would have been much less direction and even less protection for all of the homeowner associations throughout the state of California.”

Those words ring ever truer today. So, on behalf of all Echo members, and for all those who have served and are serving in the association, cheers to the first fifty years – and here’s to the next fifty!

Rolf Crocker is the principal and chief executive officer of OMNI Community Management, a full-service management company that assists HOAs in community association management details such as maintenance, finance, compliance, construction, and technology. Rolf has served the community association industry in a variety of management capacities for more than 30 years. He is continuously involved as an industry speaker, educator, and author.