Quorum August 2019

Washington Metropolitan Chapter Community Associations Institute

AUGUST 2019

A Magazine for Community Association Volunteer Leaders, Professional Managers and Business Partners

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

____________________________ The ABC’s of Community Manager Training, Certification and Continuing Education ____________________________ The Evolution of Recycling ____________________________ 2019 WMCCAI Scholarship Winners ____________________________ Community Association of the Year Awards: You Can’t Win If You Don’t Play

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2 | QUORUM

AUGUST 2019

­CONTENTS 12 Back to the Basics of Common Interest Community Management

BY APRIL LUDTKE MEZA, CMCA, AMS, PCAM

16 Landscaping 101

BY FRANNIE CROUSE

18 Back to Basics: The Importance of Tot Lot Inspections

BY CHANCE COLEMAN, CPSI

20 Best Practices for Board Meetings

BY JENNY OSBORN, MBA, CLASS A GC, CMI, WRT, AMRT, FSRT, TCS

22 Document Hierarchy? Who Reigns?!

DEPARTMENTS AND MORE 5 Message from the Executive Director 6 Chapter Benefactor: Rees Broome, PC 7 Welcome New Members 8 Upcoming Events 11 People & Places 36 Classifieds 37 Index to Advertisers 38 Cul-de-sac: Community Association of the Year Awards: You Can’t Win If You Don’t Play

BY PETE PHILBIN, ESQ.

24 HOA and Condo Insurance Coverage 101

BY JIM PATES

26 Fung Shui of Meetings: Staying Positive With a Timed Agenda

BY TRACY PLAZYK, CMCA, AMS

28 Winterization 101

BY JOHN PUSEY

30 The ABC’s of Community Manager Training, Certification and Continuing Education

BY SUZANNE WHITE, CMCA, AMS

32 2019 WMCCAI Scholarship Winners

BY AVA NASKI AND SAGAR VARMA

35 The Evolution of Recycling

WMCCAI MISSION STATE­MENT To optimize the operations of Community Associations and foster value for our business partners.

BY MICHELLE BAQUERO, CMCA, AMS

Reader comments and suggestions are welcome. Address your comments to: Quorum 7600 Leesburg Pike, Suite 100 West Falls Church, VA 22043

We also wel­come ar­ti­cle sub­mis­sions from our ­members. For author guide­lines, call (703) 750-3644 or e-mail publications@caidc.org.

Articles may be edited for length and clarity.

AUGUST 2019

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6 YE A R S S E R V I C E

President Rafael A. Martinez, CTP President-elect Airielle Hansford, CMCA, AMS, PCAM Vice President Michael Gartner, ESQ Secretary Ruth Katz, ESQ. Treasurer Kristen Melson, CMCA, AMS, PCAM Immediate Past President Sarah Gerstein, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM (EX OFFICIO) Executive Director Jaime Barnhart, CMP, CAE (EX OFFICIO)

REFLECTIONS This month’s issue of Quorum takes us back to the basics – to the 101 level of so many topics you deal with every day. But sometimes, as we grow in our knowledge, we forget the simple basics of a task. No matter where you are in your career, it is always a good idea to get a refresher on the basics!

D IRECTOR S Jennifer Bennett, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Thomas Burrell, Judyann Lee, ESQ., Sara Ross, ESQ., Gary Simon, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Todd A. Sinkins, ESQ., Jon Stehle

And that is also true for us here at the chapter office. WMCCAI’s vision and mission are at the center of everything we do.

CO U N C I L C HAI R S Communications Council Leslie Brown, ESQ. Education Council Debra Johnson, CMCA, AMS, PCAM Member Services Council Bernie Guthrie, CMCA, AMS, PCAM

Our Vision: To be recognized as the leading resource for Community

CO MM I T TE E C HAI R S

Our Mission: Optimize the operations of Community Associations and

Conference & Expo Donna Aker, CMCA, AMS, PCAM and Chris Goodman D.C. Legislative/LAC Scott Burka, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, and Jane Rogers, ESQ. Education Kevin A. Kernan, ESQ. and Todd El-Taher Golf Adrienne Zaleski and Brian Lord, CMCA, AMS Maryland Legislative Scott Silverman, ESQ. and Aimee Winegar, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM

Public Outreach Elisabeth Kirk and Kim Myles Membership Jeffrey Stepp, CMCA, AMS, and Noni Roan, CMCA Quorum Editorial Susan L. Truskey, ESQ. and Christopher Carlson, PE, SECB Chapter Events Kristen Adams and Jen Ann Santiago, CMCA, AMS, PCAM Virginia Legislative Ronda DeSplinter, LSM, PCAM and William A. Marr Jr., ESQ.

QU O RUM

Associations and Business Partners. foster value for our Business Partners.

What We Do: • Advocacy – establish and enhance/maintain relationships with legislators and government officials and to advocate on behalf of community associations.

• Member Development – boost membership and participation through enhanced outreach.

Managing Editor Morgan Wright, mwright@caidc.org Design Six Half Dozen

• Education – provide a World-Class Education Curriculum for Stakeholders.

QU O RUM E DI TORI AL CO M M IT TE E

• Member Services – maximize value provided to our current members, including Business Partners (events, conferences, materials, etc.).

Co-chairs Susan L. Truskey, ESQ. and Christopher Carlson, PE, SECB Members James Anderson, Michelle Baquero, CMCA, AMS, Adrian Blakeney, Mira Brown, CMCA, AMS, Leslie Brown, ESQ., Doug Carroll, Deborah Carter, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Sara Castle, Sarah Foley, Stephen Grant, Scott Greges, CMCA, AMS, Shannon Junior, Kevin Kelly, Richard Kuziomko, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Crishana Loritsch, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Liliana Martinez, CMCA, AMS, Kirby McCleary, Thomas Mugavero, ESQ., Crystal Partin, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Kara Permisohn, Brandi Ruff, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Lauri Ryder, CIC, CRM, CMCA, Andrew Schlaffer, Chelsie Throckmorton, Olga Tseliak, ESQ., Lee Ann Weir, CMCA, AMS, Doug White, Nicole Williams, ESQ., Meagan Willis. Aimee Winegar, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM, Jim Wisniewski, Michael Zupan, ESQ. Washington Metropolitan Chapter Community Associations Institute, a 501(c) (6) organization, serves the educational, business and networking needs of the community association industry in 80 cities/counties in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Members include community association homeowner volunteer leaders, professional managers, association management companies, and other businesses and professionals who provide products and services to planned communities, cooperatives and condominiums. WMCCAI has more than 3,200 members including 300+ businesses, 1,100 professional managers from 85 management companies, and approximately 1,500 community association homeowners. WMCCAI is the largest of Community Associations Institute’s 62 chapters worldwide.

Quorum is the award-winning premiere publication of WMCCAI, dedicated to providing WMCCAI’s membership with information on community association issues. Authors are responsible for developing the logic of their expressed opinions and for the authenticity of all presented facts in articles. WMCCAI does not necessarily endorse or approve statements of fact or opinion made in these pages and assumes no responsibility for those statements. This publication is issued with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services and nothing published in Quorum is intended to constitute legal or other professional advice and should not be relied on as such. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought directly by the person requiring such advice or services.

Articles appearing in Quorum may not be reprinted without first obtaining written approval from the editor of Quorum. In the event that such permission is granted, the following legend must be added to the reprint: Reprinted with permission from Quorum™ magazine. Copyright 2019 Washington Metropolitan Chapter Community Associations Institute. Quorum is a trademark of WMCCAI. Receipt of Quorum is a privilege of WMCCAI membership for which $65 in nonrefundable annual dues is allocated. The subscription price for nonmembers is $75 per year; contact publications@caidc.org or call (703) 750-3644.

To advertise in Quorum, e-mail publications@caidc.org.

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

O FFICE R S

As committees and chapter staff plan networking events, develop educational session presentations, and other member events, every decision goes right back to the strategic plan. WMCCAI is here to support the community association industry; to provide education to those who live and work in the communities; and to work alongside legislators in our local area to advocate on behalf of community associations.

In 2019 and in 2020, we are mixing things up with new educational formats, holding events in new venues to reach across the chapter’s region, and there is so much more to come for WMCCAI in the next year.

How are we doing?! Do you have an idea that you would like to see in 2020 that helps us reach our vision and mission goals?

The best feedback we get is from you – the members. Now is the time to help us create the best year yet in 2020. Chapter committees are hard at work creating events and reviewing education session topics for next year. Reach out to the chapter staff – let us know what you want from WMCCAI in 2019 and 2020.

JAIME BARNHART,

CMP, CAE

Jaime Barnhart, as the chapter’s executive director, is responsible for implementing the organization’s mission and goals, and managing its staff. Jaime has worked in non-profits/associations in the D.C. Metro area for over 12 years focusing on program management, events and trade shows, and marketing. She joined WMCCAI as the events manager in 2015.

For more information about Quorum or WMCCAI, visit www.caidc.org.

AUGUST 2019

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CHAPTER NEWS

C H A P T E R

B E N E F A C T O R

Rees Broome, PC Actively serving Community Association’s in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia

bases of community association client representation in the nation. Additionally, we specialize in civil litigation, corporate law, tax law, corporate bankruptcy, zoning and land use, Virginia Department of Transportation condemnation, employment law, and estates and trusts for business owners and individuals. Several of our partners have been named to regional and national “Best Lawyers” lists for consecutive years.

• Licenses Held: The Virginia, Maryland, District of Columbia and West Virginia bars • Company Philosophy: We utilize our training, experience and professional collegiality to provide responsive, costeffective and quality legal representation.

Tysons Corner Office 1900 Gallows Road, Suite 700 City, State ZIP: Tysons Corner, VA 22182 Telephone: (703) 790-1911 Fax: (703) 848-2530 Bethesda Office 7101 Wisconsin Avenue #1201 City, State ZIP: Bethesda, MD 20814 Telephone: (301) 222-0152 Fax: (703) 790-5249 Website: www.reesbroome.com Year Established or Incorporated: 1974 • CAI Member Since: 1984 • Members of: The Virginia, Maryland and D.C. bar associations; the Montgomery, Fairfax, Arlington, Prince George’s and Prince William counties bar associations.

• Areas you serve: District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia • Services Provided: Over its forty-five years of legal practice, Rees Broome PC has developed one of the largest

Community Association Shareholders: Kim O’HalloranPerez, Esq., kohalloran-perez@reesbroome.com; Todd S. Sinkins, Esq., tsinkins@reesbroome.com; Juan R. Cardenas, Esq., jcardenas@reesbroome.com; Ursula Burgess, Esq., uburgess@reesbroome.com; Hilary Collins, Esq., hcollins@ reesbroome.com; Peter S. Philbin, Esq., pphilbin@ reesbroome.com; Kathleen N. Machado, Esq., kmachado@ reesbroome.com; Winta Mengisteab, Esq., wmengisteab@ reesbroome.com; Erik Fox, Esq., efox@reesbroome.com; Kelly Zook, Esq., kzook@reesbroome.com

Article Submissions:

Are you interested in sharing your experiences and expertise with our readers? Quorum magazine is always seeking new article ideas, submissions, and content. If you have an idea or would like to submit an article for consideration, please make sure you contact us before you begin writing to see what our upcoming themes are. Questions and interests should be directed to Morgan Wright at publications@caidc.org or by phone at 703.750.3644.

Advertising:

For advertising, availability, rates, and specifications, please contact Morgan Wright at publications@caidc.org. Targeted advertising in WMCCAI’s Quorum, opens the door to thousands of prospective customers and contacts in the community association industry.

6 | QUORUM

CHAPTER NEWS

Welcome New Members WMCCAI proudly welcomes the following members who joined the chapter in June 2019.

Community Association Volunteer Leaders from the Following Associations Americana Centre Condominium, Inc. Audubon Square Community Association, Inc. Columbia Towers Condominium Association Council of Unit Owners of Adagio Condominium Greenwood Homeowners Association Heritage Woods I Condominium King Farm Citizens Assembly Lakeview of Culpeper Homeowners Association New Bristow Village Homeowners Association Park Fairfax Condominium Unit Homeowners Association Plymouth Woods Condominium Potomac Club Owners Association, Inc. Potomac Plaza Terraces, Inc. Raspberry Falls Homeowners Association The Unit Owners Association of Park Square Condominium at Potomac Club The Wisconsin, A Condominium Vistas at Laurel Lakes Condominium Waterview Cluster Association

968446_Solitude.indd 1

Individual Managers Samuel Woo-Yewl Chung, Abaris Realty, Inc., AAMC Rebeca Escobar, FirstService Residential, AAMC Kisha Mmari, Halstead II Alexis Phillips Isha’ Michelle Skanes, SIGMA Real Estate Services Gelyn Lucia Trana Business Partners Capital One Donegan’s Tree Service, Inc. Greater New York Mutual Rainbow International Restoration of Oxon Hill National Business Partner Member HomeWiseDocs.com

AUGUST 2019

14/06/19 12:53 AM

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UPCOMING EVENTS

AUGUST 6

Manager Roundtable: Essential Tools to Navigate Your Community 12 – 3 p.m.

Maggiano’s - Tyson’s Corner 2001 International Drive, McLean, VA 22102

Learn how comprehensive strategic planning tools can navigate your community in positive and productive directions with key stakeholder groups to improve service delivery and member experiences. Please visit www.caidc.org for more information or to register online.

AUGUST 16

Wine Down: A Tasting & Networking Event 1:30 – 4 p.m.

Effingham Manor 14325 Trotters Ridge Place, Nokesville, VA 20181

Who’s ready for some Wine?! Join WMCCAI at Effingham Manor as we end the summer with the drink of the gods and a few fabulous pairings. Sample some of the best Virginian wines, share a few bites, relax and network in a beautiful winery setting. This event provides a perfect opportunity to network in a fun and casual environment alongside your association peers! Please visit www.caidc.org for more information or to register online.

AUGUST 17

D.C. Homeowner Education & Legislative Update 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Potomac Place Condominium 800 4th Street SW, Washington, D.C. 20024

Experienced managers and attorneys from D.C. will provide training to teach you how to read and interpret your financial documents. The program will provide updates regarding recent legislative action in the city. This session is presented by Community Associations Institute’s DC Legislative Action Committee and CAI’s Washington Metropolitan Chapter.

Visit www.caidc.org to register.

SEPTEMBER 17

Manager Brunch & Business Showcase: Strategies for Curing Dysfunctional Boards 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Location TBD

Do your board meetings last well into the night? Are action items tabled month after month?

Are board members argumentative and disrespectful to each other? Are they looking to you for help? Find out how to help your dysfunctional board get back on track. Join Brendan Bunn, ESQ., Chadwick, Washington, Moriarty, Elmore & Bunn, P.C. for an interactive session that will enable you to identify the causes for the dysfunction and develop corresponding strategies to effectively address them. The seminar with be preceded by breakfast and a business showcase. Visit www.caidc.org to register.

OCTOBER 11

2019 Golf Classic & Cornhole Tournament 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Westfields Golf Club 13940 Balmoral Greens Ave, Clifton, VA 20124

Grab your clubs and join your WMCCAI colleagues for a day of golf at Westfields Golf Club.

Spend the day on this popular and challenging course, win door prizes and enjoy food and festivities. Registration includes greens and cart fee and food & beverage on the course, and an awards networking reception. Not a golfer? Join us for the cornhole tournament and the awards networking reception! Visit www.caidc.org to register. Sponsorship opportunities available.

NOVEMBER 16

SAVE THE DATE: Annual Awards Celebration 2019 – Fire & Ice Marriott Fairview Park 3111 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church, VA 22042

Join us for an evening of fiery fun and cool appreciation for the Chapter’s 2019 volunteer achievements. Our Annual Awards Celebration is Fire & Ice, bringing together elements of hot and cold. Enjoy the extremes as they tantalize your senses. Do you sizzle or are you cool? Visit www.caidc.org for more details, or to register online.

Sponsorship opportunities available.

For more information on WMCCAI meetings or upcoming events, contact the chapter office at (703) 750-3644, email info@caidc.org or visit www.caidc.org.

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r e g a n a Mu nd table Ro

s l o o T l a i t n r e u o Ess Y e t a g i v y a t N i n u to m m Co

Learn how comprehensive strategic planning tools can navigate your community in positive and productive directions with key stakeholder groups to improve service delivery and member experiences. Please visit www.caidc.org for more information or to register online.

REGISTRATION RATES EARLY BIRD RATE BEFORE: 8/2/19

REGULAR RATE

MEMBER

$35

$45

NONMEMBER

$40

$55

MEMBER

$40

$55

NONMEMBER

$55

$65

$110

$125

When

How

Tuesday, August 6, 2019 Registration opens at 11:30 a.m.

Event starts at 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Visit www.caidc.org to register

Where

Chancellor

Homeowner

Sponsors

Maggiano’s - Tyson’s Corner 2001 International Drive McLean, VA 22102

Manager

Business Partner

MEMBER NONMEMBER

$135

Who

This program will benefit Business Partners, Homeowners and Managers

$150

Dean

Credits

This program is worth three (3) credit hours

7600 Leesburg Pike, Suite 100 West

E-mail: education@caidc.org

Falls Church, VA 22043

Web: www.caidc.org

T: 703.750.3644 F: 703.941.1740

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PEOPLE & PLACES

Trigiani Completes 10-Year Term Chairing Virginia Common Interest Community Board

High Level of

SUPPORT HELPS

Community associations attorney Lucia Anna (Pia) Trigiani will conclude her 10 consecutive years of service under three governors as chair of the Virginia Common Interest Community Board (CICB), a governor-appointed board charged with licensing and certifying common interest community managers throughout the state. Trigiani’s term ends on June 30 when the governor will appoint her replacement.

BOARDS

be Effective with Homeowners

A principal and partner with MercerTrigiani law firm, she is a leading authority on common interest community ownership community associations. Trigiani served as the first chair of the newly created 11-member board when she was appointed to a three-year term by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine in July 2008 and re-appointed to the board for two, four-year terms by succeeding governors Bob McDonnell and Terry McAuliffe. She was elected chair by her colleagues each year since 2008.

“The appointment of Pia to the initial Common Interest Community Board was a superb one. Not only did she bring years of experience with DPOR, the home agency of the CICB, Pia was and remains, one of the “go to” attorneys and advisors in Virginia for HOAs and others with interests in community associations. She knows her way around the legislative and political process, has written or influenced a good deal of the law governing common interest communities through her leadership of the CICB. Her intelligence and savvy led the CICB through its early days and the first decade as she exercised a gentle but guiding presence for the board,” states Scott E. Sterling, fellow CICB member and assistant to the president at IDI Group.

Trigiani also has served in leadership positions within the Virginia legal and national industry communities. She was named 2017 president of the Virginia Law Foundation and served as 2011 president of the Virginia Bar Association. She also was recognized by the Community Associations Institute (CAI) with the 2010 Award of Excellence in Designations recognizing her significant contributions in advancing the industry’s programs and ethical standards through her service as the first chair of the Virginia Common Interest Community Board.

A member of the CAI College of Community Association Lawyers since 1994, Trigiani’s industry leadership includes serving as 2000 president of the Washington Metropolitan Chapter where she was named Educator of the Year seven times and serving on the National Government and Public Affairs Committee from 1996 – 2008. She also is a past member of the CAI Virginia Legislative Action Committee, Foundation for Community Association Research and Virginia Real Estate Board.

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AUGUST 2019 953210_Sentry.indd 1

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15/02/19 11:54 PM

By April Ludtke Meza, CMCA, AMS, PCAM April is the director of association management at National Realty Partners, LLC, AAMC. She has worked in the common interest management industry for 15 years managing a variety of communities. She is involved with CAI and has served on several committees.

BAC K

TO THE

BA SICS

A

s a Community Manager it is expected that you manage the day to day operations of your community flawlessly, that repairs are done within moments, that you never miss a deadline, that you never get flustered and that you do it all with a smile and ample time to chat when owners stop by to say hi. Unfortunately, this is far easier said than done.

Community Managers are charged with taking care of someone else’s home, their safe space, their relaxing space and likely their largest financial investment. There is significant pressure to ensure all goes well and sometimes it is too easy to get overwhelmed.

OF

those areas, locations of downspout discharge, parking assignments, etc. Also note care requirements for each of these items such as “exercise shut off valves annually, services HVAC equipment semi-annually, etc.” Documenting this information ensures it is quickly available when needed during an emergency, for regular service or to develop a regular preventive maintenance schedule.

Set time in your schedule to perform regular, comprehensive inspections of all common areas. During this inspection, gather a list of items that will likely need attention or may present challenges soon. This

Having and maintaining the right tools will help you stay organized, ensure work is completed on time, able to quickly answer basic questions and know who to contact and when. Although it sounds too simple, the first tool is to know your community better than anyone else and have a plan for the next month/quarter/year to manage each part of your community.

Gather the Information The Community Manager should know the physical asset as well as what is needed to make it all work. Walk your community and document important items such as the location of all utility shut offs, lockboxes, mechanical systems, common storage areas and an inventory of items stored in 12 | QUORUM

would include the door that is starting to stick, the swale that drains slowly, trees and bushes that need trimming, areas that need touch up paint, signs to be replaced, etc.

Also document all service providers that assist in the care and maintenance of your community. This list should be reviewed and updated regularly. Be sure to include

your primary point of contact, account numbers, contract terms, etc. Quickly knowing the phone number of your HVAC service provider or the account number for the water company will help ensure efficiency in the future.

Know the Documents The Community Manager should also be the most familiar with the requirements and restrictions set forth in the association’s governing documents and your contractual obligations. Perform a document and contract inspection in the same fashion you performed a physical asset inspection. Note important items such as timing requirements for adoption of the annual budget, mailing of the annual meeting notice, owner maintenance requirements such as dryer vent cleaning or HVAC inspections, contract renewal dates and contract termination notice requirements.

Also review your reserve study, the association’s social event calendar and other timelines for which you will need to be prepared.

Set Plans, Goals and Important Milestones Using the information you gather, lay out a plan for the next month/quarter/year.

Advanced planning ensures nothing slips through the cracks and allows you to work on items before they become urgent.

Your annual plan should include preventive maintenance items such as systems inspections, filter changes, gutter cleaning as well as seasonal work such as power washing, window washing, street sweeping, etc. It should also include deadlines for performing the administrative tasks such as preparing the budget or meeting notices and planning/executing social events. Your monthly plan should include addressing the sticking doors or scheduling the touch up paint and budget requirements for each of these items.

Your plan should detail who will perform each task and necessary budget requirements.

Review your plan with the Board of Directors, appropriate committees and/or owners. This review will ensure that everyone knows what to expect in the coming months and will help you budget for this work accordingly. Once reviewed and approved, schedule serContinued on page 15

NORTHSTAR

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AUGUST 2019

15/02/19 10:38 PM

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Address Emergencies Immediately

Unfortunately, emergency situations will arise regardless of how carefully we plan for the future. Having your plans in place for non-urgent items and scheduling this work well in advance will help your community run as a well-oiled machine allowing you time to manage the emergencies as they arise. Documentation of who to contact and property details (that list of shut off valves) will help you quickly handle these issues with grace.

Communication and Customer Service Finally, and likely most importantly, communicate! You have spent the time and energy reviewing all aspects of your community, planning work well in advance and preparing.

Now take the time to let everyone know what is happening and when to expect it. Use the communication tool that is most available to your community whether that is publishing in a newsletter, email blasts, announcing it at regular meetings or mailings. vice providers or notify the affected parties well in advance of items you may need from them.

Utilize Your Resources The Community Manager is often expected to know everything and to be an expert on all subject matter. In reality, you should be an expert on when to say “when”. If you don’t know the best tree for a space, ask your landscape contractor or an arborist. If you need assistance to understand something or to develop a rule seek advice from the appropriate provider or legal counsel. Know your limitations and respect them, this includes requiring Board Member execution of contracts, timely invoice payments, and seeking recommendations from actual experts. CAI also offers a number of resources on their website for finding professionals in various fields.

J O B

And, there will be questions! Remember, you are managing a community that is someone’s home, they have a very vested interest in what is happening and how it will affect them and their investment.

Take the time to listen to and understand their concerns and consider suggestions they make. While we can’t always make everyone happy, we can certainly provide the customer service they deserve.

Ensure you follow through with your promises and respond to questions in a timely manner. Lack of communication and customer service is one of the biggest complaints in many communities.

With a little advanced planning, a complete and thorough knowledge of your community and a well communicated plan, you are now prepared for the basic management of your community. Now time to bring on the big challenges!

P O S T I N G

Commercial Account Representative - Exterior Medics, Inc. We are sure you already know us and our energy! You have either seen us at the Annual Expo or at CAI networking event and it is time for you to JOIN US! We are currently seeking an Account Coordinator to support the increasing demands for our services from our growing Property Managers client base. In an environment founded on FUN, support, teamwork, and growth opportunities; we offer our employees more than just a job. We are looking for a genuine candidate to help increase the quality of our brand and assist in exceeding our customer’s expectations.

Job Type: Full-time Job Level: Entry Level Company Name: Exterior Medics, Inc. Location: Springfield, VA Posted: June 4, 2019 TO APPLY: Please submit resume to careers@exteriormedics.com.

AUGUST 2019

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By Frannie Crouse Frannie Crouse is a business developer at BrightView Landscape Services.

BrightView has 11 branches in the Washington Metro area and specializes in providing a wide range of landscape services, including snow removal, tree care, design and irrigation, to homeowners associations.

S N L C I

t is about that time of year again forecasting, budgeting, number crunching…your favorite time of year, right? Well, even if your answer is actually a yes, budgeting for the next year can be tricky, especially when you don’t have a buying process on how to select your community’s contractors.

Landscaping is one of those budgeted items, and you either love it or you hate it.

However, regardless of how you feel about it, an ideal landscape contractor helps improve your property values, curb appeal, and the overall feel of your community.

N I G

1 1

to detail. Understanding the community’s motivation to bid and their goals is the beginning step in RFP process.

The most important part of the RFP is the

scope of work. The community’s scope of work is primarily built on frequency and service type. In order to ensure an apples to apples comparison and to provide the most accurate pricing for the maintenance agreement, it is in the best interest of the community to get very granular to achieve a better overall outcome to reflect your expectations.

Scopes can become outdated so they should be reevaluated during the bid process and

So how can you manage an effective RFP process to get exactly what you want out of a Landscape Maintenance Contract? Here are a few helpful insights for creating the most effective RFP for your community.

First and foremost, evaluate the true motivations for going out to bid. Are you required to go out to bid every “x” amount of years?

Do you need a full-service provider? Do you need to cut cost? From experience, I have found that the majority of communities go out to bid because they are unhappy with their current contractor. Unhappiness may be due to lack of communication, poor quality of work performance, or even attention 958536_Fantasy.indd 1

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every three to five years thereafter. Scopes are meant to help maintain the property, not necessarily improve the property. If you are looking to improve your property, the scope and budget must actively reflect the goals of the community. Most maintenance scopes include the following: • Mowing, edging, weeding, blowing, trash/debris removal • Turf Applications (pre-emergent, broadleaf, fertilization) • Shrub pruning, fertilization, and IPM • Slope work (ground covers) • Spring cleanup, perennial cutback, carving, spring mulch/pine straw • Leaf removal • Irrigation Maintenance You may also include some optional services within your scope.

These can include seasonal flowers, fall mulch, and turf enhancements. Flowers vary in price according to size, color, quantity and variations of the plant so it is important to provide specific requirements to ensure you are comparing accurately.

When creating your scope, the following tasks should not be included in the RFP because it is too difficult to accurately price and include in a landscape contract due to:

• Storm/Hurricane cleanup • Irrigation repairs • Snow services As a community manager, HOA board member, or grounds committee member, you want the best services and contractors for your community. Limiting the RFP bidders to 3-5 is the most effective way to narrow down the qualified contractors. A smaller number of bidders, limits the time spent by the community managers overseeing the RFP process, and makes it easier for board members to pay attention to all the particular attributes of each company. This will help weed out companies that do not fill your expectations and needs.

In addition to the scope, it would be the most beneficial to provide: • A site walk with the bidders.

• A comprehensive map detailing service areas.

1. Needs change year over year

• Opportunities for contractors to present solutions and approach to the BOD.

2. Weather variation determines cost

• A timeline for the RFP process.

3. Too much variability throughout site 4. Cost too great and will unnecessarily inflate yearly landscape budget vs. one time cost Some examples of these tasks would be: • One time clean up-improve within first days • Plant removal and replacement • Turf renovation • Large scale tree pruning

The reality of landscaping goes far beyond the basics. Unfortunately, the base maintenance scope generally cannot fix the big problems.

The best may be getting better quality in the details and communication (proactivity and response time).

Whether you are the type of person to stop and smell the roses, or one that just hopes the grass clippings are blown off the sidewalk, the landscape maintenance contract should benefit your community and meet the expectations of your residents. Developing and understanding the RFP process is the first step in reaching your outdoor living space dreams.

AUGUST 2019

| 17

By Chance Coleman, CPSI Chance Coleman is a Recreational Specialist and Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) with All Recreation for 6 years. He has a background in Business and graduated with his degree from Radford University. He is a devoted husband and father of two daughters.

BACK TO BASICS:

The Importance of

Tot Lot Inspections W

ith all that it takes to manage a community or recreational area, it is easy to understand how a tot lot inspection could fall to the bottom of the list of priorities. However, regular care and maintenance of community tot lot(s) is not only important, it is a necessary safety requirement. If properly maintained, well-

made commercial grade playground equipment should continue to last and provide fun for years to come! In the industry, regular maintenance means that the equipment and surfacing are inspected at least once a year, or more often if there is an obvious need. By having the playground inspected by a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI),

it ensures that the equipment and surfacing continue to meet all federal and safety standard guidelines.

At the time of installation, commercial grade equipment will meet all safety guidelines, but over time and with regular use, it is possible for equipment to become loose or even

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break. Some of these hazards might not be obvious to the un-trained eye, but an inspector can alert the community to them so that they may be addressed. Broken or damaged equipment can lead to accidents, injuries and increased liability for a community. Without safety inspections, many communities are left to rely on residents who use the equipment to report any broken or damaged pieces.

By conducting regular, annual inspections, you can be sure that the playground is safe for all that play.

The same rule for playground inspections holds true for surfacing as well. Over time and with lots of use, surfacing can become non-compliant and lead to injuries. Wood fiber safety surfacing, which is a popular choice for many communities, is susceptible to falling out of compliance. Other types of surfacing, such as pour in place rubber (EPDM), tiles, or rubber mulch can also wear or breakdown and require inspection to maintain compliance and safety. It is worth mentioning that the quality of the safety surfacing product can contribute to its longevity. This is especially true if your community prefers wood fiber safety surfacing. Engineered wood fiber is a higher quality, more durable material than mulch or woodchips. It is manufactured to be firm and slip-resistant and is also slower to breakdown over time. Rather than completely removing and reinstalling the surfacing, it requires only an annual top off to meet fall height requirements for playground safety.

When considering tot lot inspections, advance planning is key. Budgeting time and money for annual inspections on the front-end will ensure that safety standards are maintained. Many communities find it helpful to schedule playground and surfacing inspections on a specific date every year. Allocating budgetary funds for safety surfacing replenishment and potential playground repairs will make staying compliant as painless as possible and make it more likely that issues are addressed quickly. Finally, having a trusted partner to handle playground and surfacing inspections will both simplify and expedite the process.

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AUGUST 2019

| 19

By Jenny Osborn, MBA, Class A GC, CMI, WRT, AMRT, FSRT, TCS Jenny owns SC Companies Inc.- a construction and remediation firm serving the DC Metro Area. As a Class A general contractor and remediation expert, Jenny understands the value of time and how delays can be costly. Aside from industry certifications and licenses, her education also includes an MBA from George Mason University. In her “down-time”, Jenny serves on her neighborhood HOA Board. Since 2012, she has dedicated her time to help make her community thrive and has been part of changes within the board, changes within management, projects big and small. Witnessing both unproductive and productive board meetings, Jenny has shared insight on some of the best practices her community uses to have productive meetings.

s e c i t c a r P Best s g n i t e e M d r a o B for “

Join your HOA Board, it will be fun”, they said. They were wrong! Having served on my HOA board for 7 years, I would not describe my experience as ‘fun’, but I would describe it as interesting, educational, time-consuming and most importantly, rewarding.

I have learned more about fair housing laws, reserve studies, tree maintenance, geese breeding cycles, and dog poop than I ever thought possible. But the biggest challenge is the time commitment. If you are not careful, the time commitment can become overwhelming.

Emails can be checked from home, board packages read while sitting at kids’ practices, but board meetings are the biggest time commitment. If not carefully managed, open forum can last forever, board members debate ad nauseam, management has no clear directive and meetings go well beyond the allotted time.

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Having ineffectively attempted to hold discussions and make decisions when everyone is exhausted, we implemented a few best practices to allow for better functionality and to respect the time of our Board, our volunteer’s and our paid professionals.

a vote is called. This simple process will help board meetings stay on task and help move quickly through the agenda. It quickly becomes obvious who properly prepared for the meeting.

Trust Management

Read Your Board Package I cannot stress enough how important this is! This allows you to be prepared for discussion, note your concerns or questions prior to the meeting and be prepared to act when

Volunteers don’t have endless time and are not expected to be subject matter experts.

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To assist with productive, efficient meetings, management should provide solid, unbiased recommendations on all matters. Details of each item for consideration should be clear and concise. To ensure the most complex matters are easily understood, management should always bid projects using a thorough RFP that includes all of the details of the projects and allows for bids to be submitted “apples to apples” for ease of comparison. It’s important when deciding to bid, that the Board is clear about project goals, scope, timeline, etc. Clear direction allows for proper bidding and smart decisions for the community.

No Discussion Without a Motion While use of formal Robert’s Rules of Order may be cumbersome and reserved for the parliamentarian, use of a basic form will help the board focus on items that are truly of interest. Prior to discussion of any agenda item, a motion should be made to approve or disapprove the item. Once the motion is made the board is free to discuss and move to a decision. If no one is willing to make such a motion there is no point in discussion as the matter is not of importance to the Board. Once discussion begins, it should proceed quickly and be limited to relevant topics.

If discussion items become repetitive, it is likely time to call for a vote even if all board members are not in agreement on the matter. While ideal, it is not required that the Board always agree unanimously on every decision, only that they act in the best interest of the entire association and use best business judgement.

If the board determines they do not have enough information available during the meeting, the item should be tabled for a later date with action items assigned to ensure ample information is available in the future.

Keep Open Forum in Check If left to its own devices, open forum could continue for an entire evening. As open forum is often held at the beginning of the meeting, board business is addressed later in the meeting when board members are not as fresh. Open forum should be limited to 15-30 minutes, and is helpful when agenda items are addressed. Open forum is not a debate session requiring the Board to respond to each point raised. Open forum is an opportunity for members to address concerns or provide comment. The Board and management should note the concerns and then follow up as appropriate at an appropriate time.

Residents should be encouraged to address business matters through a more effective medium such as email, phone calls, and committee meetings. Items can then be added to the agenda or relayed to the Board through the management report.

Being prepared, practicing time management, and adjusting to what works best in your community will help ensure a more effective meeting and overall success. Thank you for your service to our community and good luck!

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By Pete Philbin, ESQ. Pete is a shareholder with the law firm of Rees Broome, PC. He represents community associations throughout the area and serves as senior faculty member for the Professional Management Designation Program for the Community Associations Institute (CAI). Pete has previously served on the board of directors of the Washington Metro Chapter of CAI and most recently served as chair of CAI’s Maryland Legislative Action Committee.

Document Hierarchy?

WHO REIGNS?!

I

t is almost inevitable that community association boards and their management colleagues discover, or are pointed to, a discrepancy or conflict between provisions in the governing documents or between the governing documents and statute. By governing documents, I refer to the Declaration/ Master Deed, Articles of Incorporation, Cooperative Bylaws, proprietary lease, rules, regulations and policies.

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How Should the Board Reconcile Such Conflicts?

First, if there is a conflict between a statute and governing documents, the statute typically controls. For example, take the provisions of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Act essentially granted “favorite nation status” to those residents that wanted to install satellite and other video-reception devices on property that

they own or have exclusive use of. The Act would control over express prohibitions in governing documents (or local ordinances for that matter). Another example are the closed meeting provisions in various state laws dictate when a community association Board may convene in closed/executive session (those statutes would control over governing documents that attempt to expand such authority). But sometimes, statutes

will defer to differing provisions in the governing documents.

The more difficult question is clearly what controls when the conflict is between provisions of the governing documents. If you are lucky, the drafter of the governing documents included a road map as to how conflicts in the governing documents would be resolved (e.g., “In the case of conflict the Declaration controls the Bylaws which control the rules and policies”). Usually, if such a provision exists, it is buried somewhere in the documents.

But local statutes may also lend a hand.

For instance, the Maryland Condominium Act (11-124) provides that if there is “any conflict among the provisions of this title, the declaration, condominium plat, bylaws, or rules adopted pursuant to § 11-111 of this title, the provisions of each shall control in the succession listed hereinbefore commencing with “title”.”

Likewise Section 42-1902.07 of the D.C. Condominium Act provides as follows: “…the condominium instruments shall be construed together and shall be deemed to incorporate one another to the extent that any requirement of this chapter as to the content of one shall be deemed satisfied if the deficiency can be cured by reference to any of the others. If any conflict exists among the condominium instruments, the declaration controls, except that a construction consistent with this chapter controls in all cases over any inconsistent construction.”

J O B

The Virginia Condominium Act, Section 55-79.51 provides as follows: “In the event of any conflict between the condominium instruments, the declaration shall control; but particular provisions shall control more general provisions, except that a construction conformable with the statute shall in all cases control over any construction inconsistent therewith.”

Also if your association is a Virginia non-stock community association, then Section 13.1-819 of the Code of Virginia provides “E. Except as provided in subsection A of § 13.1-855, whenever a provision of the articles of incorporation is inconsistent with a bylaw, the provision of the articles of incorporation shall be controlling.”

If you have no internal or exterior sources for resolving a document conflict…the general rule of thumb is that the “Declaration” or “Master Deed” creating the community controls and Articles typically control over Bylaw. Documents that are required to be recorded take precedence over other documents (e.g., HOA Bylaws) that do not. Rules and policies are almost always last in line to the throne!

Where an inconsistency is found in the same governing document, the general rule is that the language should be read in context of the document as a whole to try and glean a meaning. Ultimately an amendment effort may need to be considered if the inconsistency is significant enough.

P O S T I N G

General Manager (Gainesville, Virginia) Do you want to help people make their house a home? Do you want to thrive on providing great customer service while making a difference? We want to hire a Community General Manager who shares our vision, values and commitment to superior customer service. A General Manager is responsible for providing overall supervision of a community association and had daily interactions with internal and external customers including homeowners, vendors, board members and committee members. If you are determined self-starter with passion for finding solutions, we want to meet you!

Duties include but are not limited to: • Assist with implementation of Board policy and directives within the scope of the management agreement. Works with the board on strategic initiatives, policy governance and association projects.

• Supervise all administration staff at the community.

• Assist with employee hiring, training, supervising, and performance management.

• Assist with preparing schedules and establishes priorities for routine and special work projects.

• Assist with annual budget.

• Assist with the administration of the various functions of the community within the projected and approved operating budget.

• Act as a liaison between the Board of Directors and residents in the execution of the established policies and the conveyance of resident grievances.

• Work as a liaison between the Board and legal counsel, as well as the Board and the Board Advisory Committees.

• Other duties as assigned.

Please visit www.caidc.org/job-bank for full description details.

TO APPLY: Please send your resume to jcap@associaonline.com.

AUGUST 2019

| 23

By Jim Pates Jim Pates is an Insurance Agent with Preferred Insurance Services. He has been in the Community Association industry for 15 years. During his 15 years, he has been an active member of WMCCAI. Jim Received the WMCCAI rising star award and Co-chaired the WMCCAI golf committee for many years.

HOA and Condo

INSURANCE COVERAGE

101

I

f you have ever seen a copy of a community association insurance policy, you know they can be hundreds of pages long. While it all can’t be covered here, this article aims to help simplify a few things you need to have and why. The following are 4 major insurance coverages that community associations should have:

1. Property insurance 2. General liability 3. Directors and Officers liability 4. Crime and Fidelity In many cases, community association insurance coverage will have what is called a package policy which includes property

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coverage, general liability and, in some cases, all 4 of the coverages will be included in the package policy.

1. Property insurance provides coverage for your physical assets.

When there is damage to a community association building or personal property the most commonly asked question is “are we covered?”. So, where do you find that answer in your policy? The property coverage is based off what perils (hazards and events that cause loss or damage) are included in your property insurance policy. Additionally, you should also look at the exclusions and endorsements sections of your policy to determine what you are covered for.

2. General Liability coverage is to protect the community association if you are found legally responsible for a situation that causes injuries to another person or damage to another person’s belongings.

This is where your insurance kicks in for injuries that can happen in the association’s common areas or associations facilities.

For example, many associations have pools, courts and clubhouses where injuries can occur. General liability coverage would pay for medical bills, legal fees, judgements and settlements.

One coverage for community associations that people often ask about that can either be added to the package policy or be a standalone policy is Hired and Non-Owned Auto liability. The question usually asked is “why do we need this auto liability insurance when the association does not have any automobiles?” Here is why: If a board member attends the Community Associations Institutes annual conference in Orlando, Florida and rents a car (Hired) and causes an accident or a board member uses their car to run an errand on behalf of the association (Non-Owned) and causes an accident, the Hired and Non-owned auto coverage would cover the legal costs for the accident. It is important to note that with both Hired and Non-Owned Auto the policy only offers protection for the association not the individual.

3. Directors and Officers Liability Coverage Some might consider this the most important coverage to a community association.

Directors and Officers insurance for community associations is meant to protect not for profit community association board members and other community volunteers from lawsuits that result from management-related actions or decisions made while they are serving. Not all Directors and Officers policies are equal. There are a few items to look for in your policy. Make sure the policy has coverage for who were or are now elected and appointed directors, trustees, officers, employees, committee members, volunteers and property managers. Some polices only cover a few of these positions and leave the association and its volunteers at risk. Also, make sure you have coverage for non-monetary claims and discrimination claims.

4. Crime and Fidelity insurance policy covers the actual money the association has in the operating account and reserve accounts.

Employee Theft covers the association from theft by employees. It is very important to see who is considered an employee in your policy.

Here is a list of who should be covered as an employee.

• Property Manager • Present, past and future board members • Committee Members • Volunteers • Spouses • Accountants or Bookkeepers • Community Managers Other important coverages to look for in the crime and fidelity policy are: • Forgery or alteration • Theft, Disappearance or destruction • Computer fraud or wire transfer communication fraud Community association insurance is very important to the financial strength of a community. I’ve given an overview of some of the coverage’s community associations should have. However, community associations come in all shapes and sizes so working with your insurance agent to tailor the insurance coverage to the specific needs of your association is very important.

AUGUST 2019

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By Tracy Plazyk, CMCA, AMS Tracy is a community manager for Legum & Norman. She has over ten years of community management experience in the Virginia area managing Condominiums, and HOA communities. Tracy is also a member of WMCCAI, the Quorum editorial committee, and is currently working towards earning her PCAM designation.

Fung Shui of Meetings:

Staying Positive With a Timed Agenda

F

irst things first, a board meeting is a business meeting, it is not a social hour to chit chat and catch up with neighbors. An effective board meeting should not last longer than two hours. If they are, and if work is not being accomplished, the board or community manager should reevaluate the reasons why.

should provide a professional environment.

As a manager, always suggest the board be seated at a table which allows them to see each other, not just facing the “audience”.

Placing board members in this manner, will help eliminate the audience from interrupting during the meeting. They are there to observe the meeting.

A few things to consider. The meeting environment, possibly the board is disorganized or lacks a strong leader.

Second, be prepared. As the manager, know your board, and know what’s in your management report. Management reports are typically distributed to boards no less than two days prior to the scheduled board meeting. A prepared timed agenda will give everyone a glance at items to be considered/ discussed. Too often board members come to a board meeting completely unprepared, never having looked at the management report, or the agenda. All board members should show up to the meeting ready to make decisions after having reviewed their management report and agenda. Questions or additional information needed should be requested in advance of the meeting not during the meeting. Remember, the meeting is where decisions are made.

Meetings should be productive.

An unproductive meeting can create an unproductive board.

Which in turn can cause tension in the community and between board members. Additionally, members may withdraw interest in volunteering either to be on the board or a committee.

There are a few things you can do to eliminate distractions and conduct effective board meetings.

First, start with the location which will help set the tone of the meeting. Meetings should be held in an environment that enhances productivity. Consider a more formal settings, a clubhouse, local church, library or the manager’s office. Meeting location 26 | QUORUM

Third, Procedure, Procedure, Procedure!! It’s a must! Parliamentary procedure is vital for a smooth-running meeting. Basic rules of parliamentary procedure can easily be followed by all associations. The Board of Directors President should chair the meeting.

The chair will open the meeting on time, and follow the timed agenda as provided by the community manager. The community manager should assist the chair by keeping time

and informing the chair if time is running behind. When the chair opens the meeting, he should remind all attendees to be mindful, the meeting is a meeting of the board of directors. A specified time is noted on the agenda for resident open forum. Once open forum has closed, so should comments from the audience to allow the board to get to the business at hand. The AGENDA.

Agenda Sample Timed Order of Business Open Meeting

7:00 PM 7:00 PM

da Approval of Agen 7:00 PM m Owner Open Foru utes) m ch speaker 3 in (time limit for ea 7:20 PM es Approval of Minut PM ee Reports 7:25 Officer & Committ 7:35 PM siness Old/Unfinished Bu 7:45 PM New Business 8:00 PM Executive Session 8:15 PM Adjourn

The Agenda should be closely followed, and all actions noted in the meeting minutes, by motions made, seconded and the final vote. Good reminders for the Board to assist in ensuring the meeting is run effectively and without interruption are to remind the entire board.

Specializing in Roofing, Siding, Gutters, Repairs, Replacement & Inspections, Snow-Ice Management The board should only speak on the issue being discussed.

Avoiding the “oh and by the way�. Speak only when recognized by the chair and address all questions or comments to the chair directly.

Conducting your meetings in a professional business-like location with a positive voice and a clear agenda along with rules for the meeting, will ensure your meetings run smooth and tasks are accomplished for the benefit of the community.

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AUGUST 2019

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By John Pusey John is Director of Operations for Amtek Engineering Services and Associa OnCall. He started his career at Amtek/Associa more than 16 years ago as a Service Technician. John brings over 25 years of experience in the maintenance and HVAC field and has worked on an array of different projects ranging from commercial, industrial and residential properties. Currently his focus is on condominiums, townhomes and single-family homes.

Winterizati

G

rowing up in the Washington Metropolitan area can be difficult sometimes. The temperatures are never consistent and recently the weather is very unpredictable. Sometimes it is like a switch has been flipped and the once beautiful day completely changes to damp and dreary. The only true prediction that can be made is the seasons change.

We know that winter is coat weather, spring is light jacket weather, summer is short sleeve weather and fall is jacket weather all over again. This is something that is ingrained into all of us when we are young. We learn to prepare ourselves for the season changes. Whether we’re packing away the winter clothes and pulling out the summer clothes (or vice versa) or

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even pushing harder in the winter months to prepare our beach body. These are things that we just do because it is an instinct built into us.

We as individuals do these things every year to maintain ourselves, but how often do we think of maintaining the things we use every day? You may have the oil changed in your car regularly, but how often do you do the seasonal maintenance? Is the A/C and coolant level checked in the spring or the battery and antifreeze level checked in the fall? Certain items may be considered critical to both the longevity and efficiency on your equipment. The ultimate goal is to maintain all of our equipment to allow us to keep repair costs at a minimum and extend the useful life.

Another item that is sometimes neglected is our homes. You home is one of the largest investments you make and continue to pay for. As a homeowner some tasks are considered cumbersome and unnecessary.

How many of us want to drag the extension ladder out to clean the gutters? I know this is one on the TO-DO list that I dislike but I understand that it is necessary to minimize the costly repairs that could result from ignoring them.

Houses and Condominiums are large items and require a lot of maintenance and upkeep to help extend their useful life expectancy. They should be treated with the same

ion 101 importance as we treat ourselves. Preventative maintenance should be a key part of our thought process when it comes to our home and should be considered ongoing as there is all way something to do.

Maintenance should be performed on a regular basis but there are two seasons when it would be considered most important. Spring is when weather is nicer outside and most individuals focus their maintenance needs to the outside. The other focus season is the fall and when we perform maintenance to prepare for the winter season.

Winterization is very important to a building as we are preparing the properties for the possible freezing temperature.

When considering necessary maintenance items, you should consider not only the obvious but also the items that may result in energy savings and possibly eliminate costly emergency repairs. It could be as simple as checking the seals on your windows and doors for drafts or light. This is an easy repair that could save significant money on your electric/ heating bill. Winterization should be individualized for your property.

Some of the items you may want to consider are: • Exterior Hose Bib-Isolate and drain to prevent freezing.

• Check insulation associated with exposed piping to help prevent freezing.

• If applicable, ensure heat tape for plumbing piping is operational

• Check window/ door jams and threshold sweeps to ensure proper seal.

• Regularly monitor utility closet/ unconditioned space for signs of issues.

• Regularly monitor water closets/ pump room for proper operation • If applicable, verify functionality of electric space heater for proper operation • If applicable, regularly monitor fire alarm control rooms/ fire pump room.

• If applicable, perform weekly maintenance of the drip legs associated with the dry fire system.

• If applicable, ensure pool equipment has been winterized and drained.

• Ensure sump pump operation in the event of flooding.

• Inspect attic for proper insulation and seal.

• Properly drain/ winterize irrigation systems.

These tasks may be considered tedious and cumbersome and we all may have experienced the high cost of monthly bills or costly emergency repairs that may be attributed to improper winterization of our properties. Routine winterization efforts are vital to any property’s expectation of longevity and efficiency. The sooner you begin the winterization process the more likely you are to prevent issues before they happen.

AUGUST 2019

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By Suzanne White, CMCA, AMS Suzanne spent 25 years as a community manager for CMC-Associa, mostly onsite at large scale properties in the Northern Virginia area. She joined WMCCAI as Education Manager in February of this year and is pleased to have an opportunity to put her experience in the industry to good use in shaping the Chapter’s education program to meet the needs of the membership.

The ABC’s of

Community Manager Training, Certification & Continuing Education

C

MCA, AMS, PCAM, LSM, CAI, PMPD, CAMICB – seems like alphabet soup! What do these strings of letters mean and how meaningful are they in the community association industry?

For professionals working in the industry, it is wise to know. Community association management is a complicated industry in which the rules are constantly changing and evolving. Things are certainly far different now than they were when I started as a newbie community manager 25 years ago. I had a desk, a chair and a phone (which rang once a day, if at all) and no clue. The CMCA designation didn’t even exist and the caliber of community managers varied greatly. Everybody’s got to start somewhere and what makes for a successful career in this industry is knowing how and where to get the proper training to do the job well. How do managers learn what they need to know and then keep abreast of developments in the industry? Before we get to those answers, a bit of history might be helpful.

The Community Association Institute (CAI) launched the Professional Management Development Program (PMPD) in 1980 which offers four levels of courses designed to provide a base of industry knowledge and then to build upon it as managers gain maturity and experience over time. The next development in the evolution of community manager training came with the Community Association Manager International Certification Board (CAMICB), established by CAI in 1995 as the professional accreditation body for community managers worldwide. CAMICB’s first important

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action was to implement the Certified Manager of Community Association (CMCA) designation in 1996, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated the fundamental knowledge required to manage community associations.

management experience and completion of all six M-200 level courses, the last of which needs to be within the last five years.

Re-designation occurs every three years and requires twelve hours of continuing education.

The road to CMCA certification begins with the M-100, part of the PMPD series of classes. Successful completion of that course or five years’ experience as a community association manager will qualify an applicant to sit for the CMCA exam. The CMCA re-designation cycle occurs every two years during which 16 hours of continuing education must be earned.

WMCCAI offers a wide range of classes and seminars throughout the year that will fulfill recertification continuing education requirements for all levels of experience.

Many of these sessions are conveniently held at the Chapter Office, while others are at various sites throughout the DMV. Gone are the days of community association management with no professional standards.

Thanks to the efforts of CAI, those standards now exist to provide professionals in our industry with the necessary training and credentials to do their jobs well and garner the respect that they deserve.

One half of the continuing education courses may be obtained through approved courses, such as those offered by WMCCAI. Teaching a course related to community association management can qualify for credit, as can publishing an article in a regional or national communication association publication – like Quorum, for example. One hour of credit equals one hour attended.

Beyond the CMCA, CAI offers the AMS and PCAM professional designations. The AMS or Association Manager requires two years’ professional experience and the completion of two PMPD M-200 level courses. Re-designation occurs every three years and requires one PMPD course M-200 level or above as well as eight hours of industry related education. The PCAM or Professional Community Association Manager designation is the highest awarded, requiring five years of direct association

Looking toward 2020, the WMCCAI’s Education Committee has focused on increasing the number of classes geared toward the more experienced managers and is pleased to announce expanded educational offerings for the 2020 Conference & Expo on the Friday afternoon before the main event scheduled for Saturday, February 22 nd.

WMCCAI is working to structure a comprehensive educational program for its membership and is most excited about these new developments to ensure a quality targeted learning experience for all. The 2020 Call for Presentations opened June 20th.

More information on that process and on upcoming educational sessions can be found on our website at www.caidc.org.

J O B

P O S T I N G

Senior Staffing Manager - Jeffrey Scott Concierge Summary of Position. The Senior Staffing Manager is a senior level management position for a fast-growing full-service staffing agency in the property management industry. The Senior Staffing Manager must be a dynamic upbeat leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment. This position is responsible for running three key areas of the company; operational management, candidate recruiting and employee staffing, along with other important duties.

The Senior Staffing Manager will be responsible for a full time in-office staff including dedicated corporate recruiters, regional concierge manager, and others. You will be tasked with implementing a best in class recruiting process, manage a growing team, and delivering top talent in a high growth, ever changing environment. The Senior Staffing Manager will build a highly functioning and efficient recruiting, staffing and training organization that delivers best-in-class service.

Visit www.caidc.org/job-bank for full job description details.

JOB TYPE: Full-time based in Washington, DC SALARY: $70,000 - $80,000/year commensurate with experience EDUCATION: Bachelor’s Degree. Prior property management experience a plus.

CONTACT: Charles L. Brodsky. Chief Operating Officer. chuck@jscwdc.com

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CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN SERVICES MEP & ENERGY CONSULTING CAPITAL RESERVE STUDIES PAVING & RETAINING WALL PROJECTS STORM DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS DRAINAGE ASSESSMENTS TRANSITION STUDIES

www.falconengineering.com (800) 839.7740 7361 Calhoun Place, Suite 325 Rockville, MD 20855 CONNECTICUT

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DC

DELAWARE

FLORIDA

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NEW JERSEY

NEW YORK

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Meet Our 2019 Winners!

2019 WMCCAI Scholarship Winners

If You Were a Community Association Board Mem

You Like to See in Your Community and How Wo

BY AVA NASKI, 1ST PLACE WINNER

Ava Naski of Reston, VA is the 1st Place recipient of the 2019 scholarship award from WMCCAI and was awarded $2,000.

She will be attending University of Mary Washington this fall.

Sagar Varma of South Riding, VA is the 2nd Place recipient of the 2019 scholarship award from WMCCAI and was awarded $1,015. He will be attending Virginia Tech this fall.

“

Live, Work, Play”. That is the motto for my hometown. Having lived here for 18 years, I can tell you that the planned, self-contained community of Reston, Virginia lives up to that motto. Designed with the idea that Restonians would want to work and play within their community, it has been an idyllic place to grow up. Neighborhood communities were built near village centers, which can be easily accessed via walking trails nestled next to open spaces for ball playing or impromptu picnics. Here in Reston, riding my bike to and from elementary school was a reality! But like many other aging communities, Reston is not without its challenges.

Like other planned communities, properties in Reston are part of an association, which ensures the beauty of this hamlet is maintained and that the covenants are followed. Reston Association homeowners are also given voting privileges for board elections, giving every household a voice.

Many of the neighborhoods within Reston are also part of cluster home owners’ associations, or HOAs. My home sits in a cluster HOA and in the 18 years that I have lived here, I have seen my neighborhood change in many ways. I know firsthand the challenges our HOA board faces and the benefits that our community has earned from their hard work.

As a board member for our homeowners association, I would like to see more residents take ownership in their community.

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For several years, our annual meetings have struggled to achieve the quorum needed to have an official meeting. As a board member, I would personally reach out to the neighbors on my street and encourage them to attend the meeting and learn more about their community. I fear that some neighbors view an annual meeting as an arena for neighbors to complain and if they don’t have any complaints, they see no reason in attending.

An annual meeting is often a time where new board members are elected, and yearly budgets are approved. These meetings can also be an opportunity to hear from special guest speakers, such as local police discussing crime in the area. Residents are generally notified about these meetings through a mailed announcement, but I believe speaking directly to my neighbors and encouraging them to come out to the meetings would make a difference. I would encourage my fellow board members to do the same and with this group effort, we would see a rise in our attendance numbers and achieve a quorum once again.

Our community is approaching the 25-year mark and it is starting show its age. Maintaining the integrity our neighborhood should go beyond our HOA guidelines and be something in which all neighbors take pride. As a board member, I would encourage neighbors to take part in bi-annual cluster clean ups. This could include sprucing up the entrance to our neighborhood in the spring and fall, canvassing common areas for debris, or helping out neighbors who could use some extra help maintaining their yard.

These are activities in which all residents,

The WMCCAI Scholarship Program is open to all graduating high-school seniors within the immediate Washington metro living within a community association (i.e. homeowners association, condominium association, or cooperative association).

mber, What Changes Would

ould You Implement Them? young and old, could take part. And by incorporating these clean ups in a cluster wide potluck or block party, it would also foster community bonding. We need to go beyond a wave and brief hello as we hurry into our homes each day.

By encouraging attendance at annual meetings and supporting community wide clean up sessions, these changes would make a significant impact on the community. The overall appearance of the neighborhood would be more pleasing and the people living in it would have a more active presence. If I were a community association board member, seeing these changes implemented would give me the hope for other changes down the line and motivate me to continue serving my community.

BY SAGAR VARMA, 2ND PLACE WINNER

W

hen I was five, we moved to the Riding of Blue Spring community in South Riding, Virginia. It was a new housing development with a number of homes still under construction. It reminded me of springtime, where the flowers were blooming, the grass sprouting and most important; the budding of new life. Now as a senior high school student, twelve years later, I reflect on the changes I have seen in the community over the years. I love my community as it represents familiarity, security, and a sense of belonging. A big reason is from the hard work put in by the community association, who have met the mission of providing an atmosphere fostering a common bond amongst the residents.

The 2019 Scholarship Program was solely funded by WMCCAI members, along with our two sponsors, DoodyCalls and Mutual of Omaha Bank, and two generous donations by Rees Broome, P.C. and Windows Plus, LLC. Thank you to all who donated this year!

If I was on the board of the Riding at Blue Spring community association, I would work with fellow board members and residents to implement the following three ideas with the continued goal of uniting the community and its families across various backgrounds (socioeconomic, race, religion, age, gender).

The first idea would be to initiate a recurring international gathering where food/ traditions/culture from different parts of the world would be celebrated. This could be accomplished in several ways: 1. Request a resident/residents take the lead for their respective cultural event.

2. Request the HOA to take the lead for each event with support from residents. This would allow the HOA to establish the tone as compared to a resident, where the resident may feel overwhelmed for the success of the event.

3. Request a local merchant/restaurant take the lead. This would provide marketing visibility for the merchant while taking the pressure away from the resident and/or HOA. The second idea centers on a current hot environmental topic of responsibility raised and organic foods. The ability to support the local community by initiating a local farmers’ market would demonstrate the association commitment to the cause. The clubhouse parking lot could support the vendors and could occur during the spring-fall timeframe. The event would be a terrific opportunity to bring the community residents and perhaps even non community residents

together in a common venue. The frequency could be determined based on other association activities and the effort required by both HOA/residents and the vendors. Every month or every other week seems to make sense. Where I have seen communities that offer this type of event, it establishes a proactive precedence and promotes healthy living. One of my friends, who lives in a Farm to Table community said it is an extremely popular offering, as it showcases clean foods free from chemicals/pesticides used by large mass scale producers.

The final idea is organizing volunteer day(s) within the community. There is no better way to give back, while obtaining a feeling of accomplishment. The volunteer day could focus on a specific area of the community and could further be broken out into different age groups. The younger kids and perhaps the elderly could plant flowers, tidying up the landscape while the adults work on the rebuilding/assembly type projects including painting, fencing, play lots, etc. All the volunteers could unite after the work for a celebration meal with music & games. The volunteer day would serve as a philanthropic event, teaching the younger kids the importance of giving back, especially to their local community. It would also raise the pride factor as a resident, seeing the outcome of the hard work.

I have seen when the HOA works hard to engage the community, the value and lives of the residents are enriched and I am proud to have been part of such an organization during my childhood.

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By Michelle Baquero, CMCA, AMS Michelle Baquero is a “homegrown” Portfolio Manager for National Realty Partners, LLC. Michelle started in the industry in 2012 as the receptionist and quickly took the steps to further her career as she became an Administrative Assistant and completed her M-100 after 9 months with the company. After receiving her CMCA, Michelle was promoted to Portfolio Manager and recently celebrated her 5-year anniversary with NRP.

The Evolution of

A

mericans have been encouraged to reduce, reuse, and recycle since the Great Depression when manufacturers marketed their products as “multifunctional”; encouraging people to reuse material from flour sacks for clothing and to donate used oil and grease to the military for weapon development. Conscientious consumers continued to upcycle even after the end of the economic strain of the Great Depression as an effort to save money. With the invention of single use containers due to soda and alcohol companies; landfills were developed and the need for environmental control became obvious as we entered into the 1950s and 1960s. These efforts lead to the creation of the EPA, the first Earth Day, and “Bottle Bills” in the 1970s. “Bottle Bills” were adopted as a litter control measure and encouraged people to exchange glass bottles for money.

In 1980, Woodbury, New Jersey became the first city in the United States to introduce curbside recycling services. While there is no national law to mandate recycling, state and local governments often regulate recycling within their own municipalities. As we entered into the new millennium, nearly 20% of the United States was utilizing single-stream recycling programs which allows for paper, plastics, and glass to be placed into a single container and then sorted at a plant.

In 2017, the EPA reported that Americans recycle roughly 66 million tons of material per year. In 2018 China began enforcing an antipollution campaign that banned “foreign garbage” including most plastic, paper, and glass from the United States.

Today we are feeling the greatest impacts of this ban in the recent enforcement from local municipalities and service providers as they will not accept recyclables made of glass and various types of paper and plastic food containers. In addition to the restrictions from China, the shortage of domestic recycling facilities, municipalities and service providers are also faced with concerns over contamination of recycled materials due to food scraps and residual materials. Many residents in Northern Virginia no longer have the ability to recycle these materials and are being diverted back to our landfills. This puts the responsibility on us as consumers to go back to basics to find ways to reduce and reuse when we can no longer recycle.

As a consumer walks through their average big box store or local coffee shop they will notice that the shelves are lined with “reusable” cups, bags, and various storage containers to help limit the production of waste from items like paper coffee cups, plastic water bottles, and even plastic sandwich bags. Many retailers are also offering

discounts for the use of reusable bags and cups/containers.

Food and beverage vendors in the United States are joining the trend to eliminate the use of the plastic straws after recent studies reported that the United States uses approximately 500 million plastic straws per day.

The adage that says “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” rings true even more so today as we see yard sale groups and marketplaces on social media where people sell or trade their unwanted items. If someone is interested in “upcycling” their used wine bottles a website like Pinterest can help them find thousands of different crafts and projects from lawn ornaments to mosaics and artistic lighting.

With a little creative thinking and a conscious effort to limit our use of disposable non-biodegradable items and perhaps some out of the box thinking; we can help limit the impact while the recycling industry recovers from these changes and until facilities become available.

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Directory and Classifieds AMUSEMENT & PARTY RENTALS

GENERAL CONTRACTORS

Fantasy World Entertainment 124 Jibsail Drive T: (800) 757-6332 Prince Frederick, MD 20678 www.fwworld.com Brooks Grady brooks@fwworld.com

Ploutis Contracting Co, Inc. T: (703) 360-0205 8365 Richmond Hwy F: (703) 360-5439 Alexandria, VA 22309 info@ploutiscontracting.com Stella Ploutis www.ploutiscontracting.com

ASPHALT PAVING/MAINTENANCE/REPAIR

INSURANCE

Brothers Paving & Concrete Corporation 9469 Hawkins Dr T: (703) 393-1927 Manassas, VA 20109 F: (703) 393-1928 Paul Battista info@brotherspaving.com

Griffin Owens Insurance Group www.GriffinOwens.com 847 Station Street, Herndon, VA 20170 T: (571) 386-1000 Offices also located in Falls Church & Manassas Daniel Flavin, CIC, CRM dan@griffinowens.com

Espina Paving, Inc. Asphalt/Concrete 15441 Farm Creek Drive T: (703) 491-9100 Woodbridge, VA 2191 F: (703) 491-9101 Serving: MD, DC, VA info@espinapaving.com ATTORNEY

COWIE & MOTT, P.A. T: (202) 670-6289 2310 Boston Street www.cowiemott.com Baltimore, MD 21224 Nicholas D. Cowie ndcowie@cowiemott.com Thomas Schild Law Group, LLC www.schildlaw.com 401 North Washington Street, Suite #500 T: (301) 251-1414 Rockville, MD 20850 Thomas C. Schild, CCAL tschild@schildlaw.com Scott J. Silverman ssilverman@schildlaw.com BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES

WINTRUST Community Advantage T: (734) 276-3330 Metro DC www.communityadvantage.com Kim Myles kmyles@communityadvantage.com A leading provider of financial services to condominium, townhome, and homeowner associations.

ENGINEERS

ETC Engineering and Technical Consultants Inc. Water intrusion, roofing, exteriors, windows, balconies, property studies, structural & architectural services www.etc-web.com T: (703) 450-6220 Mindy Maronic mindy@etc-web.com The Falcon Group www.falconengineering.com 7361 Calhoun Place, Suite 325 Rockville, MD 20855 T: (240) 328-1095 Stew Willis info@falconengineering.com

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JANITORIAL

Caldwell & Gregory, Inc. Your Commercial Laundry Professionals 129 Broad Street Road Manakin-Sabot, VA 23103

T: (804) 784-6100 F: (804) 784-7418

Clean Advantage Corporation 4000 Pen Belt Place T: (800) 315-3264 District Heights, MD 20747 F: (301) 595-3331 www.cleanadv.com info@cleanadv.com MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Associa Community Management Corporation, AAMC 4840 Westfields Blvd, Suite 300 T: (703) 631-7200 Chantilly, VA 20151 www.cmc-management.com John Tsitos, CMCA, AMS, PCAM jstitos@cmc-management.com Barkan Management Company, Inc 8229 Boon Blvd., Suite 760 T: (703) 388-1005 Tyson Corner, VA 22182 F: (703) 388-1006 Michael Feltenberger, CMCA, AMS, PCAM CAMP, AAMC (Community Association Management Professionals) www.gocampmgmt.com T: (703) 821-CAMP 4114 Legato Road, Suite 200 Fairfax, VA 22033 hgraham@gocampmgmt.com 209 West Street, Suite 302 Annapolis, MD 21401 sblackburn@gocampmgmt.com Capitol Management Corporation 12011 Lee-Jackson Highway, Suite 350 Fairfax, VA 22033 L. Peyton Harris Jr., CMCA, CPM lph@capitolmanagementcorp.net

T: (703) 934-5200 F: (703) 934-8808

Cardinal Management Group, Inc., AAMC 4330 Prince William Parkway, Suite 201 T: (703) 569-5797 Woodbridge, VA 22192 www.cardinalmanagementgroup.com cardinal@cardinalmanagementgroup.com Thomas A. Mazzei, CMCA, AMS, PCAM

MANAGEMENT SERVICES (CONT’D)

CFM Management Services, AAMC 5250 Cherokee Ave, Suite 100 T: (703) 941-0818 Alexandria, VA 22314 F: (703) 941-0816 Christiaan Melson, AMS, PCAM c­­­­­­­­melson@cfmmanagement.com Comsource Management, Inc. AAMC www.comsource.com 3414 Morningwood Drive T: (301) 924-7355 Olney, Maryland 20832 F: (301) 924-7340 Gary M. Simon, CMCA, AMS, PCAM gsimon@comsource.com FirstService Residential DC Metro LLC, AAMC 11351 Random Hills Road, Suite 500 T: (703) 385-1133 Fairfax, VA 22020 Robert Teeling robert.teeling@fsresidential.com KPA Management, AAMC www.kpamgmt.com 6402 Arlington Blvd., Suite 700 T: (703) 532-5005 Falls Church, VA 22042 F: (703) 532-5098 Offering personalized service Ed Alrutz, CPM, CMCA, PCAM ealrutz@kpamgmt.com Legum & Norman Inc. AAMC 3130 Fairview Park Drive Ste 200 T: (703) 600-6000 Falls Church, VA 22042 www.legumnorman.com Marc B. McCoy, CMCA, AMS MMcCoy@legumnorman.com Sentry Management www.sentrymgt.com 4401 Ford Avenue, Suite 1150 T: (703) 642-3246 Alexandria, VA 22302 602 South King Street, Suite 400 T: (540) 751-1888 Leesburg, VA 20175 Dave Ciccarelli, AMS, PCAM dciccarelli@sentrymgt.com Sequoia Management Company Inc., AAMC 13998 Parkeast Circle T: (703) 803-9641 Chantilly, VA 20151-2283 www.sequoiamanagement.com Craig Courtney, PCAM ccourtney@sequoiamgmt.com PAINTING SERVICES AND RETAILERS

Capital Painting Co. www.capitalpainting.net 5520 Oakwood Road T: (703) 313-0013 Alexandria, VA 22310 F: (703) 922-1826 George Tsentas george@capitalpainting.net Reston Painting & Contracting 619 Carlisle Drive Herndon, VA 20170 David Hamilton

T: (703) 904-1702 F: (703) 904-0248 dave@restonpaint.com

Williams Professional Painting 110 S. Floyd Street VA: (703) 768-8143 Alexandra, VA 22304 DC: (202) 751-2026 williamsprofessionalpainting.com Rick Williams Rick@williamsprofessionalpainting.com

­­INDEX TO ADVERTISERS A Associa-Community Management Corporation, AAMC....................................................................10 B Barkan Management, LLC, AAMC..................................................................................................18 Brothers Paving & Concrete..............................................................................................................4 C Caldwell & Gregory, Inc...................................................................................................................24 Capital Painting Co.........................................................................................................................19 Clean Advantage Corporation T/A Condominium Cleaning Service..................................................40 COWIE & MOTT, P.A.......................................................................................................................21 RESTORATION SERVICES

Titan Restoration Co Warrenton, VA T: (540) 349-1503 www.titanrestoration.com F: (540) 349-1512 Anita Puckett apuckett@titanrestoration.com

D DoodyCalls.....................................................................................................................................21 E

ROOFING

Engineering and Technical Consultants (ETC).................................................................................22

TWC Services, LLC PO Box 150277 T: (703) 971-6016 Alexandria, VA 22315 www.twcserv.com Linda Walker info@twcserv.com

F Fantasy World, Inc. dba Fantasy World Entertainment.....................................................................16 The Falcon Group...........................................................................................................................31

WINDOWS & DOORS

FirstService Residential DC Metro, LLC, AAMC................................................................................39

Windows Plus, LLC 4321 Markham Street T: (703) 256-0600 Annandale, VA 22003 F: (703) 942-6987 Kimberly Wayland kknight@windowspls.com

M McMillan Metro, P.C.......................................................................................................................27 Mutual of Omaha Bank@Community Association Banking & CondoCerts.......................................19 N Northstar Community Management Software..................................................................................13 P Ploutis Contracting Co., Inc.............................................................................................................39 R Reston Painting Company................................................................................................................2 S Sentry Management, Inc.................................................................................................................11 Solitude Lake Management..............................................................................................................7 T TWC Services, LLC..........................................................................................................................27 W Williams Professional Painting.........................................................................................................20 Windows Plus, LLC.........................................................................................................................14 WINTRUST Community Advantage Bank.......................................................................................28

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CUL-DE-SAC

By Crishana L. Loritsch, CMCA, AMS, PCAM Crishana is the general manager of The Adagio Condominium located in Bethesda, MD. She has been an active member of the chapter since 2002, where she has volunteered on the Quorum Editorial, Membership, and Public Outreach committees and has served as Public Outreach Committee chair, Secretary on the Board of Directors, and Communication Council Chair. Additionally, Ms. Loritsch has received numerous awards including Rising Star, Committee Chair of the Year, Chapter Appreciation Award, and was most recently recognized as the 2017 WMCCAI Volunteer of the Year. An avid runner, she spends many early mornings preparing for her next big race.

Community Association of the Year Awards: You Can’t Win If You Don’t Play

T

here is something about the prospect of winning the lottery that brings out the dreamer in all of us. When you are knee deep in the drudgery and the mundane of everyday life, it is a fun distraction to think about the things you would do with all that money. I am pretty sure my list is similar to others: 1) Give a large amount to charity; 2) Travel to my bucket list destinations and 3) Quit my job and find my bliss. But you know what? All of my daydreaming means nothing because…I don’t play.

cohesion based on common goals and aspirations for the community and the residents you serve. Or maybe your community hasn’t had any fireworks, trials or tribulations to overcome…we want to hear from you! It takes a lot of hard work, sweat, maybe a little blood and even a few tears to work alongside your fellow owner to make your community a wonderful place in which to live.

Don’t wait for someone to take notice. Take that leap, rally your troops and put your hat in the ring.

When it comes to the Community Association of the Year award, there are so many communities that deserve recognition but for a myriad of reasons, they do not apply for this coveted recognition. Instead of focusing on the reasons why you shouldn’t apply, think of all of the reasons why your community is exactly the kind that deserves recognition. Maybe your community overcame a significant fiscal challenge and was able to position itself back to a financially healthy place. Or perhaps, your community had an image problem with its residents and you were able to address those issues head on, changing the culture from an “us versus them” mentality to one of unity and

One of the state lotteries had a popular tag line in its marketing campaign to encourage folks to participate and it worked because it spurred to action: You’ve got to play to win.

It’s simple and true. The same holds true for the Community Association of the Year awards. You cannot win if you choose not to play. Don’t allow any thoughts of failure, fear of the unknown or negative self-talk prevent you from participating. We have such an abundance of well maintained, well managed communities in our region and we want to afford every opportunity for them to shine. But we need your help to do it! It’s a win/win for all but remember you can’t win if you don’t play!

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Exceptional Service is Our Mission.

As Metro DC’s residential property management leader with national resources, we know what it takes to create great communities that residents are proud to call home. We start by putting the right teams in place – local property experts who deliver our best-in-class solutions, along with genuinely helpful service, to enhance the property values and lifestyle of those we serve.

That’s how we make a difference, every day, for great communities like yours…

• High-Rise and Mid-Rise Buildings • Condominium and Homeowners Associations • Lifestyle, Large Scale and Active Adult Communities 11351 Random Hills Road, Suite 500, Fairfax, VA 22030 923 Maple Grove Drive, Suite 101, Fredericksburg, VA 22407 8701 Georgia Avenue, Suite 300, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Making a Difference.

Every Day.

Proudly serving Washington DC area communities for over 35 years

703.385.1133 | www.fsresidential.com

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CHAPTER BENEFACTORS

C

ASPHALT & CONCRETE

WMCCAI 7600 Leesburg Pike Suite 100 West Falls Church, VA 22043 www.caidc.org (703) 750-3644

PRESORT STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID ALEXANDRIA, VA # 5659

OUR MISSION To optimize the operations of Community Associations and foster value for our business partners.

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