Keep Personal Agendas Out of Being a Board Member

Lee Ann is the General Manager for Quarry Springs at Stoneyhurst Condominium located in Bethesda Maryland. She is honored to work with an incredible team of concierge, gate attendants and maintenance personnel. Outside of work she is the President of the After Prom Party for Rockville High School. Lee Ann has been an active member of the Quorum Editorial Committee for the past four years.

Keep Personal AgendasOUT

of being a board member

Why do owners in HOAs, condominiums and cooperatives join the board of directors? I asked previous board members and some of the answers came back as:

• Because no one else will do it • They want to help their community • Someone asks them to run because they have a special skill set • Someone convinces them to do it and promises to help. • They have little faith in the current leadership. • They see changes that need to be made and want to see them happen. • They want to be sure their favorite employee(s) are taken care of.

What wasn’t said, but I believe happens, is that some owners want to be sure rules are not passed that will restrict their experience as an off-site owner or on-site resident. For example, I’ve seen a person get on the board because he wanted to restrict the number of renters permitted. He has no other goal (at first) than making sure this bylaw change was made. I’ve seen a person get on the board because he wanted to go through all the association’s contracts in order to get involved in the bidding process in an effort to reduce costs.

The interesting thing is, whether or not a board member ran for the board for altruistic reasons or because s/he had a personal agenda, it is unlikely the board member will end up commandeering the board meetings and getting his or her way. Typically, a board is made of 5, 7 or even 9 members and each one has his or her own experience, education, and personal opinion. These people get to speak also, and therefore the majority almost always prevails and this may or may not fall in line a board member’s personal agenda. Board education plays a role in keeping personal agendas out also.

Management should help board members understand what makes for a successful board and board meeting. Success comes:

• When members and co-owners exchange information • When board members make decisions

that solve or avoid problems • When board members listen to concerns • When board members explain issues • When board members pool their different ideas and experiences to accomplish goals.

Effective January 1, 2016, all new board members in Montgomery County must take a class within the first 90 days of being voted on to the board. The training addresses ethics, roles and responsibilities of board members and homeowners, governing documents, financial management, meeting rules, and general administration. The Commission of Common Ownership Communities (CCOC) and CAI provide training and written materials to help owners, residents and managers do the best job possible. Pursuing persona agendas is not a way to do the best job.

If one reads the Guide for Association Practitioners (GAP) reports for The Board President, The Board Treasurer, The Board Secretary, nowhere do they recommend pursuing personal agendas.

Instead, key points include: working to enhance the lifestyle of res1017006_Cowie.indd 1 idents and protecting the value of the community. It suggests that the President work closely with the rest of the board members, manager, committees and residents to establish the overall goals of the association.

The Treasurer is the financial voice for the community, not for him or herself. S/he should ensure the budget is completed on schedule and should implement safeguards to protect the association’s assets.

The Secretary prepares and distributes board meeting minutes and notices. S/he accepts and verifies proxies for annual and special meetings as well as maintains or verifies that management maintains the association’s records.

If the board members and management do their jobs, there is no room for personal agendas. If a board member tries to “work” a personal agenda, other members or owners are likely to call him or her on it. The board member may be nicely challenged in order to see the mistake being made, but if that does not work, a board member can be removed from office. Association documents describe how this can be accomplished.

As mentioned earlier in the article, some board members start their board term with a personal agenda as their goal, but most end up working well with others for the good of the entire community.

8/28/20 12:43 AM