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Some of those loans were on failed community associ- ation developments. There, I got my first taste of working with association boards to satisfy the bank loans and get the community completed. As the economy improved, there was less commercial collection work, and, in 1995, I transferred to the firm’s fledgling community association group. Since then, I haven’t looked back. It’s been all associations, all of the time - sometimes frustrating, sometimes maddening, often rewarding but never boring. In 2004, I recognized the need for a law firm that focused on Association representation and founded McGovern Legal Services. Is there a specific program that you would like to highlight? We are strong education advocates. We give free seminars to managers, management companies and board members throughout New Jersey. Even if a management company doesn’t regularly work with us, we happily give seminars there. I had the honor of serving as CAI-NJ’s President-elect in 2014 and remain on CAI-NJ’s board. In my December 2014 speech to CAI-NJ leadership, I advocated CAI-NJ using its funds to pay for manager education and certifica- tion. I am proud that, in awarding the first Jules C. Frankel Manager Education Assistance Program scholarships this year, CAI-NJ has dedicated funds to directly paying for manager education and professional development. We encourage more managers to apply for these scholarships and encourage association boards to give professional development time off to managers so that they may take CAI courses and maintain and improve their expertise. What might someone be surprised to learn about your company? Although we love associations, construction defect litiga- tion, assessment collection and general corporate work, you may be surprised that we also love dogs. On this page are pictures of some of our employees’ dogs that come to our “dog friendly” office.

Meet (clockwise from top left) Chopper, Chevy, Oreo and Louie

What trends do you see for the Community Association industry? High-rise, urban associations will continue to increase. Personal privacy will continue to be a challenge. Associations may find themselves writing a “right to priva- cy” into their governing documents – it’s not clear though whether or how such a right could be enforced. For example, who has the right to video footage, key fob data, license plate scans etc. Should drones with cameras be permitted? Cyber security and liability will also be a grow- ing concern. Who is obligated to secure data? Who is liable in case of a breach or loss? Is the association insured for third-party and other data theft and damage? Cultural, racial and religious differences will also have to be recognized and respectfully harmonized - doing otherwise risks balkanization. As communities continue to diversify, association professionals and board members will have to find ways of bringing community members from “us” and “them” to “we.” Some of our communities have had success in this regard with programs from “welcome committees” to “interfaith counsels.” Q

See the complete list of Ultimate Sponsors on page 2 of this issue.

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