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See the complete list of Ultimate Sponsors on page 2 of this issue.
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.
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
Meet (clockwise from top left)
Chopper, Chevy, Oreo and Louie