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M A R C H , 2 0 1 8
LOOKING
AHEAD
LARRY THOMAS, PCAM
| CAI-NJ CHAPTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
I
’d like to begin this month’s column by thanking all our
community’s board members and committee volunteers.
Without you all, we would not have as many successfully
run associations as we have. New Jersey board members
have evolved tremendously over the recent decades. This is
due to the willingness of board members to better educate
themselves on what their role is and to better understand
the importance of creating an experienced team of support
vendors and professionals. I started in the community
management business over 35 years ago and I can say
without hesitation that today’s community leaders are more
informed and cognizant of their roles and responsibilities
as board members and committee associates. Here is my
take on what I see are the major improvements with our
board members and I will follow with what I see are the
areas that need improvement. Whenever I get contacted
by a board member. I consider the governance of their
association, I look to see who is managing and who the
professionals are. I also look to see how many members of
the community are registered with CAI and which functions
they have attended. This gives me a sense of how dedi-
cated or genuine the board is with properly running their
association. Here are my key components to a successful
community:
• Transparency —
A confident board will publish all
their pertinent information in as many outlets as possible.
I believe a “members only” section on the community’s
website is the best place to provide these reports/ doc-
uments. I also suggest that the associations insurance
information and governing docs be placed in the “mem-
bers only” section.
• Communication —
There is nothing better than
being able to meet with a board member or the com-
munity manager face to face to ask any questions about
the community or see if an issue can be quickly resolved.
Several communities have designated specific times
where a resident can meet with a board member or the
community manager.
• Education —
I cannot stress enough the importance
of being as up-to-date as you can possibly be with what
is happening in the New Jersey community association
arena. I often encourage our boards to not only allow
their management teams to attend our educational
events but to insist that they attend and report back to
the board what was discussed.
• Experienced Team —
“Hire the best that you can
afford” is my advice here. I too often see boards “set-
tle” for a lesser quality manager or professional. An
experienced, credentialed manager can properly lead
your community and over the long run the extra cost will
come back to you several times over. I also see too
many boards get into the weeds with trying to manage
the day to day operations. Boards should set policy
and the staff and professionals should carry out these
policies. I see way too many associations suffer due to
micromanagement by the boards.
• Forward Planning and a Succession Plan —
The most successful communities plan far beyond the
current year. I suggest creating a realistic strategic plan
or a three-year operations budget. And finally, have
a succession plan for your board positions. You can
accomplish this by getting your key committee volunteers
more involved with education and CAI. Remember, you
can now sign up to 15 board members or key volun-
teers for the cost of $295 per year.
CAI-NJ offers several seminars and educational events
designed specifically for our Homeowner Leaders. Please
check out the calendar on the facing page for a list of these
events.
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