Gaughan Association Management Accepts AAMC Award at National Conference
Earlier this month, Gaughan Association Management was able to attend a great educational conference hosted by Community Associations Institute (CAI). This national conference provided key educational sessions that delivered information to allow our team to continue to improve and grow.
Our team was also recognized for receiving AAMC accreditation. We are thankful to participate with an organization that continues to strive to educate managers and leadership throughout our industry.
Thank you to CAI for a great conference, and we look forward to another educational year with our local chapter, CAI-MN, as well!
Gaughan Association Management Awarded the Accredited Association Management Company Designation
Gaughan Association Management recently joined an elite group of community association management companies that have earned the Accredited Association Management Company (AAMC®) credential from Community Associations Institute (CAI). To earn the AAMC credential, a management company must have three years of experience in community association management and at least 50 percent of its managers must have earned professional designations.
Gaughan is one of six association management companies in Minnesota to receive the AAMC designation. Fewer than 250 management companies worldwide have earned the highest level of professional recognition in the community association management field.
Gaughan Association Management will be inducted during the Opening General Session of the upcoming CAI Annual Conference and Exposition in Washington, DC on May 9-12, 2018.
Gaughan Director of Association Management Receives AMS Designation
Gaughan Association Management is pleased to announce that Amanda Glader, Director of Association Management, has been awarded her Association Management Specialist (AMS) designation from the Community Associations Institute (CAI).
The Community Associations Institute’s (CAI) Association Management Specialist (AMS) designation says a lot about community managers who have earned this highly respected credential. It says they have the training and knowledge required to provide professional service to their community association clients. It says they understand the nature, importance and unique challenges of community association management. It says they are committed to excellence and continuing education. Employing a manager who has earned an AMS means you are committed to preserving the character of your community, protecting property values, and meeting the expectations of your owners.
To earn the AMS credential, managers must have at least two years of experience in community association management and complete advanced course work. In addition, they must have already earned the basic industry certification for managers—the Certified Manager of Community Associations credential.
“Professionals who earn CAI credentials maximize the value they can provide to their community association clients,” said CAI Chief Executive Officer Thomas M. Skiba, CAE. “Not only have these professionals demonstrated a personal commitment to self-improvement, but they have also elevated their practical knowledge and expertise. That’s what all community associations need and what board members and residents deserve.”
Professional managers provide administrative, operational and managerial counsel to the boards that govern homeowners and condominium associations. Managers typically are responsible for managing budgets and contractors, directing association personnel, and overseeing compliance with association covenants and restrictions.
Congratulations, Amanda! We are proud of your commitment to our clients and the community management industry!
Gaughan Managers Attend HOA Trade Show
Gaughan Association Management managers recently attended the Community Associations Institute -Minnesota Chapter Trade Show. The event provides informative education for our managers, as well as a great opportunity to meet vendors who can assist with our clients’ needs. Thank you, CAI, for a wonderful event filled with great education and networking! We look forward to this event every year.
Association Team Joins in for Toys for Tots
The Gaughan Association Management team attended the recent Community Associations Institute – MN Chapter holiday party. It was a great event to network with vendors, and we got to support a good cause by supplying donations for Toys for Tots. Happy Holidays!
HOA Board of Directors: A Volunteer
If you have ever served on your HOA’s Board of Directors, you can understand the amount of time and effort that goes into preserving your neighborhood and protecting community property values. A long time House Speaker once said, “All politics is local.” With that said, what could be more local than a democracy practiced within the community you live?
Today, there are approximately 68 million Americans living in about 338,000 homeowner associations, condominiums and other planned communities. More specifically, there are about 1.5 million residents and about 7,500 associations here in Minnesota! Needless to say, the amount of volunteers needed for associations in Minnesota is about 30,000 dedicated owners.
A volunteer can be described as a person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task. The key to this definition is freely. For many of the volunteer board members, this is a second job that takes time from their families, evenings and/or even their weekend. Many times, if something doesn’t go as designed, fingers are first pointed at the Board of Directors, but often it can also be a lack of communication when an owner buys into a community or misinterprets the association’s governing documents. Generally, one of the great attributes of being a volunteer is reliability, so being there for owners when called upon can show a great deal of trust and commitment to your community.
A board member’s job can be full of challenges, issues and opportunities, some of which can be controversial. As a board member, the role can be both rewarding and thankless. If given the opportunity, please share a simple note of thanks to your board members. It could be at the next board meeting, annual meeting or in a simple e-mail. Chances are, as you are settling in for the evening for your favorite home remodeling show or to catch your favorite sports team in action, your board members are enduring a 60 to 90 minute board meeting, reviewing the upcoming budget, looking at additional bids, or reviewing pending architectural change applications. Most board members have a great deal of integrity as there is a big responsibility with the community’s resources, facilities and homeowner correspondence.
For more information on how to become a board member, how Gaughan Companies can help your community, or for general questions in regard to your community and/or Board of Directors, please visit us at www.gaughancompanies.com/hoa.
CAI-MN has additional resources, too.
Getting Social for the CAI Show
We all know that a solid social foundation is the cornerstone of any community association. So what better way to prove that than sponsoring the networking reception at the last trade show for the Community Association Institute?
The Gaughan Companies team was well represented at the latest CAI-Mn show on Feb. 20th at the St. Paul River Centre. Our team was on hand to bring Gaughan’s offerings to new vendors, management companies, and association board members alike. We’re always happy to take any opportunity to engage with our professional community and make the connections that have made us a preferred partner in the HOA industry.
