Ebooks

January: Get organized with an annual calendar. Serving as a board member can be challenging, and being disorganized only makes it more difficult. If your board is perpetually scheduling meetings on the fly, planning events at the last minute, and signing vendors too quickly to properly vet them resolve to put an end to the chaos this year. This is a common new year's resolution, and it makes sense to implement within your community or your board of directors. If you don't have one already, implement an annual calendar to mark important events throughout the year. Have all your major contracts on the calendar along with renewal notification dates so you can properly bid out if the board or community is unhappy with the level of service. Plan out your board meetings for the entire year and stick to them. By having consistent and business-oriented meetings you will be more productive and your homeowners will have more faith in the board. — Jesse Dubuque, CMCA® Director of Client Development Associa Minnesota February: Read your governing documents. Knowing your board's duties and limitations is crucial to effective and efficient community leadership. Luckily, most of this information can be found in your community's governing documents, which include Covenants, Codes and Restrictions; Bylaws; and Rules and Regulations. While their length and complexity can make this task seem overwhelming, it's worth investing the time in learning this information so that you make decisions more efficiently and avoid violations. Have you ever read the governing documents as a board member? You should! As a volunteer leader of the community you need to set a good example, and to do that you need to know what the rules, restrictions, and policies of your community actually are. Resolve to read through all the governing documents and if there is anything you need clarification on, ask your community manager. — Jesse Dubuque, CMCA® Director of Client Development Associa Minnesota

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