New Board Member - Getting up to speed

Question for all you veteran board members, what do you suggest a new board member do to get up to speed on the the operations of the association, the basics out of the way such a reading the governing documents and a board certification course.

Going back to when you first became a board member what would you do different knowing what you do now to get up to speed and informed on the goings on of the association.

This would be a condo association with a management company handling most aspects.

I'd suggest taking a walk around the HOA/COA. Get to know the people and the area. Walked my dogs to meet those people and listen to them. It allowed me to be familiar with everyone and notice details.

Know your people you represent because as a board member that is who you represent. So just get as familiar with your surroundings and people.

Be humble. Studies show this wins people over to new leaders. Preface statements at open meetings with, "I think that" rather than bald assertions of fact. Good for you for reading the governing documents.

You're getting some good replies here, Scott. Kudos for your willingness to serve and, more than that, to learn about your new role.

I entirely agree with others who say that reading your governing documents carefully & closely is crucial. I agree with Tim11 that many directors don't bother or only focus on their pet topics.

State statutes are really important too in places like FL & CA

I was elected 11 yrs ago and the previous board had been abusive and ignorant. Though in the minority at 3 in a board of 7 for one year, we three first read 2 years' worth of executive session minutes because the previous board hid most of their decisions illegally in Ex. Sess. Learning the background & contexts of these decisions helped us a lot in learning about our HOA.

Review a year's of financials. Do you have a property mgr. to help you grapple with them? Or someone else knowledgeable? But, depending on the size & complexity of your HOA, these may not be difficult.

Review the status of your reserves. See if you know what % funded your reserves are.

Try to determine if any existing directors can be mentor or guides--this may take some observation

After several months, we three new directors asked to review all major contracts with our vendors to see if we could find better savings or services. some hadn't been reevaluated in 5 years.

I'm not familiar with all on Tim's list, but I did find :The Board Member Tool Kit. A GUIDE FOR COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEER LEADERS, from CAI to be very useful.

Might be able to offer more, but first: what size is your HOA? Detached homes, or ? How many directors? Full-time onsite Prop. mgr., or??