HOA Conferences

Has anyone here attended a local HOA related conference on the HOA's dime? If so, what kind of conference did you attend, and was it worthwhile?

I am interested in spending a day or two to attend a conference to learn how to become a better board member, if the HOA would pay for it. Clearly it would have to be affordable.

I often talk about the Community Association Institute (CAI), a national organization of HOAs and related vendors. Not everyone agrees with their political stances (depends on your state because some have done more on HOA legislation than others), but our board obtained a membership because of its educational materials.

The year I joined the board, our president at the time attended the national conference, partly because he'd been nominated for a national award (and won). I believe the HOA paid the conference fee, the hotel and airfare, and he picked up the rest. After that, we stuck to the local meetings that were usually held every two months or so, due to the expense of travel

A few years after joining the board (and becoming newsletter editor), I was designated as the CAI rep for our community, so in addition to attending some of the local meetings, there was an annual meeting. Both were great for networking with other HOA communities to get ideas and tips on good and bad vendors (both of which had information booths). One year I met a group who just tossed the previous board in a recall and were interested in learning how to run things more effectively. I suspect half the people on this website would avoid a lot of drama if they would only slow down a moment and educate themselves on best practices instead of thinking there's some sort of state or federal law that addresses all things HOA. Some things really are a matter of common sense.

I believe you've said in previous posts that your community is fairly new in the homeowners running the show, so I'd definitely recommend checking out the educational materials as a start. they also have a magazine - I think it's still monthly, and you can pick up some good ideas that way. I used to photocopy some of the more interesting ones and distribute them to the other board members - don't know if everyone read them (I know our presidents did). If there's a local chapter, consider joining that too, for the networking - there are individual and group memberships available, which could make it more cost-effective.

As for the national conference, your board will have to decide if that's something that can fit in the association's finances, and I don't think I'd send new members - they should be able to take advantage of local activities. There's also the issue of people going just to play on other people's money, so you might want to consider a per diem for meals and perhaps paying half of the travel expenses. If the association is willing to pick up all of it, someone else should make the travel arrangements to ensure you avoid things like flying first class or renting a BMW to drive all over town. And insist on a detailed report and receipts for all expenses before paying anything. Actually, insist on detailed reports for the local events as well.

So that's one person's opinion. You might also want to talk to your association attorney to see if he or she would be willing to attend a special meeting to educate all of the board members on various issues like rules enforcement. The property manager could also help with bringing in other experts, such as a reserves specialist who can review the ends and outs of a reserve study,or even your association insurance carrier, who could talk about risk management.

And don't forget this website, as well bookstores (their digital websites anyway) where you can what's out there that you can buy. Community colleges may also be helpful in offering classes on things like leadership development - that's what HOA board members are, and when you can learn effective ways to work with each other, improve negotiation skills, dealing with difficult people,etc., that'll help you make more thoughtful decisions. Good luck!

These are the types of educational seminars you should consider:

https://www.cai-glac.org/details.php?id=1649

To add on to Tim's advice: here's an excellent article from Harvard Business School's e-newsletter on leadership goals for the new administration. Regardless of your political leanings, HOA board members should remember the "soft skills" such as effective communication is just as important as knowing your documents, basics of budgeting, and how to run a board meeting. HOA board members are leaders of their community, whether they believe that or not, and often, how you do things is what people remember most.

Oh, and pay close attention to Tim - I've always found him to be a font of thoughtful advice, whether you live in Virginia or not!

https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/leadership-advice-for-biden-restore-a-sense-of-calm?cid=spmailing-32999160-WK%20Newsletter%201-27-21%20(1)-January%2027,%202021