Does anyone have a great speech

to give to the members of an HOA to get elected on the board? I am truly interesed, but have no experience. I am currently on the arc committee and want to run for the board to ensure the ccr's and the needs of this community are met.

Thank you Rick for the response. I do believe that my own words will be better than a canned speech, but I am uncertain of what to say on cadidate night to the members. Start off by telling them who I am? I want to make a difference in the community? Thanks for your comments and your compliment! I just need a little assistance on what type of things to say. Appreciate any help you can give.

That's a very good start.

I have found in my experience as a speech writer and speech coach, that often, simplicity is best.

Pretend you are speaking to a good friend whom you haven't seen in years.

You want to tell her what you are doing and what your plans are.

Draft your speech as though it were directed to her. You know she's interested, and you know she will be excited for you, once she hears . . . . what? That's the blank you fill in.

I've found that one's passion and eloquence often comes out better when taking that approach.

Gosh, BrianB---If you don't mind, I'm going to use that speech for our next election! You'll make me sound like a saint. Great wording!

You are lucky in that you need to make a speech. We are lucky if we have enough warm bodies to serve.

When I decided to run for the Board for a second time I had no idea I had to speak but stressed that we all wanted to keep our property values up and I would work to that end. You might want to stress that you think it is important that all owners be kept informed on what is happening. Keep it short and simple. Any past business experience, depending on what it was, might help as well.

Since association members may or may not know you as a person and in particular, how qualified you are to assume the role of a Board member, you should develop a personal profile for yourself (see below). It is important to write down your initial thoughts, as it will force you to be clear and succinct.
 A two-minute elevator speech on your qualifications and what strengths and experiences you bring to the position
 What you believe the role of the BoD is to perform
 Values that you intend to practice while serving as a Board member
 A list of important issues that you believe should be addressed in the short term (i.e. next 30-60 days)

A couple of other suggestions that I would offer to you include:

- Talk to the members of your association. Listen carefully, and look for patterns in everything you see and hear. You should spend a lot of time listening and asking questions. Talk to as many association members as you can on an informal basis. Soon you'll start to see a pattern about what's really going on, or confirm what you already know.

- Settle on a few major priorities. You can't fix everything at once. Typically, you can't do everything you want to do, so you need to make some strategic choices. Target a few early wins. Momentum counts and nothing succeeds like success.

- Become familiar with all association legal documents. Since a major responsibility of the BoD is to interpret, create, and enforce all association covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs), you should become extremely familiar with its current contents. These documents will provide the basis for enabling or restricting anything that the Board is to do.

Good luck.
JoeK
www.*******.com