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Board members of common-interest realty associations are volunteers who are
elected by the members of their association. New board members do not always
recognize the many different board member responsibilities. At various times
during a board member's term of office, the member is a leader, a policy
maker, an enforcer, an arbitrator and a strategic planner.
Members of the board of directors are the association's leaders.
As a leader, the member is expected to always act in the best interest
of the association. This means putting aside personal interest
and opinions when performing board duties.
A Board member is a policy maker. To be an effective policy maker,
the board member should have an understanding of the association's
past, a vision for the future, and knowledge of the present.
At times, the board member may have to enforce the association's
rules, regulations, policies or guidelines. Enforcing the governing
documents is necessary. Being fair, firm, consistent, honest, concerned
and empathetic is the best approach to this duty.
Arbitrator is another important board member role. There will
be times when owners cannot agree on a topic and the board member
becomes involved. The board member's goal is to help the owners
find an equitable resolution to the disagreement. This requires
the board member to be a good listener, a calming influence, and
to make fair decisions.
As a strategic planner, the member's objective is to maintain
the association's assets, prevent a recurring problem, and to avoid
a future problem. This planning is often performed by the entire
board. The final solutions will be a product of education, debate,
and negotiation. Sometimes the proposed solutions are submitted
to the membership for comment.
At this point the reader is probably asking why someone would
volunteer to be a board member if they knew before hand that they
were expected to do so many different kinds of tasks.
The answer is that a new board member is not expected to be an
expert in each role on their first day. There are other members
of the board who have more board experience and the community manager
should have the expertise in each area to provide direction, training,
and advice to help the new member grow into the role.
What should board members do to improve their performance of these
roles?
- Become more knowledgeable of the state and local laws that
govern community associations.
- Read and refer often to the association's governing documents
(i.e. declaration, bylaws, policies, procedures, resolutions,
guidelines, rules and regulations).
- Be prepared when attending board meetings. Bring the association's
governing documents, most recent financial report and management
report. Read the management and financial report before the
meeting.
- Acknowledge the community manager's expertise. Use the manager
as a resource to improve the quality of the board's decisions.
- Maintain a professional demeanor before, during, and after
meetings.
- Attend seminars and classes to learn more about the operations
of community associations. A good source for these classes
is the local chapter of the Community Associations Institute
(CAI), your management company, and the association's attorney.
Being a board member is a rewarding experience. From the board
member's perspective, the board member learns how the community
is operated, develops skills they did not have before becoming
a board member, and gains an appreciation of the contributions
of former and future board members. From the association's perspective,
the value of the volunteer's time, commitment, and intelligence
could not be duplicated at any price.
Robert
Elks
President
Select Community Services
Chantilly, VA
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