Professional Community Association Management Since 1984
customercare@ciaservices.com
Houston 713-981-9000
San Antonio 210-490-0000
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Archived Newsletters

Every month, we issue an electronic newsletter, eNews Monthly, to keep clients informed about Association items, spotlight clients, answer frequently asked questions, and let you know what is happening with the company. Old issues of eNews Monthly are available on our Library page.

June 2014
eNews Monthly
Accomplishments
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Better Business Bureau Awards for Excellence

2014 Pinnacle Award Winner

C.I.A. Services, Inc. was recognized by the Houston Better Business Bureau (BBB) with its highest honor, the Pinnacle Award, at the Awards for Excellence luncheon held Wednesday, May 7th at the Westin Galleria.   Laura Tate accepted the award on behalf of the company.  The coveted Pinnacle Award is only given to one business in each category and represents the top 1% of all entries received.  

On May 14th, a special gathering honoring all of the Pinnacle Award winners was held.  Libby Hodges and Candace Look proudly represented our company at the event.  They shared the evening with all of the 2014 Pinnacle Award winners.  

C.I.A. Services has also been honored with the Houston BBB Award of Excellence - Winner of Distinction for the past two consecutive years.  The BBB Awards for Excellence recognizes businesses and non-profits for their achievements and commitment to overall excellence and quality in the workplace.  

Applicants are required to answer a series of questions about their company.  The questions range from describing their company in detail to sharing activities and programs the company is involved in that result in the betterment of the industry, community or a charity.

C.I.A. Services, Inc. has proudly maintained an A+ rating with the BBB for many years.  Our clients can rest easy knowing that we take great pride in our relationship with the BBB.  We are committed to excellent, ethical, and respectable business practices.  Homeowners can also be assured that any disputes or complaints filed with the BBB will be handled in a timely, professional and courteous manner. By being a longtime member in good standing of the Better Business Bureau, both our company and our clients benefit, and that, is something for which we can all be proud.

Fun Times
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2014 Relay for Life
by Roseann Ashe

ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE….nowhere is that more evident than the American Cancer Society Relay for Life.  This event is a life-changing experience that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the people who have battled cancer, remember lost loved ones and to Fight Against the Disease.   Once again, C.I.A. Services participated in the Relay for Life event held at the Bandera High School on Saturday, May 17th

This year’s event began with opening ceremonies and introductions of each participating cancer survivor in attendance.  After the introductions, each survivor circled the track in one direction, their caregivers circled in the opposite direction and they met up together on the opposite side of the track.  Then all teams gathered and the team captains introduced the team and their way of raising money for The Cure.  Throughout the night all teams must have at least one member of the team walking the track. This symbolizes the fact that cancer doesn’t sleep and the participants donate one full night to walk for the cause.  As the sun went down, the lights were turned off on the track and volunteers lit the luminaries which were on the stands and lined the track.  The luminaries spelled the words “HOPE” and “CURE”.

Our team, C.I.A. Services Crusaders, included all of the staff from our Bandera office.  We were one of 26 teams making the event a success.  This year, our team raised $3,233.13 by hosting a Cupcake Bar at the event, setup at our campsite. We sold plain cupcakes and patrons were able to frost their own cupcakes and decorate them with sprinkles. We also had frosted cupcakes, cookies and cake for sale.  However, not all the money was raised at our campsite.  One team member, Kim Beaton, raised $2,500.00 on her own for The C.I.A. Services Crusaders….”ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE”. 

Hurricane Preparedness
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Are You Ready?

Courtesy of Harris County 

Two keys to weather safety are to prepare for the risks and to act on those preparations when alerted by emergency officials. These are essential pieces to the Weather-Ready Nation.

Refer to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Ready.gov/hurricanes for comprehensive information on hurricane preparedness at home and in your community.

Some highlights on how to prepare and take action are available below:

Gather Information

Know if you live in an evacuation area. Assess your risks and know your home’s vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind. Understand National Weather Service forecast products and especially the meaning of NWS watches and warnings.

Contact your local National Weather Service office and local government/emergency management office. Find out what type of emergencies could occur and how you should respond.

Contacts

Keep a list of contact information for reference. 

  • Local Emergency Management Office
  • County Law Enforcement
  • County Public Safety Fire/Rescue
  • State, County and City/Town Government
  • Local Hospitals
  • Local Utilities
  • Local American Red Cross
  • Local TV Stations
  • Local Radio Stations
  • Your Property Insurance Agent

Risk Analysis

Online hazard and vulnerability assessment tools are available to gather information about your risks.

Plan & Take Action

Everyone needs to be prepared for the unexpected. Your friends and family may not be together when disaster strikes. How will you find each other? Will you know if your children or parents are safe? You may have to evacuate or be confined to your home. What will you do if water, gas, electricity or phone services are shut off?

Supplies Kit

Put together a basic disaster supplies kit and consider storage locations for different situations. Help community members do the same.

Emergency Plans

Develop and document plans for your specific risks.

Health & Environment

Follow guidelines to guard your community’s health and protect the environment during and after the storm.

Evacuation

Review the FEMA Evacuation Guidelines to allow for enough time to pack and inform friends and family if you need to leave your home. FOLLOW instructions issued by local officials. Leave immediately if ordered!

  • Consider your protection options to decide whether to stay or evacuate your home if you are not ordered to evacuate.

When waiting out a storm be careful, the danger may not be over yet...

Be alert for:

  • Tornadoes – they are often spawned by hurricanes.
  • The calm "eye" of the storm – it may seem like the storm is over, but after the eye passes, the winds will change direction and quickly return to hurricane force.

Recover

  • Wait until an area is declared safe before returning home.
  • Remember that recovering from a disaster is usually a gradual process.

Resources

Seminar Series
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Our 2014 schedule for the C.I.A. Services Seminar Series is now available.

We are pleased to again present seven seminars throughout the year - each at three locations for a total of 21 training sessions. Click here to read the seminar descriptions and see the schedule.

Our core group of seminars is all back and updated with additional information. Even if you have attended any of these before, you will find the updated versions informative.

  • Board Member Orientation
  • Advanced Topics for Board Members
  • Meeting & Records - The Legal Requirements
  • Understanding Collections & Financial Reports
  • The Super Budgeting Process
  • Practical Deed Restriction Management
  • Essentials of Architectural Control

Each two-hour seminar begins at 6:00 pm and we provide deli sandwiches in case you come straight from work.  You’ll leave with a wealth of practical information and a notebook for future reference.

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Essentials of Architectural Control

Your governing documents provide authority to regulate design and appearance of any construction, improvements or alterations within the community. This is a powerful authority with an obligation that it be used sensibly. This seminar will explain the range and limits of this authority, demonstrate the role of architectural guidelines, describe the interplay between deed restrictions issues and architectural issues, and touch on handling the tough problems.

07/7/14 - Monday

6 – 8 pm

Bandera

07/22/14 - Tuesday

6 – 8 pm

North

07/24/14 - Thursday

6 – 8 pm

Southwest

Community Spotlight
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Atascocita Trails Homeowners Association

We are proud of every one of our communities so it is always hard to find just one to highlight. We start by having each of our Community Managers write a nomination for one of their communities. We then read them and take a vote. Here are our most recent selections:

  • June - Atascocita Trails Homeowners Association - North Office - Linda Morris
  • May - Colony Grant Homeowners Association - Southwest Office - Amanda Jensen
  • April - Telfair Commercial Association - Southwest Office - Libby Hodges
  • March - Bridlewood Estates Property Owners Association - Southwest Office - Kim Moore
  • February - Cross Creek Ranch Community Association - North Office - Renea Miksch
  • January- Treasure Island Homes Association - Bandera Office - Megan Lamb

To see the full story on these communities and to see the past winners, visit the Community of the Month page on our web site.

New Communities
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Welcome!

C.I.A. Services, Inc. is pleased to announce two new communities that have joined our family!  CrossRoads at Benders Landing Estates Homeowners Association and Riverwalk Property Owners Association.

CrossRoads

A New Community by Trendmaker - The CrossRoads at Benders Landing Estates is being developed in the middle of Benders Landing Estates in Spring. CrossRoads will be developed in four phases, each phase is located on a corner at the cross roads of Rayford Road and Whispering Maple Way.

CrossRoads is a gated acreage community, currently under development, with an estimated build out of 104 homes.

Riverwalk

Riverwalk is located in Porter, just north of the Humble office, consisting of 1,187 lots (ranging from 1-5 acres) with 700 homes and active custom home building. 

The community is nestled among beautiful trees, with a quiet 66 acre neighborhood lake, with a boat ramp, picnic area, and meandering canals, where residents enjoy abundant nature and beautiful wildlife resources. The area is horse friendly and homeowners enjoy a neighborhood park on the lake.

Welcome to the family! We look forward to serving you.

Community Anniversaries
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Every month we appreciate the communities that are celebrating their anniversaries with us. Here are the clients that started with us in June.

  • Oak Cliff Place Homeowners Association— 22 years
  • Atascocita North Community Improvement Association— 20 years
  • Copper Creek Civic Improvement Association— 17 years
  • Telfair Community Association— 8 years
  • Kenswick Trace Homeowners Association — 6 years
  • Woodbend Pines Homeowners Association - 1 year

Our goal has always been to create a positive, long term relationship with all of our client communities. We are very proud to be managing all of these communities.

Employee Corner
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  • Congratulations to Gloria Bell on her 25th anniversary with C.I.A. Services. Gloria is a stockholder at our North Office providing a variety of staff support.  Gloria has been a mainstay we all depend on and has been helping us since before a few of our employees were born!
  • Congratulations to Patrick Sheffield on his 6th anniversary with the company. Patrick is a stockholder at our Southwest Office where he is a Maintenance Coordinator for several communities.
  • Also congratulations to Annette McConnell on her 6th anniversary with C.I.A. Services. Annette is a stockholder and the Office Manager at our Bandera Office.  
  • Congratulations to Roseann Ashe also on her 6th anniversary with the company. Roseanne is a stockholder in the accounting department of our Bandera Office.
  • Congratulations to Steven Vaughn on his 1st anniversary with the company.  Steven is an Administrative Assistant in our Southwest Office.
In Memoriam
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Anthony R. Victorino, Jr.
by Laura Tate

It is with deep sadness that we extend our condolences to the family of Anthony "Tony" R. Victorino.  Tony is the father to three of our employee stockholders: Renea Miksch, Executive Vice President, and Dawna Woods and Rhonda Duffield, both members of our north office maintenance department.  Tony passed away on June 2, 2014 at the Heart Vascular Institute of Memorial Herman Medical Center

In addition to having a family connection, Tony was one of the founders that started C.I.A. Services thirty years ago.  Tony was the first of the four original founders to become an official employee of the company.  He was a people person and it just made sense to put him in charge of marketing.  It was said that Tony could drive into a community of any size and talk to one person or knock on one door and that person would somehow be involved in the community.  He could talk to anyone and find out interesting information about them.  He was not shy and loved being around people. 

I met Tony Victorino when I worked as the Breakfast Manager of a Grandy’s restaurant as a young adult.  Tony and his wife, Cynthia, who was also a founder, would stop by Grandy’s for breakfast frequently.  Always quick with a smile and a conversation, we developed a relationship and I looked forward to their visits.  They would tell me about their company, describing what they do and how they worked with their daughter, Renea, at the Humble location.  It was not long before they invited me to interview for the position of Renea’s Administrative Assistant.  They were eager to fill the position and actually skipped the formality of an official interview, asking me to join them in the dining room to talk about C.I.A. Services.  Twenty years later, I am happy to be one of the Executive Vice Presidents and to be doing something I love for a living.  Tony was a huge part of the direction my life took and I will be forever grateful that I met him and he had the ability to see something in me.

I’m sure many people could share a similar story with you.  Tony Victorino made an impact on many people. I feel blessed to have known him and to continue to have his family in my life.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Pictures Left Column: Enjoying the beach in 2012; With the original founders, Cynthia Wood, Tina Jameson and Ralph Troiano at the 25th Anniversary Party in 2009; at our very first location on I-10 East in 1986; With family Cynthia Wood, Dawna Woods, Charlotte Bulken, Rhonda Duffield, and Renea Miksch in 2009.

Pictures Right Column: 2011 with Laura Tate at Legislative Seminars, 2007 at Southwest Office, 1986 with Tina Jameson.

Read Past Issues of eNews Monthly

Every month, we issue an electronic newsletter, eNews Monthly, to keep clients informed about Association items, spotlight clients, answer frequently asked questions, and let you know what is happening with the company. Old issues of eNews Monthly are available on our Library page.