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.

April 2016
eNews Monthly
Manager Certifications
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Certified Manager of Community Associations

Community Manager Kristen Craig of our North Houston office has recently earned the Certified Managers of Community Associations (CMCA®) designation by the Community Association Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB).

The board administers the CMCA examination, a rigorous test that measures knowledge of best practices in the community management industry.  Kristen joins more than 11,000 CMCAs worldwide who have demonstrated the skills essential for managing homeowner associations.

The CMCA is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and complies with the NCCA’s stringent international standards for a professional certification program.

CAMICB is an independent board that sets the standards for community association managers worldwide. It is the first and only organization created solely to certify community association managers and enhance the professional practice of community association management.

Kristen is proud to join the list of CMCAs working diligently for our company and our clients and we are proud of her! Congratulations!

For more information, visit www.camicb.org.

Promotions
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Our Newest Community Managers

We are very pleased to announce the promotions of Leticia Burchard and Catina Hunter. These ladies were recently named our newest Community Managers.  Leticia is a member of our San Antonio office and Catina is a member of our Southwest office. 

Leticia Burchard joined C.I.A. Services as an Administrative Assistant in May of 2015 bringing with her 25 years of management experience in the medical field.  Leticia is a proud veteran of the United States Coast Guard, receiving an honorable discharge after serving 4 years for our country.  Leticia is excited about her new position and looks forward to using all of the knowledge she obtained both as a supervisor in the medical field and in the military towards her new position.

Catina Hunter joined C.I.A. Services as an Administrative Assistant in 2012, working with several communities.  She was promoted to the position of Assistant Community Manager in 2015 and worked with serveral master planned communities.  In addition to her experience within the company, Catina served on her own HOA board for twelve years and really understands the ins and outs of community associations.  Catina is looking forward to applying her knowledge from both perspectives to her new position.

With one of our missions being to develop our employees, we are especially pleased to watch individuals meet challenges presented and grow into leadership.  Join us in congratulating Leticia and Catina on these exciting advancements as we recognize their growth within the company.  Well done ladies!

CondoCerts
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New Program for Resale & Closing Documents
by Brittany Tate

We are very pleased to announce that C.I.A. Services has partnered with CondoCerts to provide assessment quotes, resale certificates, and compliance inspection documents for our clients.  Over the last year, we have worked with CondoCerts to tailor their program to meet the specific needs of our communities.   

CondoCerts has been providing services to community associations for many years and offers a reliable system that is available anytime, day or night by logging into their site.  

C.I.A. Services will continue to provide excellent customer service and turnaround time for all requests. We are excited to be working with CondoCerts and providing additional benefits to our communities and corporate partners. 

Volunteer Spotlight
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Canyon View - Dwain Stanton
by Ana Rodriguez

Dwain Stanton has lived in the Canyon View community for about 4 years and was voted on to be on the Board of Directors in 2013.  Since then he has been appointed as the Association President.  Although he has a full time job, he is always available for any emergency that may arise. 

Unfortunately in February 2016, Mr. Stanton was in a horrible car accident that left him with cracked ribs, a cracked clavicle and some staples in his head.  Thankfully three days later he was released from the hospital.

Fortunately for Canyon View, an accident and broken bones does not stop Mr. Stanton from still conducting his presidential duties for the community.  He still responded to email votes and phone calls in a timely manner.  This just shows how valuable Mr. Stanton is in his community.  

I would like to personally thank Mr. Dwain Stanton for being such a valuable member and an outstanding person.

The Zika Virus
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The Zika Virus has been in recent news quite frequently. As of last month, there were fourteen cases identified in Texas.  

The Texas Department of State Health Service (DSHS) is asking Texas residents to do their part to protect their communities from the spread of Zika throughout Texas and offers many tips on how to control mosquitos.  

Click here to read the official letter from Commissioner John Hellerstedt, M.D. of the Texas DSHS. For more information about Zika virus, please visit the DSHS Zika website at www.TexasZika.org

Seminar Series
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We are pleased to present the C.I.A. Services Seminar Series.  During our series, we present seven classroom seminars and one webinar throughout the year - each at multiple locations for a total of 28 training sessions. Click here to read the full seminar descriptions and see the schedule.  

Each seminar concentrates on the practical aspects of the topic and provides board members with background knowledge to help them in their decision making. We consistently receive positive feedback on the content and presentation.

  • 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
  • Community Website Administrator (Webinar)

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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Board Member Orientation

This seminar is a must for all new Board members and a great refresher for seasoned veterans. It will help you get up to speed quickly by understanding your responsibilities and authorities. We’ll review the documents and laws that govern the way you do business. We’ll give you an overview of the governing documents, basis of authority, organizational roles, responsibilities & authorities, conduct of meetings, and we’ll cover insurance and taxes.

Space is limited and advance registration is required. To register, please send an email to seminars@ciaservices.com.

04/14/16 – Thursday

6 – 8 pm

Humble

04/19/16 – Tuesday

6 – 8 pm

Southwest Houston

 

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Practical Deed Restriction Management

Deed restriction management is one of the most difficult tasks handled by homeowners associations because it involves subjective decisions, homeowner’s property and emotions. This seminar covers the steps in deed restriction management and how a process can contain “intelligence” and common sense. We discuss the relation between deed restrictions and architectural control and give you examples of well crafted guidelines. We’ll provide the best approaches for handling the toughest problems. Practical deed restriction management requires clear communications and reasonable requirements.

Space is limited and advance registration is required. To register, please send an email to seminars@ciaservices.com.

05/05/16 – Thursday

6 – 8 pm

San Antonio

05/12/16 – Thursday

6 – 8 pm

Southwest Houston

05/16/16 – Monday

6 – 8 pm

Humble

 

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Community Website Administrator Training

This is the required training course for certification as a Community Website Administrator (CWSA) on the C.I.A Services web site (www.ciaservices.com). As a CWSA you’ll be able to maintain the pages for your community. You’ll be able to create news and events, update key personnel, add community information, display photos, conduct surveys and much more. Being a website administrator is very easy on www.ciaservices.com and you can do it from anywhere you have an Internet connection. All CWSA training is done by webinar in the comfort of your home.

Space is limited and advance registration is required.  To register, please send an email to seminars@ciaservices.com.

05/24/16 – Tuesday

6 – 7 pm

Webinar

 

Community Spotlight
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Atascocita Timbers 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:

  • April - Atascocita Timbers Homeowners Association - North Office - Linda Morris
  • March - Cinco Ranch Southwest Community Council - North Office - Laura Tate
  • February - Homeowners Association of Timber Forest - North Office - Linda Morris
  • January - New Forest Homeowners Association - North Office - Valerie Lehr
  • December - River Park on the Brazos Property Owners Association - Southwest Office - Kim Moore

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

New Communities
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Hidden Arbor Community Association

We are pleased to announce Hidden Arbor Community Association has joined our family of communities. Hidden Arbor is a newly developing Trendmaker Homes Community located in Cypress, nestled within a natural wooded terrain.

Kristen Craig will be the Community Manager for Hidden Arbor with Mercy Derry as the Administrative Assistant.  Welcome to the family!

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 April.

  • Parkway Forest Property Owners Association — 30 years
  • Ridgepoint Community Improvement Association — 26 years
  • Pine Forest Village Community Association — 23 years
  • Sonoma Ranch Homeowners Association — 13 years
  • Telfair Commercial Association — 10 years

We have a lot of big numbers this month!  Thanks to all for being a part of our success.

Employee Corner
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Employee Anniversaries

We love to celebrate special milestones with our employees. In the Employee Corner of each eNews issue, we list all employees that have reached their 1 year anniversary with our company. Additionally, once an employee celebrates their 5th year, we will acknowledge them as a new stockholder and on their anniversary each year thereafter.  

Congratulations to Rhonda Duffield, Maintenance Assistant at our north office.  Rhonda is celebrating her 26th anniversary with C.I.A. Services!  Over the years, Rhonda has remained a valuable employee and has worked at all of our Houston area offices in a variety of positions.

Congratulations to Nancy McGinnis on her 11th anniversary with C.I.A. Services.  Nancy is our Customer Service Manager and also serves as the Office Manager in our North Office.  Nancy is instrumental in maintaining our outstanding customer service.

Congratulations to Angela Douglas on her 9th year anniversary with C.I.A. Services.  Angela serves as our Corporate Website Administrator and provides support to all of our executive staff.

Congratulations also goes to Mary Lynn McCoy on her 6th year anniversary.  Mary Lynn is one of the cheery voices you hear when calling our Customer Care team.

Congratulations also goes to Kristen Craig on her 5th year anniversary.  Kristen is a Community Manager in our North Office and our newest stockholder!

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.