Online Safety
by Angela Douglas

In today’s digital world many people rely on their technology to assist in the management of their day-to-day household. At C.I.A. Services, we too enjoy the technological advances that assist us in effectively managing your communities. These tools have made our lives so much easier and more efficient. A home improvement application now only takes minutes instead of hours and virtually eliminates the need to ask for more details. Getting your gate remotes or pool passes has never been easier. Making your payment online, a snap!

But as technology gets smarter, so do the bad guys. With all these advances, we need to be aware of the increasing presence and lengths hackers go to in order to obtain your personal information. Be it phishing emails whose goal is to get you to click on a malicious link or giveaway critical information (we’ve all received those emails from that rich uncle in a faraway country), to spoofing attempts that create the facade of a legitimate source or a website that looks so close to the real thing, even Sherlock Holmes would have difficulty noticing. So, what can we do?

First, make sure your computer is set up with security software. Set the software to run automatically so you are always protected. Next, secure your online accounts by enabling multi-factor authentication tools for any company that you do business with. This will help thwart hacking attempts, should hackers ever get your information.

Additionally, never click on a link or open an attachment in a suspicious email. Look in the "from" field and take a moment to look at the full email address. In a spoofing attempt, the hacker will show the name of someone you know, but if you look further at the email address itself, you’ll notice it is not that person’s correct email address. When you get a suspicious email, you should report it, mark it as spam, and delete it.

We will never ask for personal or payment information in an email. At C.I.A. Services, we take your privacy and security seriously and look forward to working with you in a safe, secure manner.

Company Promotions

C.I.A. Services is very pleased to announce the promotions of Angela Douglas, Deniece Reyes, and Brandi Brack.  Angela, Deniece, and Brandi were recently appointed to positions on the C.I.A. Services Board of Directors and each promoted to the position of Vice President.  

We value all of our employees and are especially pleased to watch them meet the challenges presented and grow into greater responsibilities.  Join us in congratulating Angela, Deniece, and Brandi on these exciting advancements as we recognize their extensive contributions to the company.

Angela Douglas, a company stockholder, joined C.I.A. Services in 2007 as the Activities Coordinator for one of our Houston master-planned communities.  In 2012, she moved to a corporate assistant role within the company, helping the executive team with special projects such as upgrading our website to include the online home improvement application, revamping our company policy manual, and many others.  Armed with an extensive background in customer service, Angela was promoted to Customer Service Manager and Office Manager for our Humble Office in 2016. Angela currently holds the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) designation by the Community Association Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB) and the Association Management Specialist (AMS) designation from the Community Associations Institute (CAI). 

Angela has met challenges the company has faced with passion and commitment with a recent example being a very quick and unexpected rollout of all employees working from home.  Her focus has included employee development, technology, communication, and education.

This experience will be beneficial going forward as Angela continues her efforts in the Customer Service and Technology areas.  We are excited to travel this path with Angela and see where her leadership views as a Vice President and member of the Board of Directors take the company.

Deniece Reyes began her career in community association management in 2007 and joined the Southwest Houston Office where she has been a loyal Community Manager since 2011. In 2014 she was promoted to Office Manager of our Southwest Houston Office and became a stockholder in 2015.  Just a few short years later, Deniece became the Onsite General Manager to one of our master-planned communities. She has earned and maintained her Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) designation by the Community Association Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB) and the Association Management Specialist (AMS) designation from the Community Associations Institute (CAI).  Deniece is also working towards earning her Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM) from CAI this year.

Deniece has shown a passion for client relations and problem resolutions. She is known for remaining calm and level headed during challenging times.  Deniece has proven herself to be an integral team player and leader.  She was one of the key organizers in our first ever company Leadership Summit.

It is these skills and her forward-thinking that Deniece will bring to her new role as a Vice President and Director of C.I.A. Services. We look forward to her added perspective as a member of the company leadership team and her influence on the future direction of our company.

Brandi Brack is a stockholder of C.I.A. Services who has worked in several positions throughout the company. She started in our Bandera Accounting Office overseeing client financial activities.  When the company acquired Management Professionals of Texas in September 2014, Brandi moved to our newly established San Antonio Office where she held multiple positions ultimately resulting in her promotion in 2019 to Branch Manager of the San Antonio Office.  Brandi has earned the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) designation by the Community Association Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB) and will be pursuing additional designations in the future.

Continuing education and inspiring employees to be their best are two of her passions.  Brandi’s attention to detail and fresh perspective have made her instrumental in the operations and growth of our San Antonio Office. 

With her Houston area childhood home being located in a community managed by C.I.A. Services, Brandi has experienced how living in a well-managed community association has a positive effect.  Her goal as a board member and Vice President is to ensure that all of our community members have the same positive experience. 

Rose Stawick of Mesas and Ridge at Canyon Springs Homeowners Association
by Tori Irwin

Rose Stawick came to the Mesas and Ridge at Canyon Springs Board of Directors with an amazing and thoughtful idea. What better way to welcome homeowners to the community than baked goods? Despite the gloom of 2020, Rose continued her work of welcoming homeowners with fresh bread and homemade herb butter. To start off 2021 on a happy note, she brought her chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and a New Year’s card to those who had moved in during the second half of 2020.

Rose isn’t just a volunteer in her homeowner’s association. She also helps organizations like the Ronald McDonald House and Habitat for Humanity. She is the wife of a retired Army officer, and when not volunteering she spends her time working as a realtor, playing tennis, and riding her bike. As a realtor in San Antonio, she works closely with Armed Forces families to help those serving or who have served to find a perfect home.

C.I.A. Services and the Mesas and Ridge at Canyon Springs Homeowners Association would like to thank Rose Stawick for her work on the Welcoming Committee.

C.I.A. Services, Inc. has a long and proud history of providing up-to-date news on our company happenings, industry news, and association governance.  Each month, we are pleased to share with you our eNews Monthly.  Each issue loaded with great information! 

We have broadened our social media presence to include LinkedIn and Facebook. With these additional layers of communication, you can always find the latest information about our company, employees, association management, and other related news.  

If you are not already following us, please ”Like” us on Facebook and “Follow” us on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on all things C.I.A. Services and beyond. 

We are proud of every one of our communities, so it is always hard to find just one to highlight.  In the new year, we’re altering our Community of the Month format slightly to include both a Houston and San Antonio area community each month.

Houston

• February - Cross Creek Ranch Community Association - Renea Miksch & Kristen Craig

Here are our most recent selections:

• January - Plantation at Woodforest Community Association - Jennifer Northington
• December - Telfair Commercial Association - Humble Office - Deniece Reyes

San Antonio

• February - The Summit Mutual Amenities Association, Inc. - Valerie Flinn

Here are our most recent selections:

• January - Bridlegate Ranch Property Owners Association - Tina Jameson
• November - Deer Hollow Homeowners Association - San Antonio Office - Abbey Autry

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

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

• Oak Hollow Homeowners Association — 20 years
• Eastpoint Subdivision Homeowners Association — 18 years
• Greensbrook Community Association — 15 years
• Eilan Property Owners Association — 7 years
• Eilan Condominium Association — 7 years
• Colonial Lakes Office Park Owners Association — 6 years
• Quiet Creek Homeowners Association — 4 years
• The Mesas and Ridge at Canyon Springs Homeowners Association — 3 years

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.

Stockholder Anniversaries

We love to celebrate special milestones with our employees. In the Employee Corner of each eNews issue, we will list all employees that have reached their first anniversary with our company. Additionally, once employees reach five years, we recognize them each year on their anniversary month.

Evan Ducote is celebrating his 7th year with C.I.A. Services this February! Evan is an onsite Maintenance Coordinator in Aliana out of our West Houston office. His extensive knowledge of landscaping and eagerness to be cooperative is what makes him a great asset to the team. He has a passion for learning new things and always wants to know “why”.  When not in the field, Evan enjoys sports, music, and has a newfound love for stand-up comedy.

Congratulations to Charles Driskell for reaching his 6th anniversary this month! Charles is a Maintenance Coordinator at our San Antonio Office. He oversees the maintenance for Eilan; a high-end, mixed use commercial development in northwest San Antonio. Charles has a lot of HOA experience; before joining us in San Antonio, he was the Board President of his community. Charles enjoys riding motorcycles, sitting around a fire with family & friends, and hunting & fishing.

One Year Anniversaries

We also have many one-year anniversaries to recognize this month!

Abigail Autry is a Community Manager at our San Antonio Office. She previously worked with us as an Administrative Assistant and took a little break after having her son. Abbey enjoys shopping and is a social butterfly who loves meeting new people and creating new experiences.

Alexandra Wickerson is an Administrative Assistant at our Humble Office who’s always willing to tackle any project sent her way. Outside of work, Alexandria is a devoted mother to her 3-year-old child.

Congratulations to Trina Shepherd, Community Specialist at our Humble Office. She loves assisting residents with their questions or concerns and is a wonderful team player. Trina puts family first and loves spending time with her 2 daughters and 4 grandsons.

Kristin Taylor is an Administrative Assistant at our Humble Office. Kristin is a great team player in the workplace. At home, she and her husband have 2 dogs and 2 cats. She loves her fur babies!

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.