Professional Community Association Management Since 1984
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.
November 11th is Veterans Day, honoring all American veterans, living and deceased. The day gives special thanks and recognition to veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.
The military men and women who serve and protect the U.S. come from all walks of life. They are parents, children, grandparents, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and are an important part of the community. We are honored to work beside several veterans every day and would like to take this opportunity to recognize them. Special thanks to the following coworkers that served in the military. We appreciate your service!
Celebrating Employee Veterans
Patrick Sheffield, Maintenance Coordinator, enlisted in The United States Army as an Infantryman in June of 1980 at the age of 17. He served until October 1983 with the main responsibility of specializing in small arms combat training in all types of weather and terrain. Patrick’s basic training took place in Fort Benning, Georgia and he was assigned a duty station in Fort Stewart, Georgia. He ultimately earned the rank of Private First Class and traveled to some very inhospitable places for training, including Alaska, the Florida Everglades, and countless nights in the woods in Georgia.
Erik Tschanz, Maintenance Coordinator, served in the United States Army Reserves for 8 years. Erik joined in 1994 and served through 2002. During his enlistment time, he served in multiple divisions. He was in the 3rd Infantry Division; a small detachment of 82 Airborne Rangers, as Lt. (Squad Leader). He also served as Captain Battalion Command CO of the 1st Armored Division and Majory XO of the 386th Combat Engineering Battalion.
Ed Barnett, Maintenance Coordinator, served in The United States Navy for 24 years. Joining in 1974, Ed served as a Damage Controlman Chief Petty Officer (Surface Warfare Specialist). He made his first overseas tour soon after joining and quickly received his first Sea Service Bronze Medal. Every 5 bronze medals earned equals 1 Silver Star and Ed ultimately earned 2 Silver Stars over a total 10 year period of sea service. Over the course of his service, his duty stations were varied, including Amphibious Assault Ships, Destroyer Duty, and Ship Repair. Ed’s final tour brought him to Houston, where he ultimately came ashore at C.I.A. Services.
Todd Miksch, Community Manager, served in the United States Navy for 4 years. Upon joining in 1992, Todd was sent to "A School" for training and received his designation as an Aircraft Metalsmith (AMS). He was assigned to work on the structural mechanics and hydraulic systems of F-14D aircraft at NAS Miramar. Todd also served as Training Petty Officer, Collateral Duty Inspector, Plane Captain, and Flight Line Coordinator for the squadron “Grim Reapers - Detachment West Coast”. Todd left the service with an Honorable Discharge as a 3rd Class Petty Officer.
Leticia “Letty” Burchard, of our San Antonio Office, served in The United States Coast Guard for 4 years from 1980 to 1984. Letty attended boot camp in New Jersey and was stationed in Long Island, New York. As the “police on water,” the Coast Guard would stop boats to inspect for illegal cargo. Letty oversaw the radio and provided assistance to boaters, responded to accidents, and investigated items in the water with her crew.
Charles Driskell, Maintenance Coordinator, joined The United States Coast Guard in 1983. He was being trained as a Store Keeper E1 but was released due to medical issues.
BJ Stiles with Walden Meadows Homeowners Association
by Summer Smith
For this month’s volunteer spotlight, we are pleased to introduce BJ Stiles, President of Walden Meadows Homeowners Association. BJ is a fun-loving, go-getter who is always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need!
BJ purchased his Walden Meadow home in 2016 and has been a resident of San Antonio for over 25 years. Although he is fairly new to the community; he has made quite an impact assisting the community with their maintenance needs.
Aside from his daily duties as President of Walden Meadows, BJ owns and operates two successful businesses of his own; The 4-Way Bar & Grill, a restaurant outdoor live music venue located in Lakehills, and Steam Master Cleaning, a residential and commercial cleaning service, located in the Greater San Antonio area. “Building successful businesses and being able to provide jobs to dozens of great people supporting families gives me a great feeling of pride and accomplishment. I have been able to apply many of the same skills I have learned in business to my position of President of the board within our community.” BJ stated when asked where his drive comes from.
In his free time, BJ relishes all things outdoors; fishing, boating on nearby lakes, and attending concerts of any genre.
BJ’s attention to detail and financial responsibility serve the community very well. He is thankful for the learning experience that being a Board member has given him, and looks forward to many more years of learning and leading the community in the best possible way.
C.I.A. Services and the members of Walden Meadows would like to thank BJ Stiles for his continued service to the Walden Meadows Homeowners Association.
2021 BBB Awards for Excellence Winner
We are proud to announce that C.I.A. Services has been recognized as a 2021 Better Business Bureau Awards for Excellence Winner of Distinction! C.I.A. Services was one of 236 recognized at the annual awards ceremony held on October 12, 2021.
Each year, the BBB awards organizations and people who stand out and meet their "gold standard of trust." Companies are selected in recognition of their achievements and commitment to quality in the workplace. Entries are judged anonymously by a panel of volunteer judges, who are community leaders from the civil, academic, business, and nonprofit communities.
The BBB states that the Awards for Excellence recognize businesses, organizations, and employees in each region that are "positive examples to all," who "mirror the core values of the BBB," and exhibit the "highest standards of business ethics and practices."
We have been recognized along with many other great companies for fostering trust with our clients, employees, and the community.
We are very pleased to announce the newest communities partnering with us.
Our West Houston office began managing the Twin Oaks Village Community Association on October 1st! The Twin Oaks Village community has just over 1,400 homes and is located in Richmond.
Villages of Tour 18 Homeowners Association is a developing community that is being managed out of our North Houston office effective November 1st. The community is located in Humble and will have 180 homes at completion.
We are excited to offer our services to both of these associations. Please join us in welcoming them to the C.I.A. Services family!
We are proud of every one of our communities! We like to spotlight special and exciting happenings. To see the full stories on these communities and many others, visit the Community Spotlight page on our site.
Here are the most recent selections:
Every month we appreciate the communities that are celebrating their anniversaries with us. Since this is a double issue, we are celebrating both October & November anniversaries.
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.
Thank you for allowing us to be your partner!
October
November
Employee Anniversaries
We love to celebrate special milestones with our employees! In the Employee Corner of each eNews issue, we recognize stockholders on their anniversary month. C.I.A. Services employees become stockholders after they have been employed for five years.
We also announce all employees that have reached their one-year anniversary with our company.
This issue includes all anniversaries from October and November. Congratulations to all!
Stockholder Anniversaries
This group of anniversaries has an interesting story. All three of these ladies started working at our North Houston office together 16 years ago on October 24, 2005. They’ve been a work anniversary trio ever since! Congratulations!
Brittany Tate, Compliance Manager, is critical to operations relative to new home sales and resales and also coordinates incoming communities for both Houston offices. During her personal time, Brittany enjoys working on her home and taking care of her three rescue pets. Grimley is her loveable tripod dog, Finn is her very friendly cat that does not understand personal boundaries, and Ozzie is a shy, older cat that takes a bit to warm up to new people.
Community Specialist Melinda Diaz is a member of our Customer Service Department. She is one of the friendly voices that homeowners hear when they call in for assistance. Melinda loves to travel and spend time with her family. She has two daughters, one still at home attending middle school and another adult daughter that is currently living in San Antonio.
Brenda Ellington has been a Community Manager for many years. She is currently phasing into retirement by managing a smaller group of specialty clients and assisting in the Insurance Department. Brenda’s vast array of knowledge is much appreciated and always put to good use. When not working, Brenda likes to spend time with her Terrirer mix dog, Chico, her cat, Wally, and her family that lives close by. She has an adult son, 2 granddaughters, 1 grandson, and 2 great-grandchildren!
Congratulations to Vice President & Aliana General Manager Deniece Reyes. Deniece celebrated her 10th anniversary on October 10th. In addition to keeping everything in the Aliana associations running smoothly, Deniece joined the company Board of Directors and several Executive Committees this year. When not working to support her athletic shoe collection, Deniece focuses on her family. She and her husband are raising two boys: Jalen and Julian. Deniece takes her responsibilities of being a basketball and soccer mom very seriously.
Brandi Brack of our San Antonio office celebrated her 8th anniversary on October 21st. Brandi wears many hats for the company, including Vice President, San Antonio Branch Manager, Community Manager, Business Operations Executive Committee chair, and a member of two additional Executive Committees. She has 3 daughters: Hannah, Neva, and Jayla Rae. Brandi and her husband, Jason, enjoy boating on the lake and traveling.
Accounting Department member Hector Mercado celebrated 7 years on October 10th. Hector Mercado is an important member of the “Financial Team” in our Accounting Office. He enjoys spending time with his extended family in his off-hours.
Congratulations to Dannie Gibson for reaching her 7 year anniversary on October 27th. Dannie is the Publications Coordinator for our Houston communities. She began at our North Houston office but continued her employment remotely when her family relocated to Oklahoma. She still loves to visit the North Houston office and we enjoy seeing her and her big family. Dannie and her husband Brent are the parents of 4: 2 twin girls Izabella and Serenity, her son Benjamin, and her daughter, Marley.
Our newest stockholder, Tracy Henson, works in our Accounting Office and processes property ownership changes for our communities. She is a one-woman team and rises to the challenge with a smile every day. In her off-hours, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends and taking care of all her critters.
Ed Barnett celebrates 22 years on November 22nd! Ed is a Maintenance Coordinator out of our West Houston office. He enjoyed spending time with his lovely wife and their grandchildren. Ed loves to work with his hands on all sorts of home improvement projects and "honey-do" list items.
Congratulations to Catina Hunter on her 9 year anniversary coming up on November 26th. Catina is a Community Manager from our West Houston office. She enjoys spending time with her husband, their two dogs and two cats, and their church family. Catina enjoys DIY projects around the house.
One Year Anniversaries
Congratulations to these employees who are both celebrating their one-year anniversary with C.I.A. Services!
Khaylee Capetillo celebrated her 1-year anniversary on October 21st. Khaylee is an Administrative Assistant out of the San Antonio office. She is eager to learn and always the first to volunteer for overtime! When she’s not at work she enjoys chasing around her 2-year old daughter Luna, perfecting her already immaculate hair and makeup skills, and planning her upcoming wedding.
Community Manager Todd Miksch will be celebrating 1 year this month. Todd handles multiple communities out of our North Houston office. He has quickly become an integral part of the team and we are looking forward to many more years. Todd enjoys family time with his 3 daughters: Morgan, Maggie, and Marley, and a grandson, Jerico. He can frequently be seen on the sidelines cheering on his high schooler and middle schooler while they play volleyball, soccer, or basketball, or when they are run in track!
Welcome Baby Jaxon Strong Taylor!
Kristin Taylor, an Administrative Assistant out of our North Houston office, and her husband John welcomed their new bundle of joy on October 15th.
Jaxon Strong arrived at 7:42 p.m. He weighed 6 lbs. 10 oz. and was 18.5 in. long.
This is Kristen and John’s first baby. Baby and Mom are doing well and the family is busy getting to know each other! Congratulations Kristen on the new addition!
We offer each of our seminars in the form of a recorded webcast on demand for you to watch at any time! If you are interested in one of our seminars, they are available on our YouTube channel. The following seminars are now available:
To watch any of the webcasts, simply click on the links above.
Associations in Practice Series
Our Associations in Practice Series is an offering of short videos with very specific topics. Our newest video is Texas 87th Legislative Session. The 2021 session of the Texas legislature produced significant changes to the Texas Property Code affecting property owners’ associations. This video explores those changes and provides specific follow-up recommendations.
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 is 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.
customercare@ciaservices.com
Toll Free: 866-219-0563
Houston 713-981-9000
San Antonio 210-490-0000
