Newest Community Manager

Please join us in congratulating Cassidy McNeal for her promotion to Community Manager!

Cassidy joined C.I.A. Services in 2020 as an Administrative Assistant.  As one of the team leads in that department, Cassidy participated in a week-long manager training program. After a great performance during the training, it was a natural progression for her to move into the community manager role. 

Last month, she began transitioning into her new position and working with several communities. She has already proven to be very knowledgable and we are excited to see her continued growth.

Congratulations and good luck, Cassidy!  We are excited to see your continued development.

Easing the Transition

Back to school time is upon us.  Lazy days in the sun are ready to give way to the hustle and bustle of bus schedules, homework, and after-school activities. 

For many of us, that means chaos and hectic schedules, but many experts say it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many things we can do to help ease the transition for ourselves and our kids. 

Click here to review a list of articles, compiled by Marilyn Price-Mitchell, Ph.D., from many noted experts on back to school tips for everyone.

Tax Free Weekend

Many of us look forward to this annual ’holiday’ to help cushion the cost of back-to-school shopping.  This year’s Sales Tax Holiday is set for August 9-11. 

The State of Texas designates specific supplies and items that qualify for tax-free shopping.

For more information, lists of qualified purchases and FAQs click here to visit the State’s Tax Holiday website.

We are proud of every one of our communities, so it is always hard to find just one to highlight. However, we are always eager to share!

Here are the most recent selections:

• August Community Association of the Highlands Houston
• July Reserve at Clear Lake Community Association Houston
• June Valley Lodge Property Owners Association Houston
• May Grand Vista Community Association Houston
• April Southwinds Residential Association Houston

To see the full story on these communities and all past winners, visit the Community Spotlight 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 August.

• Country Colony Community Improvement Association - 29 years
• Atascocita Trails Homeowners Association - 12 years
• Eli West End Owners Association - 10 years
• Yaupon Ranch Homeowners Association - 9 years
• Happy Hide-A-Way Civic Club - 7 years
• Winn Brook Estates Homeowners Association - 6 years
• Legacy Trails Cell-3 Homeowners Association - 6 years
• Cumberland Community Association - 2 years
• Creekside at Camp Verde Property Owners 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 Anniversaries

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

Read on for this month’s company anniversaries.

Stockholder Anniversaries

Frances McIntyre has reached 19 years with us this month! Frances is our Team Lead in Customer Service and an Administrative Assistant. She is an awesome and dedicated employee. She enjoys having family barbecue gatherings and relaxing on the weekends. She also spends a lot of time with her beautiful grandchildren.

Congratulations to Tera Rond, Community Manager, on her fifth work anniversary and on becoming our newest stockholder! Tera’s journey with us has been marked by unwavering dedication, exceptional leadership, and a true passion for her communities. Tera has built strong relationships, fostered a sense of belonging, and consistently went above and beyond to ensure her coworkers thrive. We look forward to many more years of success together!

One Year Anniversaries

We also have some one-year anniversaries to celebrate!

Kathrine Nolen joined our team as an Administrative Assistant, bringing with her a keen eye for detail and a passion for organization. Over the past year, she has transitioned seamlessly into the Publications team, where her creativity and dedication have truly shone. Thank you, Kathrine, for your commitment, enthusiasm, and the positive impact you’ve made in such a short time. 

Stephanie Meyer, Maintenance Coordinator, has had such a positive impact to our organization. Her proactive approach and problem-solving skills have been instrumental in ensuring our maintenance operations run smoothly. Stephanie’s enthusiasm and commitment to excellence are truly inspiring. We are confident that she will continue to excel in her role.

Arianne Paradee is celebrating her 1-year anniversary with us on the 14th. Arianne is part of our Accounting Department and is very detailed and organized in everything she does. She has a positive attitude and is energetic. She brings a smile to our faces daily. In her spare time, Arianne likes to spend time with her husband, Terry, and her children. 

Patricia (Patti) Heep is celebrating her 1-year anniversary with C.I.A. Services on the 7th. Patti is part of our Accounting Department. She’s an enthusiastic learner and a hard worker.  If chaos is breaking down around her, she keeps her focus and quietly perseveres. She enjoys spending time with her family and furry friends, even her “bully” goat. 

We have appreciated and enjoyed these employees over the last year and we look forward to many more.  Congratulations to all of these lovely ladies!

Stay Plugged in With Webcasts

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:

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

To watch any of the webcasts, simply click on the links above.

Associations in Practice

Our Associations in Practice Series is an offering of short videos with specific topics.  

The 2023 session of the Texas legislature had some impact on property owners’ associations.  The short 17-minute video, Texas 88th Legislative Session, provides a concise review of what passed and what didn’t, and what’s next for POAs based on the Session.

Although the 88th Legislative Session came to a close on May 29th, an extraordinary event unfolded when Governor Abbott opted to veto several bills, including one that had a direct impact on POAs. In light of this development, our Texas Legislative Session Update video, a follow-up to the above, provides crucial insights and an in-depth update regarding this situation.

Also available 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. 

Super-Budget Concepts is a great introduction (or refresher) to our Super-Budget and a nice refresher or opening to the full webinar offered in our Seminar Series. 

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 also provide updates through 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.

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.