Walker Ranch Board of Directors
by Valerie Flinn

Most times in our volunteer spotlight, we share the success of individuals who are of great support to their community. On rare occasions, we share a group of people who serve their community so well, we want to recognize them together.

The Walker Ranch Community is a quiet, beautiful, and somewhat secluded community set back in the oak trees of Blanco Rd, near 1604, on the North side of San Antonio.  The Board of Directors, current and past, works hard to keep the community engaged and interested in what happens in their neighborhood. Some members of this Board of Directors have worked together for many years, while some have only joined recently; they all have the same drive to serve their community.  They are known for participating in the local city community organizations for their district (Chris Elbrecht, D-9 Committee) and ensuring that their community’s concerns are heard, as they did when facing a recent string of mailbox thefts. They are also regularly seen organizing community meetings, or events, such as the Fiesta shoebox parade, guests and food for the annual San Antonio Neighbors Together event; Halloween parade for the children in the community prior to the regular trick or treating through the neighborhood or Girl Scouts Troops who are working for the Wreaths across America project. These volunteers are also present to meet with the neighbors and share what goals and projects they are working toward, for the community. 

While each volunteer, has their own work and family commitments that they juggle, they work along with their management partners, to be in touch and do everything possible so that the community is happy and engaged. This is why the Walker Ranch Neighborhood is a desired place to live.  We appreciate their partnership with us.

Congratulations to the board of directors, community volunteers, and all other members of the association – it is well deserved to be recognized!

Pictured left to right, Jenn Dunn, Secretary; Chris Elbrecht, President; Stephen McGuire, Vice-President; Richard Wood, Treasurer; Ron Marlin, Director; and Chris Dorsett, previous President. (Not pictured, Ann Weborg, previous President, & Haley Wachdorf, community volunteer)

Thanksgiving Community Project

Last month, our San Antonio region employees were honored to create 40 gift bags for Bandera area seniors receiving Meals on Wheels. 

We partnered with the Silver Sage Hill Country Center and the Boys and Girls Club to fashion bags that would best meet the needs of our seniors. Each bag was filled with personal care items and a heartfelt Thanksgiving card from the Boys and Girls Club.   

We’re so thankful to John and Daniel at Silver Sage for helping us make this happen and for supporting seniors in the Bandera area.

A Tribute to Dan H Barr, Jr

Dan Barr, a C.I.A. Services employee from March 2004 through May 2019, has left us with many fond memories. He could tell so many wonderful stories about his favorite sports team (he had several), his alma mater (Texas Christian University), Texas history, trains, insurance, and politics. You could ask him a question and end up getting a very broad lesson in everything related to your question.  

Mr. Dan, as we called him, worked for C.I.A. Services for 15 years in various support roles. He was our first Insurance Coordinator. He was quick to share a smile, an uplifting story, or commiserate about the latest Astros game, good or bad. He was quick to help new hires understand how things worked and to share company history. He made sure everyone felt welcome and accepted.  

His love of trains was legendary. Attached is a picture from his 75th birthday. The whole area around his desk was decorated with a locomotive theme. Black tape train tracks were on the carpet as well as the signs and lights you would find at a train crossing. This was a great way to celebrate Mr. Dan Barr.  

Long-time friend, Charles Odongkara, wrote in his eulogy of Mr. Dan, “As we say goodbye, let us hold onto the memories, the laughter, and the love that Dan shared with us. May we honor him by living our lives with the same spirit that he lived his—with courage, kindness, and a generous heart.”

With thanks to those who submitted information for this remembrance, and especially to Mr. Charles for sharing his Eulogy of Mr. Dan.

Please help us welcome our newest communities that recently joined us!

On December 1st, our partnership with the Tarrington Office Park P.O.A. became official.  Tarrington Office Park is currently under construction in Telfair in Sugar Land.  There will be twelve buildings with a total of 40 units.

The Raintree Woods H.O.A. joined us on November 11th!  Raintree Woods is located in Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas.  The beautiful community consists of 227 luxury homes.  The community is also governed by a master association, the Fair Oaks Ranch H.O.A.  

In September, the Oak Creek Property Owners Association joined us. Oak Creek is home to 27 families with the potential for more in Seguin, Texas. 

Earlier this year, we started working with the 8000 Del Donore Homeowners Association, a community of 53 condominiums located in the San Antonio area.

We are so excited to represent each of these associations!

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

Here are the most recent selections:

• December Twin Oaks Village Community Association Houston
• November Summer Lake Ranch Property Owners Association Houston
• October Retablo Ranch Owners Association San Antonio
• September Atascocita Trails Homeowners Association Houston
• August Community Association of the Highlands Houston
• July Reserve at Clear Lake Community Association Houston

To see the full story on these communities and more, 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 December.

• Lincoln Green Estates Community Improvement Association — 31 years
• West Bend Community Improvement Association — 10 years
• Community Association of Avondale — 1 year

Thank you to all of these amazing 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 celebrating their first anniversary with our company and any stockholders celebrating their work anniversary. 

Congratulations to Dawna Woods, Maintenance Coordinator from our Houston region.  Dawna is celebrating 28 years with C.I.A. Services! She is a dedicated and resourceful employee who can always make us think. Outside of work, Dawna loves relaxing with her family, enjoying the theater, and just having fun. Dawna and her husband Darren are anxiously awaiting the birth of her next grandchild, the first grandson!

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:

• Corporate Transparency Act *NEW*
• 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.