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.
It Is That Time of Year Again!
by Megan Bennett, Community Specialist
What time of year is it? It’s assessment season! During this time, C.I.A. Services mails out over 64,000 statements to all of the members in the communities we manage.
For some communities, the process began as early as July with the budget preparation work. Since then, we’ve all been busy working on the budget drafts, finalizing those numbers with the board members, creating assessment letters to accompany the statements and finally, printing and mailing the statements.
For most associations, the assessment fees are due by January 1, 2015 and will be considered delinquent after January 31st. Some communities elect to provide monthly coupons to help break down the total balance prior to the January 31st deadline. Payment arrangements are offered when appropriate to avoid late fee penalties after the assessments become delinquent. We also provide the option for owners to make online payments! The "e-Check” option allows owners to pay online without being assessed the $10 convenience fee required by the Association’s bank when using a credit/debit card.
There are a number of employees that are involved in this process. We are proud of every member on our team as we reach the conclusion for this year!
Are you ready for some Hockey?
Our 7th Hockey Night with the San Antonio Rampage will be held on Saturday, January 17th when they battle the Rochester Americans. Each year, we invite our community volunteers, employees, families and friends to join us for a fun-filled evening watching a great sport. If you’ve not seen a live game, it’s a real treat.
The San Antonio Rampage season began with a 3 to 2 win against the Iowa Wild for their home opener on October 10th. It’s been a great season so far and we are looking forward to our fun night!
Click below to see photos of the fun from the last six years.
Sylvia McDonald of Sonoma Ranch
by Kimberly Cowart, Community Manager
Sylvia McDonald has lived in Sonoma Ranch since 2004. Although Sonoma Ranch was in developer control until 2012, Sylvia dedicated her time and energy for the betterment of the community. Sylvia was involved in the initial Crime Watch Committee, Social Committee and served as a Resident Board Member during the developer control period.
Since the transition from developer to resident control, Sylvia has served on the Board of Directors in the capacity of President and is currently serving as a Director. Sylvia continues to serve on several committees and is an instrumental part in getting other residents involved. Sylvia also heads up the yearly Fall Festival and is involved with many of the other community social events. Any time a Board member is needed to meet with a vendor or contractor, Sylvia has always made time in her schedule to meet with them. She is at the pool annually to assist with the distribution of pool wristbands as a courtesy to the residents.
C.I.A. Services would like to take the time to acknowledge and thank Sylvia McDonald for her many years of volunteer service. It is volunteers like Sylvia that truly make a difference in the community.
The C.I.A. Services Seminar Series is a great resource for community volunteers, both new and those that have been at it for a while. We are pleased to present seven seminars throughout the year. Each seminar is presented at each of our office locations at least once per year.
Click here to read the seminar descriptions and see the schedule. We have a great lineup:
Each two-hour seminar begins at 6:00 pm and we provide a light dinner in case you come straight from work. You’ll leave with a wealth of practical information and a notebook for future reference.
The Super-Budgeting Process
"Super-Budgeting" is our term for preparing a comprehensive long term budget and business plan. This isn’t something you do on the back of an envelope an hour before the budget meeting. We’ll break the process down into understandable components and show you how assets and reserves fit into the picture. We’ll start with a simple question that very few people can answer correctly: "How much money should our Association have in the bank?" By the end of the seminar, you’ll know the correct answer for your Association. This is a critical seminar to take before you start looking at budgets.
| 11/17/14 - Monday |
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.
| 11/13/14 - Thursday |
Goodbye, Our Friend
by Laura Tate, Executive Vice President
It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to a colleague and friend of many, Amanda Jensen. Amanda passed away on September 27, 2014 at Willowbrook Methodist Hospital at the age of 39.
It has been said by many that Amanda commanded the room when she walked through the door. A tall woman to begin with, Amanda was fond of high heels and kept her blond hair very long. That, combined with her witty sense of humor and outgoing personality made it impossible not to notice her and want to get to know her.
Amanda Jensen joined the community association industry in 2002 when she became a community manager for C.I.A. Services. Although she left for a few years, she realized that our company was the place for her to be. In 2010, she circled back to C.I.A. Services where she has remained and grown, becoming an Office Manager in 2012 and a member of the Executive Staff in 2014 when she was named the Compliance Manager for the company.
Amanda earned her PCAM in 2013 after completing a case study for a Houston area community in March of that year. I had the privilege of accompanying Amanda when she was officially inducted as a PCAM member at the 2014 National Conference in Orlando, Florida. There were four of us traveling together, two walking on the stage and two cheering in the audience. We are a close group that has included Amanda for the last 12 years. I proudly watched my coworker and friend walk across the stage to receive her certificate. I joined in, along with every PCAM member, as she recited the oath for the first time. I know that it was a very special moment in Amanda’s life and I am forever grateful that I was able share it with her. Her special moment has turned into one of many special memories that I will forever remember about my friend.
Those that knew Amanda know that she was often referred to as “Queen Amanda”. I am one of those people that called her Queen Amanda and enjoyed her sense of style and quick wit. I write this article after the conclusion of the Celebration of Life that was held in Amanda’s honor. It was a great day. We shed some tears but we also shared memories with her family and friends. She is gone physically but she will always be a part of each and every person she touched.
We will miss Amanda. She was a friend, a coworker, a colleague, a daughter, an aunt, a sister. She was so much to so many. We will miss her love of life, her ability to make us laugh, her clever observations. We will miss her dedication to her family, her work, her friends. We will miss her smile. We will miss her laugh. We will miss Amanda.
We have created a special tribute to our friend.
Click on the link below to join us in celebrating her life and memory!
Kenswick Trace 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:
To see the full story on these communities and to see the past winners, visit the Community of the Month page on our web site.
Every month we appreciate the communities that are celebrating their anniversaries with us. Here are the clients that started with us in November.
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.
Welcome Baby Girl Landrum!
by Mary Lynn McCoy, Community Specialist
Savannah Landrum, Facilities Coordinator out of our North office and her husband Micah welcomed their new bundle of joy to the world on September 1st.
Scarlette Elena Landrum arrived at 9:15 p.m. weighing in at 7lbs 11oz and measuring 19 inches long. Baby and Mom are doing well and the family is busy getting to know each other!
Congratulations Micah and Savannah!
Anniversaries
Congratulations to Ed Barnett on 15 years of service. Ed is a Maintenance Coordinator in our Southwest Office.
Gina Victor, a Community Manager in our Southwest Office is celebrating 7 years with us. Congrats Gina!
Also celebrating 7 years of service with our North Office is Mary Casas. Mary is also a Maintenance Coordinator.
Congrats also to Roxanne Bailey on 5 years of service. Roxanne is a dedicated Activities Coordinator in the Summerwood Community.
Last but certainly not least, Alma Reyes is celebrating 1 year with the company. Alma is an Administrative Assistant in our Southwest Office.
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