La Vaca Bordada in Eilan
by Faith Padgett

A foundational principle of C.I.A. Services, Inc. is community. Our sense of community does not stop at the associations we manage. For us, community extends to the cities our residents call home, the regions we serve, the great Lone Star state, and beyond. It is our passion for fellowship that makes us especially proud that one of our associations warmly welcomed an unlikely local. La Vaca Bordada, a vibrant painted cow statue, spent the summer moseying around The Cortesin apartments in the Eilan Property Owners Association.  

La Vaca Bordada is part of the largest public art event in the world, the CowParade. These unusual herds have stopped in over 100 cities since the CowParade started. Artists from across the globe paint and auction life-size cow statues for charity. This year, La Vaca Bordada and other cow companions moo-ved about San Antonio in support of the CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation. Every gallivanting cow statue represents a contribution to CHRISTUS Children’s and brings the children of South Central Texas closer to premier medical care. The Elian Property Owners Association supports the pediatric needs of the community one beautiful bovine at a time.

La Vaca Bordada, or the Embroidery Cow, was designed and painted by artist Penny Duncan. Duncan’s work interweaves personal communal histories, flora and fauna, and socioeconomic dynamics. In the description of La Vaca Bordada, Duncan states that “this cow design is a pattern of shapes and images that come naturally to me being from a Hispanic background.” La Vaca Bordada is a physical manifestation of community appreciation.

We are honored to support the thriving community in the Central Texas region, simultaneously fostering local children’s access to top-notch medical treatment and the art culture in the Alamo City. We hope La Vaca Bordada’s visit to The Cortesin apartments brings joy to residents and visitors.

Gary Callison – President of the Board of Directors at Winn Brook Estates
by Tera Rond

Gary and his lovely wife of 38 years, Martha, moved to Winn Brook Estates in late 2012, and together they delight in spending time with their 2 sons and 4 grandchildren. Hailing from the beautiful state of Montana, Gary is a retired United States Air Force Chief, having dedicated 28 years of honorable service. Even in retirement, he continues to serve, collaborating closely with the Windcrest Police Department on community safety initiatives, always keeping the neighborhood’s best interests at heart.

An avid golfer, Gary can often be spotted on the greens in the mornings, enjoying both the game and the camaraderie of friends. But beyond his hobbies, what truly makes Gary stand out is his unwavering commitment to the community he calls home. He has tirelessly worked with the city to dedicate land, helping reduce landscaping fees and eliminate certain taxes and utility costs for homeowners. On several occasions, he has been instrumental in helping reduce assessments, always guided by fairness and the well-being of the members.

Gary’s care for his neighbors goes above and beyond. Whether it’s taking on small maintenance projects himself to save the community money or offering a listening ear and sound advice, his compassion and thoughtfulness are evident in everything he does. He approaches every challenge with fairness, integrity, and a focus on creating a welcoming and well-maintained environment for all.

Working alongside Gary is an absolute pleasure. His dedication, positive energy, and collaborative spirit inspire everyone around him. He is not only an exceptional leader but a truly remarkable human being, and I feel fortunate to call him both a colleague and a friend.

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:

• October Willow Lake Village Community Association Houston
• September Grand Vista Community Association Houston
• August Harper Oaks Homeowners Association San Antonio

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 October.

• Indian Shores Property Owners Association — 38 years
• Ashcreek Homeowners Association — 35 years
• Kirkmont Section 2 Association — 32 years
• Traces II Community Improvement Association — 29 years
• Belleau Wood Civic Club — 24 years
• Fairway Pointe Community Association — 19 years
• RVTC Property Owners Association — 12 years
• Willow Park Office Condominiums Homeowners Association — 10 years
• Willow Lake Village Community Association — 8 years
• Twin Oaks Village Community Association — 4 years
• Hidden Springs Homeowners Association — 3 years
• Big Country Homes Association — 2 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.

Employee Anniversaries

"Anniversaries are not only chance to celebrate the past, but also look forward to the future."

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

We are glad to celebrate and recognize a lot of stockholders this month of October.

Time flies when you’re making a difference. From day one to today, Community Specialist Melinda Diaz has been a vital part of our success. Over the past 20 years in service, she’s considered one of the most approachable people that homeowners rely on when they need backup. Outside of work, Melinda appreciates quality time for herself and her family. She likes to go to family gatherings - talking, laughing, and just catching up on what everyone’s been doing. Christmas season is always her favorite because she loves watching Christmas stories since it brings back her childhood memories.

Big Cheers to Brittany Tate, who’s celebrating 20 years with us! From the simplest tasks to challenging wins, Brittany has been with us through it all. Her contributions as both our Transitions Manager and Compliance Manager make our team stronger and even more organized every single day. Despite her critical role, she seeks balance between life and work through many different hobbies that she enjoys doing – drawing, reading, baking, watching TV/movies, playing video games, and listening to music.

Let’s take a moment to celebrate Deniece Reyes, who is marking 14 years in our company. Deniece is Vice President, Director of Field Operations, Director of Human Resources, and Community Manager. She has been a valued member of our team, bringing passion, creativity, and collaborative spirit to everything she does. While we observe her positive impact on the organization, we also admire how she maintains being a responsible and influential wife/mother at home. She also enjoys bodybuilding and successfully placed in her first two competitions. Her commitment to a healthy lifestyle while being efficient in every aspect of her life is really amazing!

Please join us in congratulating Brandi Brack, who is celebrating 12 years with us. Brandi is Vice President, Director of Management Services, and Community Manager. She always treats communities, staff, and vendors like an extended family. Brandi lived the HOA experience both as a resident and as a Community Manager, which ignites her passion for approaching every responsibility with the belief that communities thrive when managed with both structure and heart. Brandi considers the outdoors as a reset button, and she takes every chance she can to enjoy it. She’s fond of doing anything that combines adventure with time spent with her loved ones.

This month, we take this opportunity to honor Hector Mercado, a Financial Team member, celebrated 11 years in service. He has shown outstanding commitment and excellence over the years. He has played an important role in fostering collaboration with his team. Hector enjoys having quality time with his family. He likes to set up a slot car race track and play with his son.

We proudly celebrate Valerie Flinn’s 8 years of excellence. Valerie works as a Community Manager. She is always appreciative of her company’s efforts and happy that she works for a company that values and respects the communities it works with. She lives with her belief that “The success of the community is our success. We don’t rest on yesterday’s laurels - every day is a new challenge and a new opportunity to help our community.”

The spotlight’s on for Tracy Henson as she celebrates 9 years with C.I.A. Services Inc. Tracy is one of the proficient employees under our Finance Team.  She enjoys spending time with her family by going to the movies and relaxing at home. Collecting anything Mickey Mouse also makes her happy.

Let’s also celebrate Customer Service Manager Patty Cobarrubia’s 7 years of service. Allow us to honor her dedication and contributions to our team. Her loyalty and commitment make all the difference. Work is just one side of the story; outside the office, she enjoys her time at home with her family. Patty loves all people, but she loves her pets more! During her younger years, she considered herself adventurous. As time passed by, she found joy at home - searching for perfect decor at resale and vintage shops, working on exterior landscaping, and planning & saving for upgrade projects.

Big thanks to Tracey Cavasos, Publications Coordinator, celebrating 6 years with the team. Her hard work plays a big role in our company’s success. We appreciate how passionate she is in everything she does. While Tracey drives results in the office, she also drives excitement in crafting and baking with her kids. She also loves to explore and try new restaurants with her husband.

Congratulations once again to our October work anniversary celebrants! Here’s to celebrating past accomplishments and the exciting road ahead!

Associations in Practice

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

The 89th Texas Legislative Session officially adjourned in June 2025. We’ve created a concise video overview highlighting the changes and explaining their implications to community associations. Click here to watch the full breakdown on YouTube. 

We have also started a series of essential seminars providing important basic insights.  Two recently added videos are now available in this series: Governing Documents - What You Need to Know and Certificates of Formation - What You Need to Know.

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. 

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 
• 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.

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 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.