2016 California Legal Forum Continued from page 21
Senior Vice President Government & Public Affairs, Community Associations Institute, entitled Community Next: 2020 and Beyond: Envisioning the Future of Community Association Living, in which she described for the audience the results of CAI having embarked upon an initiative to forecast the future of community associations, by engaging fifty volunteer stakeholders and subject matter experts from around the world for a year-long deep dive on issues related to community association governance, management public policy and external influences. The audience listened attentively to what she had to say, and left the session with a greater awareness of 22 |
ISSUE FOUR 2016 • CONNECT WITH GRIE
what life in associations just might look like for the next generation of residents. Fascinating stuff? You bet! And, of course, what would a wellmanaged conference be without the supportive industry business-partners, who represented the variety of experts that each and every association relies upon to make sure that all goes well within their communities. Whether the landscapers, the painters, the general contractors, the bankers, the pool specialists, the fence builders, the security providers, the attorneys, the reserve specialists, the insurance carriers and all the other service providers we all rely upon to keep things running smooth and hasslefree, they were at the Forum as well and offered their services and products for those in need of them in
a professional way that spoke volumes about how much they care about how they are portrayed within this industry. In other words, they were all ‘class-acts’ in their presentations. Our California Legislative Action Committee (CLAC) also participated in its annual role of creating a warm climate for encouraging donations targeted for use in continuing advocacy efforts on behalf of California common interest communities, with their fundraiser event that took place the evening before. With the “Rat Pack” as its theme, we were treated to several amazing reincarnations of Frank, Dean, Sammy and Marilyn making their presence felt, and even Ann Margret was “in the house.” All in all, the committee proved again, that when it comes to fundraising, few do it better. Wrapping up, I’m drawn back to the title of this article and what my thoughts are on whether or not CAI was successful in keeping the tradition alive. Not enough can be said about how well this year’s Legal Forum was managed, and equally not enough can be said about the elevated enthusiasm expressed by those who were in attendance. Having had the opportunity to speak with several of those who were there, I was left with an unmistakably positive impression that this year’s Legal Forum may have been the best attended in its brief seven-year run, but it could also be the most informative Legal Forum (based on the variety and content of the sessions offered) that has been offered. Did it keep the tradition alive, by providing superb sessions? Yes! Did it keep the tradition alive by providing nothing less than creamof-the-crop speakers and presenters? Absolutely! And did it keep the tradition alive by providing to those in attendance an exceptional return on their investment of participating in the Legal Forum? You betcha! Did the chapter Executive Directors do an outstanding job of managing the event? But, of course! And lastly,