From the President

Marathon

All-American

Chris Chaffin I hope everyone had a great 4th of July holiday. Some of you may have taken a welldeserved vacation, others may have just enjoyed the long weekend. Either way, this holiday not only marks the independence of our country, it also marks the midpoint of the year. For most of us, the time has flown by. For our Chapter, it has been a very productive time.

Our March 12 annual Community Association Law Day was extremely successful by any measure. Its first-ever virtual format enabled Board members and managers from across the state to participate in numbers unlike any past Law Day events. To note just one statistic: compared to the average of the last three years’ in-person Law Days, the 2021 virtual version saw a 73% increase in participating associations and companies!

While we are all excited to begin getting back to in person events when appropriate, I think we can all see that virtual is here to stay. This option has allowed CAI-NC to reach regions that have been underserved for many years, simply due to geographic distance from our major population centers.

Speaking of our annual events, I hope everyone plans to participate in some way in the Annual Conference & Expo August 5 and 6th. It will be virtual again this year, based on a variety of factors including member survey input. (Circumstances permitting, next year’s Conference will be in Wilmington August 25-26, 2022).

Meanwhile the Manager Learning Design Team and other volunteer groups continue brainstorming creative ways to deliver education to our members. One example: we’re looking at smaller “bite size” learning opportunities such as peer sharing of stories and lessons learned. Who doesn’t have a good “You won’t believe this….” story?

Our most recent education event - hosted by, and literally presented by, volunteers in the Charlotte area-- was a great example of a creative way to present content. A skit chronicled a compliance issue from discovery to investigation and finally to the hearing. Attorney Harmony Taylor provided guidance at various steps along the journey of the “Murky Waters HOA Board.“ We heard great feedback on this infotainment approach.

The upcoming third event in our 2021 Higher Thinking Executive Webinar Series for company executives and leaders is "Top 10 Handbook Policies To Protect Employers." Make sure your team member/s responsible for HR Activities are aware of this lunchtime event. It will also feature a short presentation by the Executive Director of NC4Me, a nonprofit group working to connect military-affiliated individuals with civilian career opportunities.

A proud announcement: National CAI has named the North Carolina Legislative Action Committee as the 2021 Legislative Action Committee of the Year! This selection recognizes exceptional work on behalf of the state’s 14,000+ community associations and the professionals who serve them. Members of the NC LAC are volunteers who make the time to stay on top of legislative developments, quietly “play defense” as necessary and take a leadership position when appropriate opportunities arise. This award will be presented at the national CAI annual conference in August.

Lastly, we ask you to follow CAI-NC on your company and/or personal social media platforms. Please like and share our content to help reach potential members, partners and potential new managers via Facebook and Instagram. Thank you to all our members for all you do for our industry and your commitment to your profession, your community and to this organization. n

National CAI named the North Carolina Legislative Action Committee as the 2021 Legislative Action Committee of the Year!