MANAGER
An Industry Educator with a Legacy of Giving Cynthia Cattern, CCAM, PCAM, PowerStone Property Management CACM Manager Member since 1991
By Emily Stegman
W
hen Cynthia Cattern, CCAM, PCAM, reflects on the impact she’s had on the community management industry, education and training are at the forefront of her mind. Her greatest legacy, she says, is the countless training programs and courses she’s developed for community managers and board members throughout her 28-year career. “The best thing about sharing my community management knowledge is when someone mentions it to me, saying they remember my course or what they learned. It’s nice to know how many people’s careers I’ve touched through my teaching, and to remember how they touched mine,” she says. Cattern’s teaching résumé is impressive, including the years she spent developing and teaching courses for Cal State Long Beach, UC Irvine, and CACM. She also developed the staff training program for her former employer, Merit Property Management, ACMF. As the current Director of Community Relations for PowerStone Property Management based in Irvine, she manages one of the company’s largest accounts and is in the process of developing a board training program and strategic planning courses. In addition to her contributions as an educator, Cattern has also made it a priority to create a culture of giving at each organization she’s worked for because she knows how much of a morale booster it can be for staff members. “It allows you to escape the negativity of the industry and see people who are in real need of help,” Cattern says. “I think you grow by giving and you become a better manager because you become cognizant of the world around you, versus being caught up in your morning cup of coffee.” Cattern (right) at the Be Aware Foundation’s Stomp Out Breast Cancer fundraiser in 2011, an annual event featuring grape stomping, wine tasting, and an auction.
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Vision Summer 2013 | www.cacm.org
