Community Associations Network Industry News

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL -- (Marketwire) -- 11/12/08 -- The Florida Community AssociationJournal today announced the call for entries in the 2008 "FloridaCommunities of Excellence Awards," a new statewide recognition program forFlorida condominium and homeowners associations designed to identify andpromote innovative solutions and best practices in maintaining andimproving the quality of life for residents of community associationsthroughout the State.

Professional condo and HOA association managers, board members, unit- andhome-owners, residents and vendors representing the nearly 4 millionFlorida community association residents are encouraged to nominate theirfavorite communities for the awards, which will be judged by adistinguished panel of independent experts statewide in fields ranging fromsafety & security to the environment, from disaster preparedness tocommunications and civic involvement.

Nominations may be made online by completing an entry submission form athttp://www.flcaj.com/coe/, with the final deadline for submissions set forJanuary 15, 2009.

The first independently judged program to bring attention to the quality ofCommunity Association living state-wide, the Florida Communities ofExcellence Awards are co-sponsored by Becker & Poliakoff, P.A., adiversified commercial law firm with the largest community association lawpractice in the State of Florida. The awards will highlight significantaccomplishments and best practices in addressing the needs and concerns ofresidents and communities in five categories: Environmental Initiatives,Disaster Preparedness, Communications, Safety & Security and CivicInvolvement.

A total of 10 communities will be recognized for their achievements, withseparate judging in each category for communities that have more than 200units and communities with fewer than 200 units. Winning communities willbe invited to participate in a special awards presentation event and willbe profiled in the pages of The Florida Community Association Journal, thelargest independent publication serving professional Community Associationmanagers. There is no limit to the number of categories for whichcommunities may be nominated.

"All too frequently we hear about the negative side of community living,"said Jim McMurry, publications director of the Florida CommunityAssociation Journal. "All one has to do is open the newspaper or watch thelocal news to hear that there can be financial, relational, contractual andother issues when people live close together and share resources.

"We rarely hear about the unsung heroes and progressive communities, andFlorida is blessed to have a great number them. These awards will shine aspotlight on those communities that come together for the common good andproduce results that enhance not only their community, but their city,county and state as well," McMurry added.

In announcing the call for entries in the 2008 Florida Communities ofExcellence Awards, the sponsors today also announced the panel ofindependent experts who will evaluate the entries. The following businessand community leaders, Condo/HOA industry officials and recognizedauthorities have agreed to participate in judging:

Environmental Initiatives

-- Rebecca Bray, Director of Account Services, Environmental PR Group-- Dennis Hector, Professor, University of Miami School of Architecture Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy

Disaster Preparedness

-- Laura Hagan, Executive Director, Community Associations Institute, Suncoast Chapter-- Terry McMurry, Editor, Florida Community Association Journal-- Richard Thompson, Florida Community Association Journal contributor and publisher of Regenesis Report, monthly newsletter about Condo/HOA management practices

Communications

-- Betsy Barbieux, CAM, Professional Development Coach, Image Inside & Out-- Mark R. Benson, Member, Regulatory Council of Community Association Managers of Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation-- Joe Kollin, former Condo/HOA columnist, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Safety & Security

-- Carmen Caldwell, Executive Director/Crime Prevention Practitioner, Citizens' Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County-- Victor A. Hill, Chairman, Florida Society of Public Fire & Life Safety Educators-- Charles Milsted, Associate State Director, AARP

Civic Involvement

-- Wendy Spencer, CEO, Volunteer Florida-- Marilyn Wills, President, Florida League of Women Voters

About the Florida Community Association Journal

Founded in 1986, the Florida Community Association Journal provides newsand vital information to operators of condominiums, homeownersassociations, cooperatives and other multi unit communities and has earnedthe reputation of being the industry's most authoritative voice. Themonthly publication contains news and feature articles dealing with areasof interest to managers and board members, including legal matters,accounting practices, insurance, rules enforcement, cost-saving practices,industry events, building and grounds maintenance, security solutions,education, and more. Additional information at www.flcaj.com/.

About Becker & Poliakoff P.A.

Becker & Poliakoff, P.A. is a diversified commercial law firm based in Ft.Lauderdale with more than 120 attorneys in 13 Florida offices and U.S. andglobal offices in New York and Czech Republic and affiliated offices inChina, France and Israel. The firm's core areas of practice include RealEstate, Condominium and Homeowners Association Law, Construction,International Business & Trade, Government Law & Lobbying, Civil andCommercial Litigation, and Corporate, Securities & Tax Law. For moreinformation, visit: www.becker-poliakoff.com.

Media Contact:Tom Howell / Michael TangemanThe Pen Group CommunicationsTel: (305) 529-1944email: tom@thepengroup.com

Posted by Joe at 10:47 AM | Permalink

IRVINE, Calif., BUSINESS WIRE -- CMC Association Management and OpenPath Systems announced the large scale launch of Homeowners Association Web Portals. The launch of these portals represents a significant technology initiative undertaken by CMC which better connects the company to its customer base. The planning and execution of such an aggressive initiative makes this one of the most progressive endeavors undertaken by CMC and continues OpenPath Systems' expansion in the industry. The new portals will deliver up to date information to all homeowners whose associations are managed by CMC, while streamlining communication processes both internally and most importantly with their customers or homeowners. "Better serving our customers was the driving force behind this strategic initiative, we wanted to not only deliver important information to them, but also give them an easy way to reach us when they need our assistance," said Sue Cook, Director of Management Services.

OpenPath's platform allows CMC to centrally manage all HOA portals including content, while tracking important information surrounding their customers. Violation Tracking was also included in the initial launch and will be widely released later this month. With violation tracking in place CMC will now be able to better track a core function of their business. Integration of other features which include vendor management and work order fulfillment are also planned for release which will provide a central platform from which CMC managers can manage their associations. "This first step creates the infrastructure needed to support a variety of other features we plan to introduce in the coming months," stated Dan Bowers, Co-Founder of OpenPath Systems.

About CMC Association Management - Founded in 1966, CMC Association management has grown into one of the largest management companies in Southern California. Three office locations and more than 50 dedicated employees managing over 200 developments, with average customer tenure of 15 years or more. Find out more about CMC at www.cmcassociationmgmt.com.

About OpenPath Systems - OpenPath Systems is a browser-based software company that delivers Software as a Service in various industries which include property management. With recognizable names in those industries, OpenPath delivers software both in the United States and abroad, with thousands of users that operate from hundreds of different locations. For more information, visit www.openpathsystems.com.

Contacts:
OpenPath Systems Dan Bowers,
800-496-0093,
ext. 704 dbowers@openpathsystems.com

Posted by Joe at 10:45 AM | Permalink