CAI's Community Leadership Forum

October 20-22, 2005
Hyatt Regency Atlanta
Atlanta, GA

Education Sessions

Break through the boundaries of your thinking and abilities and reach your full potential, both personally and professionally. Our goal is to create a learning experience that makes a real difference in peoples' lives and work. Our leadership tracks help you identify topics that are of most interest to you.

Keynote Speakers

Leadership Track: Career Advancement

• Managing Committees and Volunteers
• Presentation Skills Workshop
• Building Your Professional Identity
• Using the Latest Technology to Increase Efficiency
• When Opportunity Knocks, Will You Be Too Busy, Disinterested and Preoccupied to Answer?

Leadership Track: Beyond the Norm

• Legislative Trends and Leadership-You Can Make a Difference
• The Servant as the Leader and the Leader as the Servant
• Determining the Future Based on Current Trends
• Community Association Lawyers-Partners You Can't Live Without
• Nationwide Survey Results: Are Homeowners Satisfied with their Community Association?

Leadership Track: Communications

• Recovering from Catastrophe: A Lesson in Leadership
• Making Sense of Insurance
• Negotiating Skills: Peaceful Settlements to Conflicts
• Say What? How to Effectively Communicate with Your Target Audience
• Securing Your Communications Through Technology

Friday afternoon Shoptalks and Best Practices

Keynote Speakers

Thursday, October 20, 10:30 a.m.-Noon

Finders Keepers? Attracting and Retaining a New Generation of Employees
Opening General Session featuring Cam Marston

Good talent is hard to find-and even harder to keep. Generational DNA plays a huge role in the changing workforce dynamic. Understanding it unlocks the secret to selecting the right candidates and encouraging employee loyalty. The four generations in the workplace-Matures, Boomers, Xers and Millenials-each bring to the office their own distinct biases about loyalty, leadership, time and productivity.

Cam has studied these biases and their effects on attracting and retaining good employees. He will share insights and examples of how you can create an environment that attracts the best talent and fosters loyalty. Understand the motivating factors for employees and become the boss your employees want to serve. Every level of leadership plays a key role in attracting and keeping the very best. Discover how to create the workplace each generation requires and reap the rewards-consistent transfer of knowledge, increased productivity and decreased turnover.

Cam Marston has spent the last ten years studying workforce dynamics, with a keen focus on how generational biases play out from the stock room to the boardroom. One of a handful of experts dedicated to conquering the generational divide, Cam has shared his insight with hundreds of organizations and informs both management and staff about the importance generational views have on sales, hiring, retention and overall performance-the core issues companies tackle on a daily basis.

Friday, October 21, 11 a.m.-noon

Failing Your Way to Success
General Session featuring Mike McKinley, CSP

To break through boundaries and achieve your potential, you must learn to embrace failure as your teacher and maintain a positive attitude. Sounds easy enough-but we all know it's not. Join Mike in this session and you'll see firsthand that the fun is in the journey to a goal-not just in reaching it. Learn to make the most of each day. Research shows that people with a positive outlook are happier and more effective both at work and at home. Gain tactical insights from Mike on how you can do the same.

Mike will draw on his extensive experience-more than four decades in business and more than 20 years of professional speaking-to deliver an extremely memorable session. Mike has earned the designation of Certified Speaking Professional from the prestigious National Speakers Association and has served as its president. In addition, Mike has been selected for the Council of Peers Award for Excellence Speaker Hall of Fame award-given annually to no more than five professional speakers in the world. Mike is president of Thinking Publications, his multi-million dollar educational publishing house, and Alive! Alive! Associates, his professional-speaking and consulting business.

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Leadership Track: Career Advancement

Thursday
8:30-10 a.m.

Managing Committees and Volunteers
Intermediate

Managing volunteers and committees is no longer guesswork. Whether you are paid staff or a group of volunteers, you will be provided with organizational formats to help you manage and organize your volunteers and committees. This interactive program will help you successfully communicate the projects' objectives, match specific skills to particular roles, and determine methods for acknowledging volunteer work.
Michele C. Wierzgac, MS, CMM, Michele & Company^®, Oak Lawn, IL

3-4:15 p.m.

Presentation Skills Workshop

Presentation skills are more in demand today than they've ever been. With our increasing reliance on technology to communicate, the value of the spoken word has become more and more precious as it becomes less and less frequent. Each message we communicate in person carries more weight since these types of messages are becoming more rare. Too often, learning to deliver a good presentation is done through trial and error. Join keynote speaker Cam Marston and learn how to present yourself to any audience of any size and be a hit. Participants will come away as better presenters, eager to try their new techniques. This session has a limited seating capacity and will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Cam Marston, Marston Communications, Charlotte, NC

4:30-5:45 p.m.

Building Your Professional Identity
Intermediate

Why do some people stand out in a crowd when you deliver the same exact set of skills, products and services to the marketplace? More than likely, they have created an authentic personal brand supported by core values that differentiate themselves from others. Self-branding or your personal brand statement is about determining what is genuine about yourself. By knowing what your core values are and the passion that drives you, presenting the real you to others becomes easier. Attend this interactive program to be introduced to the same lessons used in developing a brand for a product or service, recognize how a personal brand assists in opening and closing doors for you, and learn to communicate your personal brand within your marketplace.
Michele C. Wierzgac, MS, CMM, Michele & Company^®, Oak Lawn, IL

Friday
9-10:30 a.m.

Using the Latest Technology to Increase Efficiency
Advanced

Handling all the day-to-day tasks in today's workplace can seem like a constant struggle. Staying on top of all the latest technology that can help you get organized, reach your potential and succeed on the job is an absolute necessity. Don't miss out on this opportunity to get up-to-date on what's new, what's been upgraded, and what may be coming down the road in the ever-changing world of technology.
William F. Hession, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, AssociationReady, LLC, Sachse, TX

Saturday
9:30-11 a.m.

When Opportunity Knocks, Will You Be Too Busy, Disinterested and Preoccupied to Answer?
Advanced

Feeling stuck? Then it's time to reevaluate yourself. Where have I been? Where do I want to go? Where can I go? And most importantly, how do I get there? Determining the answers to these questions can be an arduous and perhaps sometimes frustrating task. It's not easy to move forward towards your ultimate goal when you don't know what you're doing in the present and when the past is still holding you back. This interactive session will introduce to you the when, where and how of executing a plan of action to achieve your desired professional goals while encompassing personal development.
Julie Adamen, Adamen, Inc., Poulsbo, WA

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Leadership Track: Beyond the Norm

Thursday
8:30-10 a.m.

Legislative Trends and Leadership-You Can Make a Difference
Advanced

Legislatures nationwide have increasingly focused attention on perceived abuses in community associations. While these perceived abuses are the exception and not the rule, much of the legislation introduced is overly broad and burdensome to all associations. Learn more about legislative trends relative to community associations and how the decisions that association professionals and volunteer leaders make can directly affect whether onerous legislation will be introduced. If you are dedicated to fostering vibrant, smoothly operating and livable communities-this session is for you!
Moderated by Molly Foley-Healy, J.D., Community Associations Institute, Alexandria, VA

3-4:15 p.m.

The Servant as the Leader and the Leader as the Servant
Intermediate

Servant Leadership is much more than an oxymoron. Many industries, particularly community associations, are recognizing the value of Servant Leadership-the concept that one must serve first in order to become an effective leader. Servant Leadership is also becoming a core belief in the workplace, increasing both personal and professional morale as well as the bottom line. Discuss how the idea of Servant Leadership lays out the framework for addressing issues of motive and intent, and how to redirect those energies to create a better environment for everyone.
Rolf Crocker, AMS, Community Association Banc, Pleasanton, CA

4:30-5:45 p.m.

Determining the Future Based on Current Trends
Intermediate

There are six strong developing trends that will have a dramatic effect on how and where we live. Learn how the association management industry will be impacted by an aging population, the move to the exhurbs and shifting demographics, real estate as the last resort, wired communities, the greatest transfer of wealth in history and the next 30 years of idealistic-based government. Find out how these trends will influence the way we conduct business and manage our companies during the next ten years and receive practical advice on how to take advantage of these trends.
Edward D. Thomas, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Property Management People, AAMC, Frederick, MD

Friday
9-10:30 a.m.

Community Association Lawyers-Partners You Can't Live Without
Intermediate
Presented by CAI's College of Community Association Lawyers

From electing directors, to holding meetings, to enforcing parking rules-community associations are rife with potential legal landmines. The key for managers and association volunteers is to recognize a potential legal landmine and to get your association lawyer involved before it blows up. Focus on finding and retaining a lawyer specializing in community association law, best practices for building a valuable partnership with your lawyer, learning how your lawyer can assist you in working with your association board, managing and governing your association and preventing problems before they occur.
David S. Mercer, Esq., Dean of CCAL; Marc D. Markel, Esq., and George E. Nowack, Esq., Members of CCAL Board of Governors

Saturday
9:30-11 a.m.

Nationwide Survey Results: Are Homeowners Satisfied with their Community Association?
Sponsored by the Foundation for Community Association Research and CAI's Presidents Club

Are homeowners happy with their decision to live in a community association? What do homeowners feel are the best and worst things about living in an association? What causes the most conflict within community associations? What demographics describe the typical homeowner? The Foundation for Community Association Research-the driving force for community association research, development and scholarship-recently partnered with Zogby International to find out the answers to these questions and more.
Moderated by Michele Jerome, CAE, Foundation for Community Association Research, Alexandria, VA

Leadership Track: Communications

Thursday
8:30-10 a.m.

Recovering from Catastrophe: A Lesson in Leadership
Advanced

Many heroes are born by achieving their full potential during a disaster. Learn how you can achieve your potential during the recovery process by planning ahead and preparing effective communication techniques with board members, owners, insurance agents, contractors, attorneys and others. Learn how you can lower the stress level for all concerned, move the recovery process along and return as quickly as possible to normal and harmonious living.
William F. Merlin, Jr., Esq., Merlin Law Group, Tampa, FL

3-4:15 p.m.

Making Sense of Insurance
Intermediate

Effective communication is the key to successful risk avoidance and risk transfer. Identify mechanisms of communication you've never thought of before to clarify to residents what their responsibilities are. Learn to clarify indemnification language in contracts to make responsibility clear to all parties. Garner tips that can be used to break through the industry jargon, reduce claims and smooth the daily operations of association management.
Moderated by Karen Shirvanian, CIRMS, Kevin Davis Insurance Services, Los Angeles, CA

4:30-5:45 p.m.

Negotiating Skills: Peaceful Settlements to Conflicts
Advanced

Join an attorney specializing in community association law who is also a certified mediator for this interactive session. Participants will resolve complicated association situations without litigation, be provided with tips to revise association governing documents in order to assist with conflict resolution, and learn how to diffuse tense situations.
Marc D. Markel, Esq., Roberts Markel Guerry, P.C., Houston, TX

Friday
9-10:30 a.m.

Say What? How to Effectively Communicate with Your Target Audience
Intermediate

Unfortunately, not everyone can be a great communicator or act exceptionally poised when speaking in front of an audience. The good news is, this session is here to help you identify all of the missteps of miscommunication and how to avoid them. Topics addressed will include everything from overcoming the jitters to knowing how to utilize proper phrasing, from picking the right timing of your statement to identifying your audience. It's time to enhance your speaker skills to get your concise, educated and well-spoken point across.
Ken Kosloff, RS, Richard Avelar & Associates, Oakland, CA; Debra Warren, CMCA, PCAM, RealManage, Inc., San Rafael, CA

Saturday
9:30-11 a.m.

Securing Your Communications Through Technology
Intermediate

The technological world is advancing at an increasingly rapid rate with limitless boundaries. In order to keep pace, it's important to know what we're getting into when we adapt the latest and greatest technologies into our workplace and everyday lives. Stay ahead of the game by learning how to secure and safely utilize all the most recent technological conveniences, from Flash Drives to Voice Over IPs to wireless internet.
William F. Hession, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, AssociationReady, LLC, Sachse, TX

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Friday afternoon Shoptalks and Best Practices

3 - 4:30 p.m.		Shoptalk for Accountants
3 - 5 p.m.		Manager Exchange
3:30 - 5 p.m.		Shoptalk for Attorneys
		Shoptalk for Bankers
		Shoptalk for Insurance & Risk Management Professionals
		Best Practices for Homeowners and Board Members
		Shoptalk for Reserve Professionals

Manager exchange
Friday, 3-5 p.m.
Sponsored by the Association of Professional Community Managers Networking Committee

Join your fellow community managers-whether you're a portfolio, onsite, or large-scale manager, or a management company CEO-to put tools into action and discuss important issues facing managers. During this exchange of best practices you'll learn how to overcome daily limitations by sharing new ideas and solutions-thinking outside the cul-de-sac-that will increase your value to your association and help you become more successful.
Moderated by Steven Shuey, PCAM, CCAM, Team Property Management, Inc., Rancho Mirage, CA; Julie Adamen, Adamen, Inc., Poulsbo, WA, and Robert Felix, CMCA, LSM, PCAM, RS, Association Reserves-Colorado, LLC, Denver, CO

Best Practices for Homeowners and Board Members
Friday, 3:30-5 p.m.
Sponsored by the Foundation for Community Association Research

Join your fellow volunteer leaders to exchange ideas and information regarding the day-to-day issues facing your association. Use the series of Best Practices Reports developed by the Foundation for Community Association Research to get started. Gain practical concepts you can implement immediately from this interactive, informal setting.

"Conference increased my enthusiasm for the profession and gave me new management ideas to implement immediately."-Cindy Stenberg, PCAM, The Association Office, Inc., Santa Rosa Beach, FL

Register today!