Broward Community Association Board Members Go to “Boot Camp” to Get Basic Training in Florida Law

Sunrise, Florida  (December 8, 2008) -- In Army boot camp, soldiers go through a rigorous training program to get ready for potential battle with the enemy. In the context of the boot camp held recently at Sunrise Lakes Condominium in Sunrise, training was meant to help “soldiers” avoid war, not with an enemy, but with their own neighbors.
 
The three-hour program, hosted by the not-for-profit Community Advocacy Network (CAN), served as basic training for people who volunteer on their condominium and homeowners’ board of directors. On this day, the Board Member Boot Camp was held for members of the Broward Coalition, the county’s largest and most powerful coalition of condominium and homeowner associations.  About 100 people participated.
 
Playing drill sergeant for the day was Mike Oliver, a seasoned community association attorney with the law firm Katzman Garfinkel Rosenbaum, the creator of CAN. Playing his role to the T, Oliver was decked out in military fatigues, army boots, and a crew cut hair style. He was flanked by “Officers” Donna DiMaggio Berger, a firm partner and also Executive Director of CAN, as well as attorney and firm partner Ken Zielberger. Together the team drilled the “troops” with questions on Florida law as it pertains to proper association governance. Among other items, the group learned the dos and don’ts of negotiating contracts with vendors, proper ways to hold meetings, when you should update governing documents and rules on board elections.
 
“Most people who serve on boards are well-meaning volunteers who want to make their communities better places,” said Berger who conceived the Boot Camp idea. “But in order to do their jobs effectively they need to know the law. What we wanted to do is provide people with a basic understanding of the best practices, but in a way that was fun and interactive.”
 
Charlotte Greenbarg, president of The Broward Coalition, said she thought the Boot Camp program was a hit.  “The program was an effective and creative way to introduce new board members to the rules they must follow, and for the more veteran board members, it was a great way to brush up,” she said. “The more we know about the rules, the more
effective we can manage and avoid costly mistakes.”
 
The Community Advocacy Network hosts free Board Member Boot Camps for large groups throughout Florida. To schedule a session for your association, call 954-315-0372.
 
CAN is a not-for-profit initiative started by Katzman Garfinkel Rosenbaum, a statewide law firm based in Fort Lauderdale that concentrates it practice on community association law. CAN advocates on behalf of more than a thousand associations, homeowners’ associations and other common interest ownership communities. Besides legislative support, CAN also offers an Affinity Program that provides members access to special discounts and services from participating vendors such as banks, insurance agents and accounting services.  CAN also offers “Board Member Boot Camps,” free seminars to community association board members so they can learn best practices and become better leaders in their neighborhoods. The Boot Camps are available to both CAN and Non-CAN members alike. Membership in CAN only costs $150 per year with discounts given to larger umbrella organizations. For membership information call 954-315-0372.

Michelle Friedman or Todd Templin
Boardroom Communications
954-370-8999