Page 4 - New England Condominium September 2021

4 NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM -SEPTEMBER 2021 NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM I P Events We’re Back, Baby! New England Condo Expo Returns this Fall! ne-expo.com New England Condominium is pleased to announce the return of our in-person expos! Th is fall, the New England Condominium Expo will take place at the Boston Conven- tion Center on Tuesday, November 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. We have an exciting line-up of exhibitors who are eager to interact in person, covering every aspect of multifam- ily living—from board governance, fi nancial planning, and community engagement, to roof repair, energy management, and lawn care. Like our past in-person expos, the New England Condominium Expo 2021 will in- clude a full day of free workshops, seminars, networking, and more. And as always, regis- tration and attendance are FREE to all! Visit www.ne-expo.com to see who’s exhibiting, get more information, and register as an exhibi- tor or an attendee. Th is will be a must-attend event for all condo, co-op, and HOA board members, property managers, residents, and real estate professionals in New England! We look forward to seeing you there in person! IREM Boston: Networking & Bingo! Th e Boston chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) will hold a net- working event that includes cocktails, con- versation, and virtual Bingo this month. Th e program runs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on September 28, 2021 at the Crossing 9’s Granite Links patio, 100 Quarry Hills Drive in Quincy. For details or to register, visit www.iremboston.org. CAI-CT Event Really Hops It’s fall, it’s fun, and it’s going to be held at a brewery! What more could you ask for? Th e Connecticut Chapter of the Com- munity Associations Institute (CAI-CT) has planned a Fall Fun & Vendor Fair for Sep- tember 29, 2021, at Hops on the Hill, 275 Dug Road, Glastonbury, Connecticut. Th e event will open with registration and net- working from 3:00–3:30 p.m., followed by an education session from 3:30–4:30 p.m., and networking and refreshments from 4:30–5:30 p.m. Topics to be covered in the education sessions will include Preparing Your Land- scape for Winter; How Reserve Studies Mini- mize Liability; Cause for Concern—Lack of Chimney Maintenance; and Preparing Your Property Damage Team. Th e program carries one Continuing Education Credit (CEU). Registration is available at www.cai-ct.org. BOMA International Conference Comes to Boston BOMA International 2021 is coming to New England. Aft er a 25-year wait to host the international conference, BOMA Boston an- nounced the event will be held from October 6–9 at the Boston Conference and Conven- tion Center. Th e opening keynote address will be given by Doris Kearns Goodwin, a world-re- nowned presidential historian, public speak- er, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author. BOMA International and the BOMA Boston Host Committee also announced that Bridge Over Troubled Waters will be the conference’s charitable partner, and they are actively recruiting local volunteers to help out at the convention center during the confer- ence as well as host committee local spon- sors. To sign up to volunteer or learn more about being a sponsor, visit www.bomabo- swelcomesyou.com. To learn more about the conference, visit www.bomaconvention.org/BOMA2021. IndUstRY NeWs CAI: Advocacy Is Important Th e number of new condominium and homeowners associations is expected to in- crease by 4,500 in 2021, according to projec- tions from the Foundation for Community Association Research. Laws and regulations impacting com- mon interest communities, which are home to more than 73 million Americans, change rapidly. Th e Community Associations Insti- tute (CAI) reports that it needs advocacy at all levels, including “grassroots advocacy to push public policy issues that maintain the integrity of the community association hous- ing model.” Recently, the Congressional Management Foundation released a report, “Th e Future of Citizen Engagement: Coronavirus, Congress, and Constituent Communications,” that em- phasizes the importance of citizen partici- pation to aff ect advocacy. Th e publication’s fi ndings include: • Th is year, 77% of legislators will hold on- line town hall meetings. • Almost half (46%) expect their offi ces to increase time and resources on town halls conducted by phone while decreas- ing resources for in-person meetings both in Washington, D.C. (67%) and back home (53%). • Legislators expect their offi ces to devote more time and resources to remote engage- ment with individual constituents. According to CAI, critics of remote inter- actions claim that Congressional representa- tives use virtual meetings or phone calls to screen and potentially avoid speaking with constituents. However, the Congressional Management Foundation’s research found that remote forums provide accessibility to constituents who cannot travel and are pro- ductive for legislators when used eff ectively. In a lengthy advisory on its website (www. caionline.org), CAI urges members to recruit other advocates; strengthen relationships with state and federal legislators; interact with elected offi cials whenever possible; in- vite elected offi cials to your community; sup- port lobbying eff orts; and learn about CAI’s political action committee by visiting www. caionline.org/advocacy/caipac. Heritage Properties Names New COO Heritage Properties, a real estate devel- opment and full-service property manage- ment company in Lowell, Massachusetts, has named Mindy Diamantopoulos as its chief operating offi cer. Previously appointed as senior vice president, Diamantopoulos will continue to strengthen Heritage Properties’ operations, oversee and improve manage- ment, and eff ectively advance the family- owned organization, the company said in a press release. “We are thrilled to welcome Mindy into her new role as COO,” said Jeff Bush, presi- dent of Heritage Properties. “She is an ef- fective, thoughtful leader who brings an uncompromised commitment to improv- ing operations for both our residents and our staff . We have the utmost confi dence in Mindy’s proven abilities and are excited to see how she continues to carry out our com- pany’s mission of ‘putting people fi rst.’” With almost 20 years of experience in property management, Diamantopoulos has demonstrated successful decision-making and exemplary operational skills through- out her tenure at Heritage Properties. Since joining the team in 2003 as an administrative assistant, she has been a transformative fi g- ure—rising through the ranks while applying innovative organizational solutions and de- livering on company-wide goals. Th e Peabody Companies’ CEO Receives Leadership Award Karen Fish-Will, principal and CEO of Th e Peabody Companies in Braintree, Mas- sachusetts, was recently honored with the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (JALSA). Fish-Will, a Hingham resident, was pre- sented with the award at the organization’s annual meeting and 20th anniversary cel- ebration. According to a press release from PULSE YOU’LL LEARN SO MUCH YOUR HEAD COULD EXPLODE. (Our lawyers said we had to warn you.) BOSTON CONVENTION CENTER, BOSTON — TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 10-3:30 FREE REGISTRATION: NE-EXPO.COM THE NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM EXPO 2021 WHERE BUILDINGS MEET SERVICES continued on page 14