Board members and trustees are volunteers with many responsibilities. They  devote time to their association, act as a governing body for the condo and  have the powers to control what is permitted to take place and not take place.  It’s a busy job and, just like becoming a good employee, becoming a good board  member takes some work. Good board members stay proactive when it comes to  knowing their job and stay abreast to changes of laws.  

 Fortunately, there are many resources available to help trustees and board  members. Publications like New England Condominium magazine offer valuable tips  and advice for trustees, unit owners and community association professionals of  all types on issues relating to board operations, management, finance,  insurance, maintenance and governance. Also, there are a wide range of courses  that are offered by trade organizations such as the Community Associations  Institute (CAI) and the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), which has  chapters throughout New England.  

 Numerous Resources Available

 When deciding to run for a seat on the board—or after taking that seat at the table—condominium owners who want to learn about the job face no shortage of  educational opportunities. Here are some sources of education and information  for both new board members, and those interested in boosting their knowledge:  

 New England Condominium (www.newenglandcondo.com) and The Cooperator  (www.cooperator.com) are available online, with an extensive archive of  articles on management, finance, maintenance, law, and, of course, being a  board member. TheCooperator newspaper, which has editions in New York, New  Jersey, Florida and Chicago, is the sister publication to New England  Condominium, and also presents seminars at expos in those markets.  

 New England’s first Condo Expo took place in 2009 and has been growing ever since. The New  England Condominium’s 2013 Condo and Apartment Management Expo will again take place at the Seaport  World Trade Center in Boston, offering a variety of exhibits and seminar panels  that will help trustees become better leaders and enable them to run their  communities more efficiently. The 2012 Expo included seminars on resolving  conflicts, running effective meetings and the legal impacts of foreclosures on  associations. Visit www.ne-expo.com for more information on the 2013 Expo,  scheduled for May 21st.  

 Both CAI and IREM offer dozens of pamphlets, handouts and books on being an  effective board member, plus educational seminars and workshops that you can  attend as well. CAI has three chapters serving the New England region: CAI-New  England, CAI-Connecticut, and CAI-New Hampshire and IREM, whose coursework is  geared towards property management, has three chapters: IREM Boston  Metropolitan Chapter #4 (MA, VT, NH, ME), Connecticut Chapter No. 51 (CT, MA),  and the Greater Rhode Island Chapter No. 88 (RI, MA).  

 Community Associations Institute (CAI) (www.caionline.org): CAI provides  education and resources to volunteer homeowners responsible for community  associations. The organization also provides experts with information on  community management and law, and acts as an advocate for legislative and  regulatory policies. In addition to nationwide courses —including some offered online—CAI presents a host of learning opportunities through its local and regional  chapters.  

 In October, CAI-New Hampshire will offer Board Member “Basic Training" in Manchester, New Hampshire. For more information, visit  http://www.cainh.org/page/seminars.  

 The Connecticut Chapter of CAI (www.caict.org) also has an introductory course  on tap. The ABCs (A Basic Course) for Community Associations is being offered  this month in Bloomfield, Connecticut.  

 The New England Chapter (www.caine.org) will also offer a “Board Member’s Basic Training” program in October in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as well as a number of seminars  throughout the day at its October 27 annual conference and expo.  

 Being a Newbie

 According to Deborah Jones, PCAM, at American Properties Team in Woburn,  Massachusetts, new trustees and board members need to understand that their  decisions impact an entire community, not just them. “Often they get on the board with their own agenda and think they’ll change something, but they need to learn that decisions are made by a board,  not an individual and the board members must go along with that decision,” she says.  

 Becoming a new member of a condo board can also be overwhelming. “They may underestimate the fiduciary responsibility they owe to fellow board  members and the association as a whole,” says Cassandra Vorisek-Creto, executive director of the New Hampshire chapter  of CAI. “There also may not be an orientation program in place or any outline of  responsibilities of the various categories of association board members. As a  result, a board may not work as efficiently as possible.”  

 “If a board member hasn’t been involved before, they need to know their fiduciary and legal liabilities  as individuals and board members,” says Frank Rathbun, vice president, communications & marketing for the Community Associations Institute (CAI) in Falls Church,  Virginia. CAI (www.caionline.org) provides education and resources to volunteer  homeowners responsible for community associations. The organization also  provides experts with information on community management and law, and acts as  an advocate for legislative and regulatory policies. Among CAI’s offerings is a Board Member Tool Kit.  

 Rathbun says that CAI provides board members with a wide range of resources. “It’s optional to participate, but if you’re going to volunteer to serve on a board, you need to know that it’s full of stresses, sometimes it’s a thankless job, but it can be very rewarding.”  

 Board members often walk a narrow tightrope: Do something that even a few owners  and shareholders disagree with and you’re bound to hear about it. Do a good job and the reward is that you won’t hear a lot of complaints—but don’t necessarily expect pats on the back for a job well done.  

 Someday, the New England states —and others across the nation— may take a page out of Florida’s lesson book and require newly-elected or appointed board of directors to take  a state-approved course for certification to serve on a condo board. But  attorney Stephen Marcus, a principal in the Braintree, Massachusetts law firm  of Marcus, Errico, Emmer & Brooks, says there hasn’t yet been any discussion along those lines among CAI-New England’s Legislative Action Committee.  

 American Properties Team provides its own seminars at a central location for  their trustees. “Half of our portfolio is on the Cape and I like to customize those, because they  have their own particular concerns,” says Jones.  

 For example, American Properties Team offered the Cape Cod-based board members a  disaster program. “The people who live there are concerned about getting off the Cape in case of a  disaster,” says Jones. “It’s easier for me to talk about that than have a company that doesn’t know the Cape townhouse community come in and do it. I can frame it better.”  

 Attendance Can Be a Challenge

 But even with a comprehensive list of resources, Vorisek-Creto says that getting  board members to attend events or workshops can be difficult.  

 “I have heard from many property managers who suggest educational programs to  their boards,” she says, but the message goes unheeded. The volunteers respond “that either they do not need it, because this is why they hired a professional  manager; it is too expensive to attend; or they don’t have the time to attend an educational program,” she says.  

 “Another problem is often board members do not attend courses as they are not  sure if they will continue on the board or not,” adds Vorisek-Creto. “As a result, condo associations pay for educational programs, but sometimes may  feel it is a waste of money if the board member may not stay.”  

 To help support and educate her board members, Jones sends out articles and  email blasts. “I try to make their job as easy as possible,” she says.  

 Before deciding to become a board member, it’s important to know that experience can be learned and isn’t a prerequisite for being an effective board member, but once you are voted in,  learning some basics about your responsibilities and about the association is  essential. Candidates should also know what kind of commitment they’re going to have to make.  

 Book/Magazines

 Along with the above in-person and online educational opportunities available  throughout New England, board members can find a wealth of helpful information  on the web and in bookstores. Here’s a sampling of printed materials currently available:  

 Condos Townhomes and Homeowner Associationsby Patrick Hohman ($29.95). Broadcast quality, sound-bite interviews with  experienced volunteers and professionals. Also, check out his website at  http://condohoainfo.com for videos from other condo experts and additional  information.  

 From Good to Great. A free, downloadable brochure from the Community Associations Institute  (www.caionline.org) that includes Rights and Responsibilities for Better  Communities, Community Association Governance Guidelines and Model Code of  Ethics for Community Association Board Members (www.caionline.org  /info/help/Documents/Good2Great.pdf)  

 Become an Effective Condo Board Member,Sandra Rosen ($11.95, 2000). Rosen offers readers the basics of what they need  to know to become more effective in their condo board duties.  

 Condo Living: A Survival Guide to Buying, Owning and Selling a Condominiumby Robert Meisner ($29.95). Meisner shares his wisdom and wit accumulated from  more than 35 years of practicing community association law.  

 An Introduction to Community Association Living: From the Community Associations Institute (www.caionline.org): a basic  introduction for homeowners new to community association living and a great  resource for volunteer leaders. It focuses on the rights and responsibilities  of a community association homeowner and volunteer leader. Learn about key  documents that govern community associations, including Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&Rs); Master deeds; Articles of incorporation; Bylaws; Resolutions  (http://www.caionline.org/info/readingroom/Publication%20Excerpt%20Library/comm unity_association_living.pdf).      

 Lisa Iannucci is a freelance writer and a frequent contributor to New England  Condominium.