“There are three types of community management.
Volunteer or self-management. The community association is managed by volunteer members of the board and association.
Association-employed manager. An individual is directly employed by the association.
Management company. The manager is a representative of a firm contracted by the association.
The role of a professional community association manager is to:
1) Provide information, training, and leadership on community association operations to the board, committees, and the community at large.
2) Foster a sense of community awareness and spirit within the residents.
3) Develop a body of leadership through the committee structure.
4) Provide the necessary administrative tools to the board to enable it to make wise, informed decisions on both short-term and long-term actions and goals.
In fulfilling the terms of his or her management contract and employment agreement, the professional community association manager is charged with assisting the board of directors’ decision-making process by means of providing information-gathering and fact-finding support; implementing the decisions of the board; and administering the services, programs, and operations of the community association within the policies and guidelines set by the board.”
For more information on self-management for community associations and hiring a management company please see our firm’s cheat sheets: The Basics for Self-Managed Associations and
How to Select a Management Company both found in our Publications tab.
Source: Community Associations Institute, State Advocacy Key Issues
