The arrival of 2020 marks the dawning of a new decade. It also marks the start of our fifth decade serving clients in the community association industry. For 40 years, RMWBH has been representing community managers and community associations in not just their legal needs, but their education needs as well. Our efforts to ensure the industry is up-to-date on legal education will not waiver in the new year. Part of the RMWBH mission is to be a resource to our clients and partners, and to be intentional with our efforts in making a positive impact on the community association industry. By expanding our education and getting down to the nuts and bolts of the everyday tasks of a community, we hope this approach to education will provide greater focus on the needs of the community association industry.
The Four C’s of Education
We believe that education preserves and protects property values in Texas communities and upholds the community association members’ right to self-govern. Teaching through our experience in both the boardroom and courtroom, we have developed an education program focusing on the needs of Texas communities. By diving into and categorizing the structure of a community, and its community managers and board of directors daily practice, we hope to provide insight that offers guidance that can be useful in an everyday setting of a community manager. Our new program is highlighted by what we see as the Four C’s of the community association world and community managers in day-to-day tasks.
Our Four C’s:
We have developed the Four C’s to focus on the needs of the community association industry. Our seminars are designed to provide community managers and board of directors greater knowledge covering topics under each guiding C. In 2020, we will be implementing our Four C approach in a variety of ways across Texas.
Webinars
With the pace that Texas cities are growing, travel has become more difficult for many. We know many of you are not always able to travel into our offices each month. In an effort to respond to this, at the end of 2019, we began a trial run of video webinars to make our education seminars more readily accessible. The webinars have proven to be a great success, and we will continue to provide our lunchtime webinars monthly on the third Tuesday of every month in 2020 for everyone across Texas. You may also see advertisement of other webinars in addition to the reoccurring webinars. Our webinars will cover a different topic under one of our Four C’s each month. Many of these webinars will be able to be applied towards CE credit for CMCA certifications, so you won’t have to leave your office to maintain or achieve certification.
In-Person Attorney Seminars
We recognize having a strict, set schedule for events does not always work for many community managers, management companies and board members. From day-to-day your schedule may change several times. In order to make our seminars as accessible and available as possible, our knowledgeable attorneys will come to your office to host a seminar exclusively for your staff of community managers or board members at a time and date that is convenient for your schedule. While our attorneys are on site, community managers or board members have the opportunity to not only gain the knowledge of a Four C presentation, but also be able to ask the presenting attorney questions related to the presentation and other topics.
RMWBH Office Seminars
Along with our virtual and specially scheduled education seminars, we will also host periodic seminars in RMWBH offices.
In our Austin office, Shareholder Clint Brown will continue the tradition of inviting managers into our office with a Four C seminar on the third Thursday of every month. Clint uses each seminar to share his knowledge of working in the HOA world throughout the Hill Country area to help community managers navigate the unique rules and regulations that govern the area.
In our San Antonio office, Equity Shareholder Brady Ortego and Associate Paul Gaines’ education programming will be evolving to create more opportunities to get to know the community managers on a more personal level. Brady and Paul will continue to host monthly events on the third Wednesday of every month, but these events will take on a whole new look in 2020. Some months will see Brady and Paul travel off-site to host “mix-and-mingles” in the San Antonio area where you can chat with Brady, Paul and other colleagues about the latest in the community association world in a more laid-back setting. Other months will see Brady and Paul hosting “Breakfast of Champions” events in the RMWBH office. “Breakfast of Champions” events will give community managers the opportunity to come into our office, grab breakfast and chat with Brady and Paul like you would at your local diner and talk about the community association news of the day.
In our Houston office, our Shareholders will be hosting a variety of seminars throughout the year relating to the Four C’s. We will be posting details throughout the year with more information about seminars and events in each city in the newsletter and on our website.
Saving the best for last, all of this education is offered at no charge. Our goal is to educate the community association industry in Texas. We do not want costs to be an impediment to this education.
With our new Four C program, we hope the RMWBH education program provides a governance strategy that will protect a community association’s assets by lowering the risk of litigation and the increased premiums and deductibles that follow. New and experienced community managers and board members can benefit from our education programming by gaining up-to-date knowledge on the newest laws, current best practices, and provide risk management tools that can be applied daily.
If you have questions on our education program, or wish to schedule an in-person attorney seminar, please contact marketing@rmwbh.com.