President’s Corner – August 2026 – You’re Never Too Old to Learn Something New

A couple of weeks ago, my department headed over to Margaritaville Resort in Kissimmee for the 2026 CAMU Homecoming and Trade Show, appropriately themed “Passport to Paradise.” Now, if you have to spend a day talking about HOA board meetings, hurricanes, crisis management, vendors, contracts, and continuing education, there are certainly worse places to do it than Margaritaville. And, we may have spent some time in the gift shop.

 

The conference brought together HOA managers, vendors, and board members from across Florida for a full day of classes, networking, vendor exhibits, and, yes, a little fun too.

The three of us divided and conquered, each taking different classes based on our interests so we could compare notes and share what we learned afterward. But one thing became very clear to me throughout the day: everyone is dealing with many of the same challenges. And after hearing a few of the HOA horror stories from around the state, I also came away thinking, you know what? We have it pretty darn good here in Viera. Our issues suddenly seemed refreshingly…normal.

So, I thought I would take you along for a little “Passport to Paradise” of my own and share a few highlights and takeaways from my day.

First up was “Proper and Effective Board Meetings”, presented by the Becker law firm, which specializes in HOA and condominium law. If you are imagining a dry legal seminar about motions, agendas, and meeting procedures, think again. The attorneys staged a mock board meeting and played every stereotypical character you could imagine.

There was the overbearing Board President, otherwise known as “the King,” complete with a crown. The late, lackadaisical board member arrived in flip-flops with a drink in hand. Then there was the vocal homeowner who knew everything, came armed with copies of everything, interrupted everyone, and even tried to vote along with the Board. And, of course, there was the attorney whose primary role seemed to be telling everyone, “No, you can’t do that.”

It was hilarious.

It was also uncomfortably recognizable.

Underneath all the comedy were some very real lessons about running effective meetings, understanding roles and responsibilities, following proper procedures, and keeping meetings productive. Anyone who has ever served on an HOA board probably would have recognized at least one of those characters. Hopefully not themselves.

Next up was “Hurricane Preparedness for Your Community” by First Onsite Restoration.
The PowerPoint decided not to cooperate, the presenter occasionally got a little distracted by the pretty girls in the audience, but somewhere in between, there was actually some very good information!

The biggest takeaway was that hurricane preparedness is about much more than what happens in the days before a storm. A good plan also addresses what happens after the storm passes. Who do you call? What vendors and contracts are already in place? How do you protect property? How do you communicate? How do you begin recovery? Most importantly, how do you make sure everyone’s safety remains the priority before, during, and after the event?

Living in Florida, we all know hurricanes are part of the deal. The lesson here was simple: the middle of a crisis is not the time to start figuring out your crisis plan.

My final educational session of the day was Crisis Management, presented by Sean Merrell with Stratus Roofing. Sean had an interesting perspective because, in addition to his professional role, he also serves as his own HOA Board President.

In other words, he has stories.

And real-life stories are often where the best lessons come from. There was some overlap with hurricane preparedness, but Sean did a great job explaining the “why” behind his recommendations and using actual experiences to illustrate what worked, what didn’t, and what he learned along the way. His session focused on practical strategies for handling emergencies, coordinating response efforts, communicating effectively, and leading a community through recovery.

Then, of course, there was the vendor trade show.

After sitting through classes all day, the three of us made our way into a packed exhibit hall filled with vendors, giveaways, drawings, business cards, promotional swag, and hundreds of people trying to navigate all of the above.

Naturally, we dropped our business cards into a few drawing baskets. Strictly professional networking, of course.

I did manage to connect with a couple of vendors whose services may come in handy someday.

And I won a couple of drawings. So, really, I would call the entire day a tremendous professional success.

All kidding aside, there is an important reason I wanted to share this with you.

Your Community Management team takes continuing education seriously. HOA laws change. Requirements change. Best practices evolve. New challenges emerge. Part of serving our community well means continuing to learn, asking questions, hearing how other communities handle issues, and bringing those lessons back to Viera.

And we want to extend that opportunity to our volunteer HOA board members as well. We are currently working on offering classes in the not-too-distant future for Viera HOA board members who need to complete the continuing education now required by the State of Florida. Attorney Frank Ruggieri will once again be teaching the classes, and if you have attended one of Frank’s sessions before, you know he manages to make HOA law both understandable and entertaining, which is no small accomplishment. The classes will be on September 21st and 28th from 9am to 1pm at the Addison Village Club.  Lunch will be provided. Fairway Management will be sending out the flyer soon with all of the registration details through the CINC system. We will also share on social media so be on the lookout for the details.

I went to Margaritaville expecting to learn a few things about HOA management. I did. But I also came home with a renewed appreciation for the community we manage, a few new resources, some good stories, and a couple of prizes.

Not bad for a day of continuing education.

So, until next time, remember, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” – Benjamin Franklin.

Eva M. Rey, President
Central Viera Community Association, Inc.