2023 Annual Awards Nominees

Community Association Board of the Year Nominees (Under 1,000 Units)

Seabreeze at Lacey Community Association, Inc.: The Seabreeze Board of Trustees is leading its community into the future with expertise, vigor, and the commitment of its time and talent. This Toll Brothers, age-restricted community, located in Forked River, NJ, is currently undergoing “transition,” leading to complete independence from the developer in 2023. The board sees “service” as its imperative, knowing that a board’s work will never meet with 100% approval, yet fully understanding its fiduciary role in serving the best interests of all its members. This five-member board has spent nearly 5,000 man-hours of effort this year alone and encompasses members with accounting, CFO, banking, credit analysis, sales and

legal backgrounds at high corporate levels and local business acumen, too. The Seabreeze Board, which reached majority control in October 2019 and full control in December 2021, has effectively managed the community wtth sound financial planning and budgeting, the creation of a nearly “fullyfunded” replacement reserve, significant surplus and working capital funds, coupled with the ongoing process of professional reserve studies, to effectively meet its financial imperatives over the next 30 years. The board continuously avails itself of expertise from its legal, engineering, accounting, and other professional partners, including CAI-NJ, to remain at the forefront of best practices in the community association world, including the planning for, and understanding of, developing technologies, e.8., smart irrigation systems to become better stewards of our water resources, as well as the landscaping necessary to reduie our water needs into the future. The board looks to the future for continuous knowledge and improvement by engaging peer communities, especially through its CAI-NJ involvement and activities-via webinars, publications, social events, and conferences. To carry on its good work, the board is also actively engaging its leaders of tomorrow in the important work and roles of Board service. We seek to engage potential future leaders now, so that they can look to the future, while building upon the work that has occurred before they ascend to board service. Thank you for the opportunity to showcase our efforts to the greater CAI-NJ community.

Villagio South Brunswick HOA: The Board of Directors of Villagio HOA were met with a difficult situation upon being elected in May of this year. Transition just completed, the clubhouse was severely damaged: sprinkler pipes broken, walls wet and stained, the entire stucco facade had rot and mold. Funds for the repairs were just barely awarded. The community had no committees and there was an overall lack of trust. We have turned this community around in 6 months. Our board is committed to transparency and service to the community. Our 5 committees meet regularly & have a total community involvement of 30 residents. Our committees have had significant input into our budget preparation. We have met the significant challenge of replacing

the damaged clubhouse exterior while staying within the constraints of the transition settlement. The board and community manager have forged a strong and positive relationship with South Brunswick Township officials including the police and fire departments. We have hired an outstanding full-time manager who immediately started weekly newsletters for the residents which allows them to know exactly what is going on with the Association. We worked diligently with our trusted engineer to begin the process of getting our clubhouse back in shape with facade work going out to bid. Repairs were done internally, and we hired a highly respected fire suppression firm to manage our system so we would have no further breaks. We opened the call for volunteers for committees and have given them the ability to make valid changes for their neighbors. We created a coffee cafe from an unused reception desk area so residents could feel welcomed and have a place to stop in and chat. The pool surface that was cracking and on the verge of inward collapse was repaired in time for a safe and fun pool season. We’ve done all this with a Board of Directors who have never served in this capacity but have taken the time to learn from both CAI and our trusted management partner. We continue to grow and learn and are proud of the work we have accomplished with so much against us. We recently gave a Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, the first in our community, to give back to our resident committee volunteers with the Board of Directors serving as wait-staff and hosts for the evening. We work diligently to make the best possible and most objective decisions for the community, recognizing our part in the future of this community. We are a very “young” board, and yet, very proud of the work we have done and continue to do. We have taken a “broken” association and created a community.