October 2023

INSIDE CONNECTION ROBIN SURGENT | CAI-NJ DIRECTOR, MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

T he definition of “community” from Oxford Languages is a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. It also is a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. Our whole industry revolves around this one and powerful word, “community.” Within Community Associations Institute — the New Jersey chapter (CAI-NJ) we are so incredibly lucky to have a membership made up of Business Partners, Managers, Management Companies and Homeowners all sharing the same goals every day; building better communities. It’s easy to join a community, but how do you make the most of that commitment? We advise you to use CAI as your acronym for making the most of your membership. As the second largest chapter, we are proudly educating and advocating for our members, along with creating network ing opportunities for all four membership types to thrive off one another in our industry. C – Connections Don’t wait for them to come to you! Jump in and attend networking events, sponsor an educational program, meet amazing members and see how they can fit into your pro fessional space. CAI-NJ has an Ambassador Portal for new members who want to connect with an established commit tee member as well as the new Mentorship Program. We strongly encourage you to request a mentor, learn from the experts in the industry and allow yourself to create relation ships that will last you in the organization. With 2,700 members within the New Jersey chapter, a new business relationship is just around the corner! A – Advocacy The chapter has an award-winning Legislative Action Committee (NJ-LAC) and a proud Political Action Committee (CA-PAC) that volunteer their time and work extremely hard at fighting for the safety and effectiveness of our communi

ties. I implore you to support these efforts by attending PAC events, giving a general donation or participating in a call to action when a bill is up in the legislature that CAI needs your help supporting. Learning more about what the LAC and PAC do for the state will only better your knowledge and understanding as a member of the chapter. I – Involvement We truly believe you get out what you put into this chap ter and the strong membership is a direct reflection of their involvement in CAI-NJ. Join a committee and get a direct pulse on what is trending within the organization, meet a

“Don’t wait for them to come to you! Jump in and attend networking events, sponsor an educational program, meet amazing members...”

group of people you can lean on to help you get started and give yourself the opportunity to dive into our events and programs. CAI-NJ has 12 committees to choose from, all with different participation requirements. So, sign up for the one that you feel suits you the best! Submit a speaking proposal! This is a fantastic way to get yourself out there AND educate the membership with your area of expertise within the industry. We rely on your propos als to help us create the content for our programs, so please visit our website https://cainj.org/education-proposals/ to submit your educational proposal. Whether you are a new member or a veteran who has been with CAI-NJ from the beginning, it’s important to know that the chapter is here for you to grow professionally and make connections towards the common goal of building better communities. The one characteristic that stands out to me, every day and at every event we host, is that we are all Team CAI-NJ! n

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OCTOBER 2023