Thursday, May 12, 2011

NAA Education Conference Scholarship Winner Announced

Congratulations to Courtney MacDermid with Colonial Grand at Quarterdeck

Courtney is the recipient of the $2,000 NAA Education Conference scholarship, and will represent the CAA along with a couple other board members, at the 2011 NAA Education Conference in Las Vegas, NV, June 23-25, 2011. This year's theme is Educate. Energize. Empower.

Courtney joined the membership committee for the CAA in 2008.  After her first meeting, she knew the CAA was a group of people that she wanted to be involved with.  Later in 2008, she also joined the Charleston Cares Committee and assisted with the silent auction and the annual golf tournament.

In 2009, Courtney was given the opportunity to run for the Board of Directors.  In Courtney's application essay she said, "It was truly an honor for me to be entrusted with the daily operations of this fabulous association."  Chosen by CAA President, Marysa Raymond, to be co-chair of the Education Committee, Courtney was ecstatic. She and co-chair, Kymberly Mentz, have worked very hard through 2010 to come up with new and exciting ways to educate CAA members.

Courtney has been in the industry for 4½ years and during her career she received the Charleston Apartment Association's Assistant Manager of the Year in 2008, and in 2010 Courtney and her other team members received Property of the Year 2010.

May Membership Meeting on May 17, 2011

The Mind Game of Business!  Shift Your Thinking. Get Results

Tuesday, May 17, 2011
6:00 p.m. - Registration
6:30 p.m. - Dinner & Program

Crowne Plaza
4831 Tanger Outlet Blvd 
N. Charleston, SC 29418

CAA Member registration - $35.00

Member Spotlight:  
Comcast 

The CAA May Membership Meeting will host national speaker Terri Norvell.  She will help you get into the Mind Game of Business.    

The Mind Game of Business!  Shift Your Thinking. Get Results. 
What if you could immediately improve your problem solving, decision making, productivity, efficiency... and overall happiness at work?  You sure can! If you've been curious as to why 'you know what to do and yet sometimes are just not doing it' you will not want to miss this presentation.   

You'll learn how the science of overcoming inaction opens new possibilities. Combined with the art of rewiring your mind for action enables everything in your life to shift. 

This evolutionary system drills down to the core thinking processes that determine your daily results.  You can achieve sustainable and measurable long term success.  You'll love the energized feeling!

National Speaker Terri Norvell: "Breakthrough To What Really Matters"

Breakthrough To What Really Matters...Experience 3-Second Success!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon

Crowne Plaza 
4831 Tanger Outlet Blvd 
N. Charleston, SC 29418

CAA Member registration - $60.00
Non-Members - $100.00

Sponsored by:  
 FSI
Additional sponsorship available.  Please contact Kymberly Mentz for more information.  

Breakthrough To What Really Matters...Experience 3-Second Success!  
Positioning yourself and your community at the front of your market is essential today. Yes, challenges exist. It's your ability to recognize and define what's hindering progress that's a key first step. The answers are at your finger tips whether in sales, service or management.

In this session you and your team members will literally and symbolically break through obstacles to discover new opportunities and a new way of thinking. It's results-focused, confidence building and filled with breakthroughs. You'll learn a powerful technique for focusing on what's most important, taking action and following through for ongoing effectiveness.

This session is not only powerful...it's fun. This remarkable process is guaranteed to kick-off a whole new way of thinking...in 3-seconds! Call it self-leadership in action with a commitment to success.  



Legislative Update

Plans for the NAA Industry Experts Service Announced
Government Affairs is developing the Industry Experts Service to create a resource linking the news media, researchers, Congressional staff and others with NAA members on key industry issues.   While NAA and NMHC staff can always cover the key points of any issue, nothing touches the impact of an actual practitioner explaining the nuts and bolts of how the apartment industry works and how a particular issue affects the individual’s business.  This service not only benefits our advocacy efforts but it expands the profile of the Association and our industry overall.  Members of NAA’s Legislative Committee will lead the charge as experts service volunteers and other NAA members are encouraged to join the bandwagon.

NAA Files Brief With U.S. Supreme Court
NAA together with NMHC, AACSC, SDCAA, AAOC and AOBA recently filed an amicus (friend of the court) brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the Guggenheim v. City of Goleta case. The Guggenheim case involves the issues of rent control and regulatory takings.

Monday, May 2, 2011

ADA Update for Businesses

The Department of Justice has revised its regulations implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This rule takes effect on March 15, 2011, clarifies issues that have arisen over the past 20 years, and contains new requirements, including the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design (2010 Standards). This document provides guidance to assist small business owners in understanding how this new regulation applies to them.

Compliance Dates

Businesses need to know two important deadlines for compliance. Starting March 15, 2011, businesses must comply with the ADA's general nondiscrimination requirements, including provisions related to policies and procedures and effective communication. The deadline for complying with the 2010 Standards, which detail the technical rules for building accessibility, is March 15, 2012. This delay in implementation was provided to allow businesses sufficient time to plan for implementing the new requirements for facilities. In addition, hotels, motels, and inns have until March 15, 2012, to update their reservation policies and systems to make them fully accessible to people with disabilities.

Topics Include:
  • Policies and Procedures
  • Service Animals
  • Wheelchairs and Other Power-Driven Mobility Devices
  • Communicating with Customers
  • Barrier Removal
  • Accessibile Entrances
  • Alterations
  • New Construction

The full publication is available here: http://www.ada.gov/regs2010/smallbusiness/smallbusprimer2010.pdf