Community Associations Institute (CAI) has announced the eight winners of the 12th annual National Community Association of the Year Award (NCAYA) contest. NCAYA recognizes exceptional communities that excel at operations, management, and community-building. After a record-breaking number of applications—more than 200 nationwide—CAI selected a winner and an honorable mention in each of four size categories.

 

CAI President Barbara Byrd Keenan, CAE, said: "It's a pleasure for CAI to recognize this prestigious group of outstanding communities. We honor NCAYA winners because, by their management excellence, residents enjoy the many social and economic benefits of living in a well-run community."

The 2001 NCAYA winners are:

"Small" Category (less than 149 units)—Ships Watch Association, Inc., Duck, NC

A 17-year-old, resort community with 52 detached homes.

Web site: http://www.shipswatch.com

Ships Watch may be small, but its board and manager are not short on ideas. The community holds a biannual community and beach clean-up day, which helps the association maintain its picturesque landscape. Association-sponsored "meet your neighbor parties" are held all but two Saturday nights each year, attracting an impressive 95 percent of residents. The community's board and manager also put a premium on goal setting and charting both employee and committee progress. Each of the association's seven committees must submit detailed goals for the upcoming year. Programming and decision-making are based on these goals and committee members recount their progress at regular board meetings, gauging owner interests through biannual surveys.

According to general manager Jane Moseley, "The award is a confirmation of our association's management philosophy. It has instilled a sense of pride in every aspect of the association, from the owners, guests, board of directors, to the staff."

"Medium" Category (150-499 units)—Riverbend at Leisure World Condominium Unit Owners Association, Lansdowne, VA

A 3-year-old, 231-unit high-rise community.

Communication and education are two of Riverbend's key strengths. The association keeps its residents informed through various methods including a community television channel or "message generator," publishing regular committee updates in the association's newsletter and hand-delivering special notices to each resident. Convenient feedback systems for the association's budget are in place. The National Wildlife Federation even awarded Riverbend with a "Backyard Wildlife Habitat" certificate for providing birds with an appropriate habitat.

Says association president, Frank Andy, "We also feel strongly about supporting our local community by contributing our time and effort to charitable events such as the local hospital rummage sales, participating in health fairs and walkathons for the American Heart Association and helping those who serve our community such as the local fire and rescue services and our postal carrier."

"Large" Category (500- 999 units)—Lakeside Village Condominium Association, Inc., Culver City, CA

A 23-year-old, 530-unit community of mid-rise condominiums.

http://www.summertimelane.com (Web site not currently functioning)

Lakeside's focus is residents' needs. From welcome packets chock full of informative community information to surveys of new residents and homeowners, Lakeside values homeowner input. The association also sponsors seasonal potluck barbecues at which residents mix and mingle and a community clean-up day during which residents roll up their sleeves and work hard to beautify the community. In addition to community spirit-enhancing programs, the association's board and management have their eyes on the environment and emergency preparedness. The association recently began using low-energy fluorescent light bulbs to save energy—and money. Additionally, all of the community's lighting now utilizes photocells, which creates a more efficient system. The association also instituted a recycling program, which saves not only the environment, but also association funds. Lakeside is also ready for any emergency —- an earthquake preparedness package is included in each resident's welcome package. With the association located in an earthquake-prone environment, the manual is a necessary member-benefit.

Of winning the NCAYA not one, but two times, Egan reveals: "Winning the National Community Association of the Year Award means a great deal for our community." He continues that it "shows how important manager education and community involvement and sound board practices is in running a successful community association."

"Very Large" Category (1000+ units)—Kiawah Island Community Association, Kiawah Island, SC

A 25-year-old, 3,200-unit recreational/seasonal community of mid-rise condominiums, townhouses, and detached homes.

Web site: http://www.kiawah-owners.org

To say that Kiawah Island excels in operations and management is an understatement. Kiawah is known for it's very involved membership, with a visionary board and collaborations with all local groups and the greater community at large. Management invites the town mayor to attend the new member brunch and the association sponsors various events such as the Seaside Symphony Concert during which the association invites Charleston-area residents to hear the Charleston Symphony Orchestra perform. In addition to the community-wide events, Kiawah Island offers activities and services for residents including a Memorial Day party, fitness classes, a members dinner night, youth activities, an art guild, a military history cub and a monthly newsletter. Board and management's dedication to long-range planning also helps the association succeed. In June 2000, the association developed a long-range plan that addressed various concerns including communications, covenant compliance, governance, land management, administration and security/safety issues. The plan, a list of 113 "action items" was developed by surveying 27 resident focus groups, and was posted on the association's Web site and distributed in hard copy. At the end of the association's "planning cycle," 107 actions were "successfully completed or underway."

Of what the winning the NCAYA means for Kiawah Island, Bunting admits: "We are thrilled. The board, committees, volunteers and staff work very hard never expecting recognition. Being selected out of so many outstanding communities makes this award even more treasured."

Honorable Mentions

Honorable mention honorees are:

• Small: Sellwood Harbor Condominium, Portland, OR, a 21-year-old, 38-unit community of mid-rise condominiums and townhomes.
• Medium: Westwood Village Townhomes Maintenance Association, Houston, TX, a 25-year-old community of 305 townhomes.
• Large: Pelican Cove Condominium Association, Inc., Sarasota, FL, a 26-year-old, 731-unit community of townhomes and garden-style condominiums
• Very Large: Radisson Community Association, Inc., Baldwinsville, NY, a 26 year-old, 2,100-unit community of mid-rise condominiums, apartments, townhomes, and detached houses

For more information on NCAYA, see http://www.caionline.org/ncaya/ or email ncaya(at)caionline.org.

CAI is a nonprofit association created in 1973 to provide education and resources to America's 231,000 community associations—condominium associations, homeowner associations and cooperatives. CAI members include homeowners, associations and the professionals who provide products and services to them.