Ronald L. Perl, a partner with the Princeton, NJ, law firm of Hill Wallack, has been named president of the Community Associations Institute Research Foundation, CAI's data-collection and research arm. The Research Foundation was founded in 1973 to mobilize contributions for research projects involving association-governed communities.

CAI is a national organization dedicated to fostering vibrant, responsive, competent community associations. The 15,000-member organization and its 55 chapters represent homeowners, cooperatives, condominium and community associations and the professionals who provide products and services to planned communities.

Research Foundation officers joining Perl are:

• President-elect Lynn S. Jordan, Esq., Powers Phillips, P.C., Denver, CO.
• Vice President Jo-Ann Greenstein, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Advantage Property Management, Morganville, NJ.
• Treasurer Howard Goldklang, CPA, Goldklang, Cavanaugh and Associates, Fairfax, VA.
• Secretary Samuel L. Dolnick (homeowner), La Mesa, CA.
• Immediate Past President B.G. Campbell, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Community Group, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.

Each serves a one-year term beginning March 2003.

In addition to his law practice, Perl is an adjunct professor at Seton Hall Law School. An attorney with 20 years of experience in community association law, he currently serves on the Board of Governors of the College of Community Association Lawyers. Perl is past president of CAI's New Jersey chapter. He has served as a member of CAI's national faculty for more than 10 years, has served on the Designation Ethics Committee, and continues to serve on the Law Seminar Planning Committee.

"We are very fortunate to have such dedicated professionals lead us over the next year," said CAI Research Foundation Executive Director Michele Jerome, CAE. "These industry leaders understand the community association business. Under their leadership, the foundation will continue to build its knowledge base, provide quality research and educational resources, and better serve this growing segment of the American community."

CAI's Research Foundation serves as the catalyst for positive change in the community association industry by illuminating future trends and opportunities, supporting and conducting research and promoting academic interest in these pursuits. The foundation is currently developing best practices on selected topics using a variety of sources, including past winners of CAI's National Community Association of the Year Award, recommendations from industry experts and various publications. The anticipated outcomes of the Best Practices project include (1) documented criteria for function-specific best practices, (2) case studies of community associations that have demonstrated successes in specific areas and (3) development of a showcase on community excellence.

In addition to the officers, other members of the foundation Board of Directors are:

• Robert Browning, RS, Browning Reserve Group, Sacramento, CA.
• Mark A. Conner, Hilb, Rogal & Hamilton Company of Houston, Inc., Houston, TX.
• Carol Eskew, CPA, Goldman, Juda & Martin, Plantation, FL.
• Mickel Graham, PCAM, First Capital Bank, Norcross, GA.
• Ellen Hirsch de Haan, Esq., Becker & Poliakoff, P.A., Largo, FL.
• Jasmine Martirossian, Law, Policy and Society Program, Northeastern University, Boston, MA.
• P. Richard Means, PCAM, The Keys Condominium Owners Association, Walnut Creek, CA.
• Fred Mellenbruch, Stoneridge at Mission Viejo (CA) Association, Mission Viejo, CA.
• James H. Ott, CMCA, PCAM, Appletree Management Group, Inc., Moscow, PA.
• Joan Owen, CMCA, PCAM, CFM Management Services, Alexandria, VA.
• William Owens, CPA, William Owens & Co., CPA, Carbondale, PA.

More information on CAI's Research Foundation can be accessed at http://www.cairf.org.