Community Associations Institute Announces 2026 Leadership

Falls Church, Va.

Matt D. Ober, a community association attorney from California, Steers 2026 leadership team. 

Community association attorney Matt Ober begins his term as the 2026 president of Community Associations Institute, the leading international authority on the community association housing model that includes condominium associations, homeowners associations, and housing cooperatives.  

Ober is a partner at Richardson | Ober in Pasadena, Calif., and brings decades of experience representing HOAs and their volunteer leaders. A nationally recognized attorney and educator, Ober has advised boards on governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance throughout his career. His leadership has included service on the CAI Board of Trustees and active involvement in advancing education and advocacy initiatives that support well-run HOAs nationwide.  

“It is my honor to lead CAI this year alongside an exceptional Board of Trustees made up of business partners, homeowner leaders, and community managers, diverse perspectives united by a singular commitment to building community,” says Ober. “The Board is focused on looking ahead, envisioning the future of CAI and supporting our members as they navigate rapidly changing environments. CAI has the expertise, reach, and resources to shape how community associations meet today’s challenges and seize new opportunities. We have a unique opportunity to build communities that evolve to meet the needs of those who live in, serve, work with, and lead them, making our communities even better places to live.” 

CAI is governed by a 15-member Board of Trustees and supported by three membership representation groups: the Business Partners Council, Community Association Managers Council, and Homeowner Leaders Council. These councils ensure CAI delivers relevant services and benefits while fostering collaboration and providing members with a strong voice in shaping policy and programs. 

2026 Board of Trustees 

  • President: Matt D. Ober, Esq. 

  • President-Elect: Kelly Zibell, AMS, PCAM 

  • Immediate Past President: Melissa Ramsey, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM 

  • Leslie Alvarez, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM 

  • Patricia A. Book, Ph.D.  

  • Brian Butler, Esq., CMCA, AMS, PCAM 

  • Delores Ferguson, CMCA, AMS, PCAM 

  • Staci M. Gelfound, CMCA, AMS, PCAM 

  • Cynthia A. Jones, Esq. 

  • Jessica Melissa Knutsen, CIRMS,  

  • Kathryn Diane Krupp 

  • Alexandria Marie Pollock, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, 

  • Lucy Robertson 

  • Joyce Sachs 

  • Catherine Davis Walston, CMCA, AMS, PCAM  

Business Partners Council 

  • Chair: Jessica Melissa Knutsen, CIRMS 

  • Chair-Elect: Alexandria Marie Pollock, CMCA, AMS, PCAM 

  • Greg Borzilleri 

  • M. Katherine Bushey, Esq. 

  • Amanda Gray, EBP 

  • Phaedra Howard, Esq. 

  • Matthew C. Kuisle, RS 

  • Adam Marshall, Esq. 

  • Steve G. Mason, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, CIRMS 

  • Sean A. O’Connor, Esq. 

  • Michael Roche, AMS, PCAM 

  • Community Association Managers Council 

  • Chair: Delores Ferguson, CMCA, AMS, PCAM 

  • Chair-Elect: Catherine Davis Walston, CMCA, AMS, PCAM 

  • Board of Trustees Representative: Leslie Alvarez, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM 

  • Jamie Bryan, CMCA, AMS, PCAM 

  • Brian Butler, Esq., CMCA, AMS, PCAM 

  • Julie Diane Carter, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM 

Homeowner Leaders Council 

  • Chair: Lucy Robertson 

  • Chair-Elect: Patricia A. Book 

  • Sandra Anderson 

  • Donald Lee Boswell, CMCA  

  • Hal Hovey 

  • Diane Fern Schoolsky, CMCA 

>Learn more about CAI, its leadership, and how it supports community associations.