When you entrust the management of your community association to a professional, it is important to know that he or she has achieved a specialized level of experience in the industry. A manager who has earned the CMCA®, AMS®, or PCAM® designation has earned an advanced degree of excellence in the profession.

Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA®)  TOP

• Obtaining the CMCA credential demonstrates that you possess the fundamental knowledge required to effectively manage community associations.

  Community association managers play a vital role in ensuring the stability and success of community associations. Being an effective community association manager requires a great deal of knowledge in many areas. Community association homeowners need some way to measure a manager's professional knowledge. The CMCA credential provides that standard. Only individuals who have demonstrated the fundamental knowledge required to manage community associations will qualify for the CMCA credential.

  Obtaining the CMCA credential also demonstrates your commitment to enhancing the community associations you manage. Managers who raise their own professional standards will gain their homeowners' confidence. Homeowners will look for the CMCA credential when hiring a manager.

• A CMCA certificant is committed to staying informed about current community association issues.

  CMCA certificants must take continuing education courses to qualify for recertification. By doing so, they learn more about their profession and learn about new issues.

  Since community association management requires a wide range of skills, the continuing education requirement encourages managers to gain additional knowledge in a variety of subject areas.

  Community association management constantly changes. Managers must stay informed about important legal and technological issues affecting community associations.

  By knowing that their manager is required to gain additional knowledge and skills in community association management, homeowners gain confidence in a CMCA certificant's management skills. Homeowners can rest assured that their manager can handle common and emerging problems.

• CMCA certificants are held to a high standard of professional conduct.

  Community association managers hold a great deal of control over association finances and operations. Therefore, they must adhere to high ethical standards. To obtain the CMCA, a manager must agree to abide by the Standards of Professional Conduct. The Standards are enforced through conduct investigations and hearings.

  Homeowners are confident in managers who are committed to the high ethical standards required by certification.

• The CMCA is a national credential.

  The CMCA provides a national standard of knowledge required for community association managers. Managers moving from state to state will be able to show their new associations that they posses the fundamental knowledge expected of professional managers. Homeowners in every state will know what the CMCA credential signifies, eliminating the need to determine other states' community association management professional standards.
   
  

  
  © Copyright 1999, NBC-CAM
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  What is the AMS® designation?  TOP
  The AMS® designation is the second tier of professionalism for community association managers. It is the first advanced level of recognition awarded by the Community Associations Institute (CAI), the nation's voice for condominium, cooperative and homeowner associations.

  Through advanced education, training and guidance, the AMS® designation helps ensure that the manager has the knowledge, experience and integrity to provide the best possible service to your association.

  Knowledge
  An Association Management Specialist has achieved a specialized level of expertise to help your association run smoothly by:

  • developing association budgets and financial reports to ensure your association prepares for future expenses and communicates to homeowners how their assessment dollars are spent;

  • performing site inspections to evaluate your association's grounds and common elements and ensure proper upkeep;

  • enforcing community association rules and restrictions fairly, equitably and reasonably;

  • assisting board members in selecting contractors and insurance providers that can provide top-notch services for your association;

  • overseeing and authorizing payment for services to ensure financial safeguards;

  • directing any association personnel; and

  • promoting open communication, fruitful collaboration and community spirit within the association.

  Experience
  A community association manager faces many different types of challenges, and is often called upon to perform or oversee a wide variety of jobs. An effective manager must have a solid understanding of the principles of human resources, contracting, accounting, psychology, insurance, physical plant maintenance, education, government relations, board management, basic construction and law.

  An AMS® designee has gained an understanding of all aspects of community association management by fulfilling the designation's requirements, which include:

  • a minimum of two years of experience in financial, administrative and facilities management for a community association;

  • more than 16 hours of intensive instruction in law, communications, operations and asset protection;

  • continued educational development and;

  • maintaining the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA®) certification from the National Board of Certification for Community Association Managers (NBC-CAM).

  Integrity
  An Association Management Specialist commits to upholding the highest ethical standards. He or she must abide by the strict rules of conduct outlined by the Community Associations Institute's Professional Code of Ethics, which states that the manager shall:

  • comply with all standards established by CAI and the state(s) in which the manager practices;

  • disclose in writing to the client any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest;

  • not provide inaccurate or misleading information to a prospective or current client;

  • refuse any compensation from parties who act or may act on behalf of the client;

  • see that the client's funds are held in separate accounts, are not misappropriated, and are returned to the client at the end of the manager's engagement;

  • recognize that all records, files and books are the property of the client; and

  • maintain a CAI membership and participate in continuing professional education.
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  What is the PCAM designation?  TOP
  The PCAM® designation is the pinnacle of professionalism for community association managers. It is the highest of the advanced levels of recognition awarded by the Community Associations Institute (CAI), the nation's voice for condominium, cooperative and homeowner associations. Through advanced education, training and guidance, the PCAM® designation helps ensure that the manager has the knowledge, experience and integrity to provide the best possible service to your association.

  Knowledge
  A Professional Community Association Manager has achieved a specialized level of expertise to help your association run smoothly by:

  • developing association budgets and financial reports to ensure your association prepares for future expenses and communicates to homeowners how their assessment dollars are spent;

  • performing site inspections to evaluate your association's grounds and common elements and ensure proper upkeep;

  • enforcing community association rules and restrictions fairly, equitably and reasonably;

  • assisting board members in selecting contractors and insurance providers that can provide top-notch services for your association;

  • overseeing and authorizing payment for services to ensure financial safeguards;

  • directing any association personnel; and

  • promoting open communication, fruitful collaboration and community spirit within the association.

  Experience
  A community association manager faces many different types of challenges, and is often called upon to perform or oversee a wide variety of jobs. An effective manager must have a solid understanding of the principles of human resources, contracting, accounting, psychology, insurance, physical plant maintenance, education, government relations, board management, basic construction and law.

  A PCAM® designee has gained an understanding of all aspects of community association management by fulfilling the designation's extensive requirements, which include:

  • a minimum of five years of comprehensive experience in financial, administrative and facilities management for a community association;

  • more than 70 hours of intensive instruction in law, communications, operations and asset protection and completion of a challenging case study program;

  • continued educational development and volunteer service to the profession; and

  • maintaining the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA®) certification from the National Board of Certification for Community Associations Managers and the Association Management Specialist (AMS®) designation from CAI.

  Integrity
  A Professional Community Association Manager commits to upholding the highest ethical standards. He or she must abide by the strict rules of conduct outlined by the Community Associations Institute's Professional Code of Ethics, which states that the manager shall:

  • comply with all standards established by CAI and the state(s) in which the manager practices;

  • disclose in writing to the client any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest;

  • not provide inaccurate or misleading information to a prospective or current client;

  • refuse any compensation from parties who act or may act on behalf of the client;

  • see that the client's funds are held in separate accounts, are not misappropriated, and are returned to the client at the end of the manager's engagement; and

  • recognize that all records, files and books are the property of the client.

  • maintain a CAI membership and participate in continuing professional education.
  
  © Copyright 1999, Community Associations Institute
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