Take It To The Board with Donna DiMaggio Berger

Take It To the Board: Florida Representative Dan Daley on How We Get the Laws We Get

In this episode of Take It to the Board, host Donna DiMaggio Berger speaks with State Representative Dan Daley, the Florida House or Representatives member for the district which includes portions of Coral Springs, Sunrise, Plantation, and Tamarac. He is the Democratic ranking member of the Redistricting Subcommittee, and he also serves on the Commerce Committee; the Environment, Agriculture and Flooding Subcommittee; Infrastructure and Touring Appropriations Subcommittee, and the Local Admi...

To Lend or Not To Lend with Brewster Cole, First Vice President, Valley National Bank

Florida community associations always need money for maintenance, repair, and capital improvement projects, but especially now with new safety laws in place, and Brewster Cole, First Vice President of Valley National Bank, is “the man with the money." Brewster has spent 16 years lending money to condominiums, co-ops, HOAs, and country clubs, and has carved an impressive niche for himself and Valley National in this sector of the lending market. He and host Donna DiMaggio Berger discuss the i...

Take It To the Board: Successful Community Association Living Starts With the Purchase Decision with Marisa DiLenge, Founder, DiLenge Real Estate Team (Part II)

Is living in a community association the right fit for everyone? In this second of two installments, host Donna DiMaggio Berger speaks with Marisa DiLenge, founder of the DiLenge Real Estate Team. She has been a licensed real estate consultant since 1992. She is also a member of the National Association of Realtors, a member of the Masters Brokers Forum of Broward County, a member of the Florida Association of Realtors, and a member of the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale. They...

Successful Community Association Living Starts With the Purchase Decision with Marisa DiLenge, Founder, DiLenge Real Estate Team (Part II)

Is living in a community association the right fit for everyone? In this second of two installments, host Donna DiMaggio Berger speaks with Marisa DiLenge, founder of the DiLenge Real Estate Team. She has been a licensed real estate consultant since 1992. She is also a member of the National Association of Realtors, a member of the Masters Brokers Forum of Broward County, a member of the Florida Association of Realtors, and a member of the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale. They...

Successful Community Association Living Starts With the Purchase Decision with Marisa DiLenge, Founder of DiLenge Real Estate Team (Part I)

Is living in a community association the right fit for everyone? In this first of two installments, host Donna DiMaggio Berger speaks with Marisa DiLenge, founder of DiLenge Real Estate Team. She has been a licensed real estate consultant since 1992. She is also a member of the National Association of Realtors, a member of the Masters Brokers Forum of Broward County, a member of the Florida Association of Realtors, and a member of the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale. They disc...

Mapping the Terrain of Landscaping for Community Associations with Brian Steele of East Coast Facilities

Can you imagine getting 99 people to agree on the same sofa? That is similar to the tasks that lie before Brian Steele, Director of Operations at East Coast Facilities. Among other services, the company provides landscaping to residential communities throughout Florida. In this episode of Take It To the Board, host Donna DiMaggio Berger and Brian discuss how landscaping for community associations is an extension of the real estate asset and how emotions can run high when trying to accommodat...

Mapping the Terrain of Landscaping for Community Associations with Brian Steele, Director of Operations, East Coast Facilities

Can you imagine getting 99 people to agree on the same sofa? That is similar to the tasks that lie before Brian Steele, Director of Operations at East Coast Facilities. Among other services, the company provides landscaping to residential communities throughout Florida. In this episode of Take It To the Board, host Donna DiMaggio Berger and Brian discuss how landscaping for community associations is an extension of the real estate asset and how emotions can run high when trying to accommodat...

Assessing Collections with Joy Mattingly, Becker & Poliakoff

In this episode of Take It To the Board, host Donna DiMaggio Berger speaks with Becker Shareholder Joy Mattingly, who oversees Becker’s collection and foreclosure practice. Joy is an experienced litigator who represents all types of associations in collecting the delinquent assessments needed to fund the community’s essential services. She’s a graduate of University of Florida’s Levin School of Law and clerked for Judge Mark E. Polen at Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeals.  Donna and...

The Smoker’s Dilemma with Dennis Eisinger of Eisinger Law

In this episode of Take It to the Board, host Donna DiMaggio Berger speaks with Dennis J. Eisinger, who founded Eisinger Law in 1996 and serves as the firm's managing partner. For the past four decades, he has represented all types of community associations throughout Florida, as well as developers, financial institutions, and private equity clubs. He's Board Certified in Condominium and Planned Development Law by the Florida Bar and is an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Florid...

The Current Crisis with Florida’s Real Property Insurance with Andrea Northrup, Vice President of Insurance Office of America (Part 2)

Florida's current property insurance industry is in crisis, and it’s one that has been years in the making. Private insurers are exiting the state at alarming numbers and Citizens is once again becoming the only option for many community associations.  In Part 2 of this podcast episode, host Donna DiMaggio Berger and Andrea Northrup, Vice President and partner at Insurance Office of America, Florida's largest privately held insurance agency, discuss the growing  perils and pitfalls of real ...

The Current Crisis with Florida’s Real Property Insurance with Andrea Northrup, Vice President of Insurance Office of America (Part 1)

Florida's current property insurance industry is in crisis, and it’s one that has been years in the making. Private insurers are exiting the State at alarming numbers and Citizens is once again becoming the only option for many community associations.  Host Donna DiMaggio Berger and Andrea Northrup, Vice President and partner at Insurance Office of America, Florida's largest privately held insurance agency, discuss the current perils and pitfalls of real property insurance for condominiums ...

2022 Legislative Session in Florida Wrap Up with Yeline Goin, Becker & Poliakoff

Many task forces were convened in the aftermath of the Surfside tragedy, including one by the Florida Bar. All of those task forces urged the passage of new laws pertaining to reserve funding and engineering. However, the 2022 Legislative Session in Florida concluded on March 11 with none of those reforms being passed. Host Donna DiMaggio Berger and Yeline Goin, Becker Senior Attorney and former Executive Director of the firm's Community Association Leadership Lobby (CALL), walk us through ...

Keeping Cool With Jane Gilbert, Chief Heat Officer, Miami-Dade County

It’s common knowledge that Florida is one of the hottest markets in the U.S. – whether you’re considering a personal lifestyle upgrade or a new environment for your business. But that influx of people and industry, coupled with the state’s numerous sunny days, is a recipe for an extreme heat event and can spell disaster for an unprepared infrastructure. Host Donna DiMaggio Berger and featured guest Jane Gilbert – the world’s first Chief Heat Officer – explore the dangers posed by extreme h...

Building Basics with Construction Counsel Patrick Howell, Becker & Poliakoff

Shoddy workmanship, whether in a new build or a retrofit, is the bane of any shared ownership community. And trying to avoid or recover from a bad construction job is one of the most important responsibilities a community association board can shoulder. Host Donna DiMaggio Berger and seasoned construction attorney Patrick Howell swap in-the-trench anecdotes about renovations gone wrong and offer insight into the simple ways every HOA or condo board can improve a construction project from t...

Ensuring Community Association Safety with Platinum Group Security

With crime on the rise across the U.S., safety is a leading reason most people believe a shared ownership community is the best housing option. But featured guests Kevin Van Middlesworth (Founder, CEO) and Phil Huber (VP, Client Relations) from Platinum Group Security are quick to remind host Donna DiMaggio Berger that residents themselves play a vital role in keeping a neighborhood truly secure. The trio offers an unflinchingly honest look at current protection services industry, the secur...

Happy Holidays, Healthy Communities with Andrew Fortin, SVP, Associa

In the community association world, nothing pits neighbor against neighbor faster than outdoor holiday decorations. Donna and Andrew wade into the hell of holiday décor complaints and challenges to offer thoughtful solutions that just might help both board members and residents enjoy the festive season as a true community. Get insight into Andrew's time-place-manner approach to developing rules around holiday decorating; why HOAs should not be responsible for regulating taste; the idea tha...

The Making of A Manager with Otto Freund

If you thought property management centered on overseeing the upkeep of a property or building, you’re not alone in that misconception. According to Otto Freund, serving as a community association manager (CAM) is, instead, all about managing people and providing quality customer service to both the association board and the property’s residents or owners. And, while Otto’s last name is pronounced ‘friend’, even he says that maintaining a sense of diplomatic professionalism is more important...

Heart of Service, Spirit of Gratitude with Stephanie Maher

Are volunteer community association board members at the top of your thankful-for list? They are for Donna DiMaggio Berger, who counts their tremendous service during (and in what we hope are the waning days of) the pandemic right up there with the love and support of her friends and family. This special mini-episode explores this and other items on Donna’s gratitude list - and examines her belief that community associations can change the world. Featuring guest host: Stephanie Maher, Show...

The Art of Community Design with Patty Mowry, Owner, Patty Mowry Interior Designs

If you’ve watched HGTV’s home renovation shows or any of YouTube’s million+ room makeover videos, you probably have an opinion about what makes a beautiful space. But you might be surprised to learn that aesthetics are only part of the challenge when tackling a community association property improvement project. Donna and Patty take the gloves off in their candid conversation about the importance of design and how even small updates can drastically increase a building's appeal to new reside...

HR Hacks with Jamie Dokovna, Employment Lawyer, Becker & Poliakoff (Part 2)

From building your workplace culture to breaking up with those who don’t fit into it, employing human beings is complex. Donna and Jamie continue the employment law conversation with an examination of the purpose and necessity of employee handbooks, the morass of legal guidelines requiring compliance, and the best way to create and protect a safe work environment, Along the way, they also share stories from their years in service to association boards that illustrate exactly what NOT to do i...

HR Hacks with Jamie Dokovna, Employment Lawyer, Becker & Poliakoff (Part 1)

Does your community association hire people? If so, you’ll definitely want to listen in as Donna and Jamie discuss the complicated network of federal, state, and, in some cases, municipal laws that protect both employers and employees – and outline the consequences of mistakenly thinking those laws don’t apply to you. From the clarity of applying the salary test to the murkiness of how “interstate commerce” can impact your daily operations, this conversation dives deep into some of the big...

The Job of the Journal with Michael Hamline, Editor, Florida Community Association Journal

If you’re one of Florida’s 18K+ community association managers or a board member to one of the state’s 60K+ shared ownership communities, you know the FLCAJ. Or do you? Donna and Michael put the publication under a microscope, discussing what it really takes to create and release over 100 pages of educational content that outlines how a process works, offers money-saving strategies, removes managerial headaches, and, ultimately, helps leadership protect its community’s quality of life. A...

Association Advocacy with Commissioner Mary Molina-Macfie

Wondering just how responsive a city commissioner can be? Or what it is that they actually do? Donna and the Commissioner demystify the role of elected officials in community association management and encourage volunteer board members to tap into this resource to maintain their own sanity in the face of shared ownership challenges. The conversation explores the Commissioner’s successful siege of ‘sick schools’, her endless calls for improved communication between lawmakers and the communiti...

Association Advocacy with Commissioner Mary Molina-Macfie, City of Weston, FL

Wondering just how responsive a city commissioner can be? Or what it is that they actually do? Donna and the Commissioner demystify the role of elected officials in community association management and encourage volunteer board members to tap into this resource to maintain their own sanity in the face of shared ownership challenges. The conversation explores the Commissioner’s successful siege of ‘sick schools’, her endless calls for improved communication between lawmakers and the communiti...

Reserve Funds & Studies with Robert Nordlund, Founder & CEO, Association Reserves

Host Donna DiMaggio Berger and featured guest Robert Nordlund are determined to reframe the general perspective on reserve funding. Board members and residents alike are guaranteed to gain a greater appreciation of the purpose and practical management of reserves and how necessary these funds can be to avoid expensive special assessments and enhance the value of the entire community.  Topics include: what reserves should – and should not – be used for, how to determine the right level of fu...

The Mental Health Challenge with Chris Ayoub, President, RealManage

Community association board members and managers often swap ‘war stories’ about being ‘in the trenches’ when dealing with the pressures of overseeing their communities. Host Donna DiMaggio Berger puts these catchphrases into perspective with featured guest Chris Ayoub, combat veteran and president of a national property management company. The duo seeks to remove the stigma commonly associated with seeking help for mental health challenges and explores how focusing on your individual well-be...

Rules & Refereeing with Howard Perl, Becker & Poliakoff

Even as children, enforcing the rules that kept games playful didn’t always make you very popular with your peers. Association board members and managers will tell you that, when it comes to maintaining a community of adult homeowners, not much has changed since those playground days. Donna and Howard help association leaders embrace this unpopular segment of their service and outline best practices to successfully establish enough – but not too many – guidelines, enforce rules consistently ...

Considering the Cost of Counsel with Denise Lash, Founder, Lash Condo Law

Contrary to what the uninitiated might think, serving the legal needs of a community association board is NOT all about overweight dogs and contentious board meetings. It is a nuanced, complicated area of law that touches on many niches – real estate, land use and zoning, intellectual property, labor, even criminal. So, if you’ve ever considered saving a few dollars by asking your property manager or a board member with former industry experience to review a vendor contract, negotiate a line...

Community Immunity: Examining COVID-19 Shield Laws with David Ramsey, Becker & Poliakoff

Think COVID-19 Shield Laws will safeguard your community association from claims of  negligence? Host Donna DiMaggio Berger and featured guest David Ramsey aren’t so sure. This special episode emphasizes that the only real protection against pandemic-related liability is to consistently uphold the highest standard of care – even in the face of owners' fury – and reminds board members that they, unlike their neighbors, owe a fiduciary duty to the entire community.  Highlights include a deep ...

The Technology Tango with Brett Fielo, Co-Founder, Shyft Digital

For association boards who remain unconvinced, Donna and Brett outline how technology can remove some of their administrative burden, streamline daily operations, and even improve community-wide communication. This conversation focuses on online voting capabilities and custom association websites, digging into the mechanics of virtual voting systems and how best to make their adoption successful, what to expect from your software provider and who handles issues and questions, the dangers o...

The Technology Tango with Brett Fielo, Co-Founder, Shyft Digital

For association boards who remain unconvinced, Donna and Brett outline how technology can remove some of their administrative burden, streamline daily operations, and even improve community-wide communication. This conversation focuses on online voting capabilities and custom association websites, digging into the mechanics of virtual voting systems and how best to make their adoption successful, what to expect from your software provider and who handles issues and questions, the dangers o...

Nuisance or Necessary: Solving the "Pet" Problem with JoAnn Nesta Burnett

Although intended to empower people with physical or emotional disabilities, service animals can create quite the conundrum for no-pet and pet restricted communities. If your board is struggling to provide reasonable accommodations for all community members – those with disabilities requiring service/support animals and those with animal phobias or allergies – and balance these competing interests in communal spaces - pools, elevators, and lobbies - this is the episode for you! Donna and Jo...

Fiscal Finesse with Nicole Johnson-Pendergrass, Director of Operations, Hafer, LLC

Is your community association’s operating budget realistic and appropriate? Do you have properly funded reserves? Ever wonder if all those budget footnotes are really important? Are you sure that your association's incidental revenue – laundry, rental units, transfer fees, etc. – doesn't jeopardize its non-profit status? If you’re looking for clarity on these questions and a host of others, Donna and Nicole invite you to join them for a little community association money management myth-bu...

Royal Service with James Donnelly, Founder & CEO, Castle Group

In our inaugural episode, Donna and James explore the guiding principles that define his approach to serving the community association industry. The duo also discuss keys to success for board members and managers alike, touch on trends in property management, weigh in on self vs. professionally managed models, advocate for transparency between management companies and community association boards, and so much more. BONUS: Discover what James considers to be his superpowers and how sharing th...

Introducing Take It To The Board