Sharper Dominates at Industry Gala & Award Ceremony
For the second consecutive year, Sharper had a huge night at the annual Community Association Institute (CAI) Holiday Gala and Vision Awards ceremony. CAI, the international trade organization for community associations and regarded as the national experts in education programs, publications, association governance, and advocacy, and the accreditation body holds this annual event to recognize and celebrate managers, business partners, and homeowner leaders. This year the event was held on December 1st and was attended by nearly 500 industry professionals. Multiple awards were given out to both associations and individual managers. Nominations are submitted by CAI members, and a special voting committee reviews all nomination applications for specific criteria. The awards are a high honor and significant recognition by industry experts for industry professionals. Sharper had nominations for all ten award categories, and we took home half of them for the second year! Please join us in congratulating the following award winners: Above & Beyond – Michelle Waldroff. This award recognizes an individual for substantive achievement in performing tasks and services beyond the typical job description and scope of responsibilities. Financial Impact – Matthew Vitek. This award recognizes a manager who positively impacted a community(s) in a significant manner, such as budget management, capital improvement project management, insurance claim navigation, etc. Advanced Manager of the Year – Melissa Cushing. This award recognizes a manager with over 7 years of experience that excelled in all aspects of community association management functions. Outstanding Community – 1666 Coffman (Manager Lorie Mestas). This award recognizes an association that values community building. CAI Volunteer of the Year – Natalie Martynow. This award is selected by the CAI-MN Board of Directors and recognizes a member that generously volunteers a significant amount of time and contributes their talents to ensure the Chapter’s success. Among the other 90+ nominations submitted this year, congratulations to Sharper’s finalists and runner-ups, which include: Lorie Mestas for Excellent in Service; Jeremy Schulz for Rookie of the Year; Tracy Shaver for Intermediate Manager of the Year; and Association of the Year nominees Ridgewood Condominium Association and The Henley Condominium Association. What a beautiful night for the industry and for Sharper Management!
Sharper Poised for Another Great CAI Vision Awards Showing
On Thursday, December 1, the Community Association Institute-MN Chapter (CAI) will host their annual Holiday Gala and Vision Awards ceremony. CAI, the international trade organization for community associations and regarded as the national experts in education programs, publications, association governance and advocacy, and the accreditation body holds this annual event to recognize and celebrate managers, business partners, and homeowner leaders. Multiple awards are given out for both associations and individual managers. Nominations are submitted by CAI members, and a special voting committee reviews all nomination applications for specific criteria. The awards are a high honor and have significant recognition by industry experts, for industry professionals. Sharper is honored to be nominated for the following: Above & Beyond – Michelle Waldroff. This award recognizes an individual for substantive achievement in performing tasks and services beyond the typical job description and scope of responsibilities. Excellence in Service – Lorie Mestas. This award recognizes a manager that goes beyond the call of duty to service the board and homeowners to make the community a better place. Financial Impact – Matthew Vitek. This award recognizes a manager who positively impacted a community(s) in a significant manner, such as budget management, capital improvement project management, insurance claim navigation, etc. Rookie of the Year – Jeremy Schulz. This award recognizes a manager with less than two years’ experience that excelled in all aspects of community association management functions. Intermediate Manager of the Year – Tracy Shaver. This award recognizes a manager with 2-5 years of experience that excelled in all aspects of community association management functions. Advanced Manager of the Year – Melissa Cushing & Natalie Martynow. This award recognizes a manager with over 7 years of experience that excelled in all aspects of community association management functions. Association of the Year – This award recognizes an association Board of Directors whose members clearly understand their roles and fiduciary responsibilities, putting the association’s interests ahead of and above all personal agendas. (Large: 100+ Homes) – Ridgewood Condominium Association – Manager Tom Parsons. (Small: Less than 100 Homes) – Henley Condominium Association – Manager Kimberly DuPont. Outstanding Community – 1666 Coffman (Manager Lorie Mestas). This award recognizes an association that values community building. Last year Sharper was fortunate to take home five awards and had eight nominees. We stole the show! With a crowd of nearly 400 industry colleagues and friends planning to attend the special night this year, our fingers are crossed for another great Sharper Management showing! Congratulations to all of the nominees!
Excellence in Service Finalist – Sam Nichols
Eden Prairie, MN, (November 28, 2018) – Sharper Management community manager, Sam Nichols, has been recognized by the Community Association Institute – Minnesota (CAI-MN) as a finalist for Excellence in Service at the 2018 Vision Awards. Set to be held December 6, 2018, CAI’s annual Vision Awards and Holiday Gala is an opportunity for community association managers, business partners, homeowner leaders and other various industry professional to come together and celebrate with one another for a very special night. With eight categories of prestigious awards, Nichols was one of 51 total nominees and a finalist of three for the award category. Excellence in Service is awarded to an individual manager who displays integrity, reliability, commitment to the industry and the ability to interact well with board members, managers, service providers and other industry professionals. Promotion of ethics and competence are included as part of the qualifications for the award. “When reading the description of the award, Sam’s picture should simply be right next to it,” said supervisor and associated director of community management, Josh Reams. “In a very short period of time, Sam has developed into one of our top performing and most trusted managers. While examples are many, perhaps the pinnacle of Sam’s success to date is the completion of a $7-million dollar remediation project at a very prestigious community association. Navigating community politics, managing the multiple components and contractors of the project, keeping residents constantly informed and bringing the multi-year project to a successful completion certainly qualifies him for this award.” Founded in 2010, Sharper Management is a locally-owned, mid-sized property management company offering a full suite of premiere services to homeowner’s associations of all sizes. Sharper Management currently provides services to the Minneapolis-St. Paul seven-county area. For more information on Sharper Management services and employment opportunities, call 952-224-4777 or email to info@sharpermanagement.com.
Cara Nelson Recognized at CAI Vision Awards – Above and Beyond
The Minnesota Chapter of the Community Associations Institute recently honored Cara Nelson for her work in the field of community management. Nelson was given the Above & Beyond Award at CAI-MN’s annual Vision Awards ceremony. The Above & Beyond Award is given to an individual for substantive achievement in the areas of task performance, service and humanitarian efforts, and generally going above and beyond the typical job description of a community manager. Nelson won for a variety of reasons that include: • An exemplary display of “grace under pressure” when working with boards in conflict; • Organization and knowledge on maintenance issues; • Her ability to work with local officials and engineers when called up to do so; • Team spirit in helping other managers at Sharper when needed; • Delivering successful outcomes for her communities in a variety of ways; • Her caring heart in organizing Sharper’s efforts to participate in charity events such as the Polar Plunge “Cara’s self-starter attitude, knowledge of the business, and commitment to community are all great assets to Sharper Management,” states Candy Lee, Director of Community Management. “We are all happy to see Cara formally recognized for her efforts.” Sharper Management is a leader in the HOA property management market. Serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and Phoenix, AZ; Sharper Management is known for reliability and commitment to service. About CAI-MN Founded in 1973 as a multidisciplinary, nonprofit alliance serving all stakeholders in community associations, CAI is the only national organization dedicated to fostering vibrant, responsive, competent community associations. CAI is regarded as the national expert in educational programs and publications about community association governance, operations, and management. CAI’s members look to us for information about new products, educational opportunities, technologies, and better ways to run their communities.