An HOA board primarily consists of 3 key participants: the president, the secretary, and the treasurer. Depending on the size of the community, there may also be a Vice-President and a member-at-large. All of these roles are important for a well-run HOA. They will keep the community an organized, well-functioning, and comfortable environment for all residents living there. 

In this article, we will go over each of the 5 main HOA board members and some of their main responsibilities and best practices.

HOA elections

Before becoming a board member, homeowners vote in an HOA election to choose their board of directors. This occurs at the HOA annual meeting and residents can vote on who they want to be a part of the board. 

Because of this, it is crucial to let residents know beforehand when there is going to be an election, in accordance with your state’s rules. There are various HOA communication tools that the board can use,  such as emails, or software that can send emails, automated texts, and calls to ensure that they are aware that there is a vote coming up. 

The main reason why it is so important to communicate clearly with residents is to reach a quorum. A quorum is the minimum number of votes needed to make a vote valid. If the board doesn’t have enough votes necessary, then the entire election will be invalid.  

HOA board elections can take place in person, through emails (if residents can’t physically be there), or online (while some states don’t allow voting online it can be a great tool). Or through a proxy, where homeowners choose someone to represent them in the meeting.

President

Not only does this role require dedication and commitment, but it also requires certain skills. An HOA board president will guide the board in its daily operations and they guide the rest of the team in their daily functions and responsibilities. It is important that they foster a sense of community in the board and that they encourage homeowners to attend meetings and events. As the HOA president is the main representative of the community, they will be the spokesperson at important events. 

The main responsibilities of an HOA president include:

• Being the main point of contact between the external vendors and contractors
• Running the HOA meetings 
• Announcing vote results 
• Managing the meeting agenda 
• Assigning committees 
• Signing documents
• Mediating conflicts in the community and board 
• Participating in community events and giving speeches

How to be a great HOA president

Even though no specific skill or previous qualification is necessary to be an HOA president, there are some skills that will improve a president’s performance and success while running the community. These include: 

Communication

Apart from having to know how to communicate clearly with a large audience and knowing how to lead meetings, part of being a communicator is knowing how to listen. The HOA president should always be willing to listen to the concerns and requests of residents. 

Eagerness to learn

Every HOA has a series of rules and restrictions, which is why it is super important to learn and follow them. 

Trustworthiness

You must be transparent and communicate often with residents so you can gain their trust and help build a positive relationship with them.   

Knowing how to motivate and engage your community 

Creating events for residents to participate in is important for your HOA as it creates a sense of community for residents. 

Tech-savvy 

Even if you don’t feel that you’re tech-savvy, you should be open to using technology. As digital tools make managing the community and residents a much simpler process. 

Vice-President 

The main responsibility of the HOA board vice-president is to take over if the president is unable to perform his tasks. As well as that, the VP has a series of other duties that help to manage and organize the HOA. 

The main responsibilities of an HOA president include:

• Filling in for the president
  • Running HOA meetings 
  • Signing documents
  • Be the main point of contact for external vendors and contractors
• Overseeing communities, properties, and buildings  
• Organizing activities 
• Meeting/working with the management team
• Heading HOA communities

How to be a great HOA vice-president

In order to excel at the tasks performed by an HOA vice president, it is important to consider three abilities: teamwork, communication, and transparency. 

Teamwork

It’s important that, whenever working in a group, to listen to other people’s suggestions and ideas to establish what is best for the community.

Communication

Communication is very important for the VP, as well as the president. Knowing how to effectively communicate with managers and vendors, and give instructions to those working with you is a vital part of this role. 

Transparency

Since vice presidents help with rule enforcement, being honest, and transparent is important. You need to be as transparent as possible with other board members, residents, and vendors.

Shadow President 

One of the main functions of a vice president is to take over when the president isn’t available. Knowing what their responsibilities are and what they’re working on will make it much easier to take over without getting confused or lost. 

Familiarize yourself with documents

Knowing documents such as the Declaration of Master Deed, Article of Incorporation, and Association’s rules and regulations are vital since vice-presidents will be heading committees and overseeing buildings.

Treasurer 

An HOA board treasurer is vital for ensuring that the community’s finances are healthy and stable. They will be the ones taking care of the HOA’s money and using it wisely for projects that will benefit the community in some way. The main roles of a treasurer are: 

• Financial record-keeping 
• Preparing the HOA’s annual budget 
• Mediator between Certified Public Accountants (CPA) and community association manager 
• Facilitating reserve studies and audits 
• Monitor payments, dues, assessments, and delinquencies 
• Overseeing the HOA’s insurance and taxes 

How to be a great HOA treasurer

As you can see an HOA treasurer has a lot of important duties that require great attention and responsibility. As it is no easy task, there are several tips to help ease and ensure a successful time as an HOA treasurer:

Keeping financial records online 

Organization is one of the key skills to being a successful treasurer. This is because they will be in charge of storing financial documents, which need to be well-organized and accessible. The best way to store your documents is to have copies online. Apart from facilitating access to board members and homeowners, it also helps new board members coming in, to know exactly where these documents are located.  

Engaging and clear communication

Not everyone understands finances and some find it hard to understand basic financial principles. This is why it is important to have clear and concise communication. Here are some tips to guarantee effective communication: 

• Give concrete examples
• Use metaphors 
• Make space for questions 
• Use visual aids instead of just numbers
• Make it visually easy to understand 

This helps other HOA board members and residents to understand what you are saying.

Hosting HOA budget meetings 

One of the main duties of an HOA treasurer is to schedule and lead budget meetings. It’s good to meet regularly in order to facilitate teamwork and assure that everyone is on the same page. It is also important to meet with residents and make sure their expectations are aligned – helping increase transparency within the board. 

Implement a process to collect fees and delinquencies

You need to know exactly whose invoices are pending and whose are received, apart from also having a process to remind residents of when their payments are due. Having online platforms for collecting HOA fees can be really helpful 

Conducting HOA reserve studies and audits 

Hire experts in the subject to perform the financial situation of the HOA. The treasurer should oversee the meeting and ensure that it is well conducted. 

Secretary 

An HOA board secretary is responsible for the administrative part of the community. A secretary is essential for the HOA board as they organize and keep track of important documents such as forms, meeting minutes, and governing documents. The secretary’s main roles are: 

• Storing documents and records
• Filling out forms, handling signatures and contracts
• Managing the HOA membership list 
• Keep members informed on important things happening in their community such as
  • Rules and regulations
  • HOA meetings 
  • Upcoming events
  • Safety information
• Prepare the meetings and take meeting minutes

How to be a great HOA secretary 

Being a secretary is a lot of work and can be demanding due to the many tasks. To help be an efficient HOA secretary, and exceed in all of its responsibilities, here are some tips that will help with the position of secretary: 

Store your HOA documents online

Keeping your HOA’s documents online ensures that all of your documents are safe and that they are easy to access. It helps residents find information more easily and makes the whole community more transparent. 

Implement a process to track forms and contracts

With so many forms and contracts to supervise, posting them online in folders and sub-folders so that you can easily find them.

Keep residents informed

It’s important to keep residents up to date on what is going on in the community. Sending a newsletter to your HOA is a great way to keep residents informed.  

Check governing documents

It’s crucial to check state laws and follow your governing documents to make sure you are correctly performing your duties. 

Member-at-large

An HOA board member-at-large isn’t the most common role for an HOA board to have, but it can help ease burdens in the community. Their tasks vary according to what the board needs at the current moment and they are generally expected to give expert insight on certain issues. With that being said, they do have certain responsibilities they will likely have to perform: 

• Participate in meetings
• Serve as a liaison between community members and the board 
• Collaborate with HOA committees and review their progress and status 
• Help new board members to ensure an easier and smoother transition

How to be a great HOA member-at-large

An HOA member-at-large is a very versatile role that includes varied tasks. Sometimes it can be overwhelming having to take care of everything the board needs, help new members, and communicate with committees, all at once. Here are some tips to help be a great member-at-large:

Communication 

Communication is key to excelling in this role as members-at-large will often have to communicate any questions, and concerns that HOA members have to the board. Listen to others and speak clearly and effectively. 

Have a clear understanding of the community

As mentioned above, the tasks of a member-at-large have a lot of variety and they will probably have to deal with various sectors of the HOA. This is why it is important to attend all meetings and have a clear understanding of what is going on in the community. 

Be ready to fill in

Because of their wide range of skills and knowledge of the community, they will be asked to fill in for certain duties, especially if one is vacant in a specific committee. 

Speaking of committees, they are an essential part of any HOA. They will discuss and solve specific issues in the community. Every association will have its own committees they judge necessary. 

HOA Committees

There are many types of HOA committees that each specify issues such as maintenance, aesthetics, finances, entertainment, etc. Below are some of the most common types of committees an HOA can have: 

HOA Architectural committee

This committee is responsible for making sure that property values remain stable. They will do this by ensuring that the guidelines of what homeowners can and cannot do to the aesthetic of their property are respected. 

Budget committee

They are responsible for the financial part of a committee. Taking care of monetary investments, checking expenses, audits, etc. The treasurer works closely with this committee.

Landscaping committee

This committee for maintaining the outdoors of their community. This includes trees, flowers, and gardens, the landscaping committee makes sure that they are beautiful and well taken care of.

Events committee

Easter events, cookouts, and garage sales are all events that this committee can organize. It will help bring the community together and is a fun way for everyone to interact with each other. 

Covenant committee 

This committee will ensure that all of the guidelines are enforced in the community and will also monitor those who don’t follow the rules. 

Communication committee

Keeping everyone updated on what is going on in the community is crucial, and that is exactly what this committee is responsible for. Some opt to communicate with residents through newsletters or through social media. 

Technology committee

This committee will be responsible for anything tech related such as data services, software programs, and any technological concern. 

Every committee has its members and one of the first things that one needs to think about when creating a committee is assigning the secretary and chair. The secretary will take meeting notes and will inform the community about what that committee is working on. The chair presides over meetings, creates the meeting agenda, and establishes ground rules. 

The vice president will also head, oversee, and check the committees. They will be responsible for keeping them organized and having constant communication with them. This is why it is important that the vice president clearly understands the committee’s goal, functions, and responsibilities. 

Final points: HOA Board

The president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and member-at-large, are all vital roles that will help administer documents, manage finances, plan events, organize committees, and anything else that will ensure a better environment for all residents. 

HOA board members have various responsibilities that require commitment and dedication to fulfill. Neigbrs by Vinteum is an award-winning software to help boards and committees save time and reduce manual processes. We help boards improve their communication and management, to find out more book your free demo.

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