PAST CURRICULUM
​State of Insurance Market in Florida & Tips for maximum savings for your Association presented by FCA Insurance
John Carr with R&R Industries will deep dive into Lessons Learned, What was Different in 2022 & Looking Ahead. Veteran-owned, R&R Industries has operated out of the same location for 75 years. An approved installer for all major types of roofing systems, R&R Industries is a fully licensed Central Florida building & roofing contractor committed to providing quality services to their customers.
Florida State Certified Builder & Roofing Contractor #CCC011650, #CCC1328553 & #CBCA13518
Board Members & Community Leaders,
On March 23, 2023, Southern States Management Group hosted our annual HOA/COA Certification & Conference with our focus this year, “Changes to Florida Law & Latest Trends in Communal living.” Our industry partners designed the curriculum specially to this theme. If you attended or missed this educational event, please see the topics and presentations below.
The intention is for you, as Association decision makers, is to consider many factors when making critical choices for your community.
HOA/COA Certification Presented by Martell & Ozim, P.A.
Jason Martell
Jason is dedicated to helping community association managers and board members throughout Central Florida with all their community association needs, including the collection of assessments, enforcement of covenants, interpretation of governing documents and contracts and much more. Jason is a state-certified educator and frequent speaker on a wide range of community association topics and is actively involved in many community association organizations. Jason believes that clients deserve efficient and cost-effective representation and enjoys meeting with clients to discuss strategies for their specific needs.
Dara Haggerty
Dara is a leading community association attorney, who counsels her association clients on a wide range of matters, including collections/foreclosures, covenant enforcement, fair housing compliance, elections, and corporate governance. She began her practice as an insurance defense attorney and is well-versed in navigating complicated insurance claims and counseling her association clients on liability prevention. She is a featured speaker and state-certified educator for community associations. Dara is also the registered lobbyist for the law firm’s non-profit organization, The Community Association Network, educating Florida elected representatives and promoting positive community association legislation.
Board Member Liability: The Do’s & Don’ts for D’s & O’s presented by Wright & Casey, P.A.
Wright & Casey attorneys will discuss a variety of topics related to board member liability. Join our discussion and learn how to satisfy your fiduciary duties, avoid pitfalls for personal liability, and obtain proper insurance coverage for claims against the Association and/or board members.
2022 Hurricane Season a Look Back – What Did We Learn presented by R&R Industries
John Carr with R&R Industries will deep dive into:
Lessons Learned, What was different in 2022 & Looking ahead
Reviewing the Water & Mold Remediation Process presented by Wilco Restoration
Bill Wilson will present Board Members on the water and mold remediation process.
State of Insurance Market in Florida & Tips for maximum savings for your Association presented by FCA Insurance
The team from FCA Insurance is here to help Board Members learn more about the current state of the insurance market.
Reserves: Structural & Non-Structural - How to Navigate the Coming Years presented by Expert Reserve Services, Inc. & Universal
Anastasia Kolodzik with Expert Reserve Services, which is a Florida-based, family-owned and operated company serving all 67 counties works closely with board members and association managers and recognizes this as the key ingredient to preparing a proper reserve study. Learn more about requirements, the process and the result.
Palm Pests and Disorders and Tree Care presented by BrightView Landscape Services
Horticulturist Cal Leggett and Arborist Michael Provencher will provide a brief review of the most common issues facing palms in the Florida Landscape. They’ll go over treatments and recommendations to address palm health issues and ArborNote: the benefits it provides with long term tree care on properties for history and multiyear tree maintenance programs along with the benefits of young tree pruning.
Communicating with a Multi-Generational Board & HOA presented by Asphalt Restoration Technology System, Inc.
Connie Lorenz’s company specializes in asphalt maintenance and rejuvenation utilizing Pavement Dressing Conditioner (PDC) asphalt rejuvenator as well as a full array of asphalt maintenance products and procedures along with consultation services. ARTech in centrally located in Orlando and covers the entire state of Florida and offer free evaluations and proposals for all properties.
Did you ever wonder what could be the worst thing that could happen during your paving project? Want to know what’s taking so long? What do you do when the contractor hits your car with a roller? Should you call your insurance agent when you watch a hole open in the roadway during your paving project? You have questions, and we have examples and answers!
Documenting Property Condition Before/After Loss & The Claims Process presented by Michael Ciocchetti, PLLC
In 1999, Hurricane Irene damaged Michael Ciocchetti's family-owned Daytona Beach motel and, more importantly, plotted his future. He commenced his legal career in 2003 representing the former Florida Department of Insurance (now DFS) in insurer receivership and liquidation matters. Over time, his law practice transitioned to statewide property insurance defense. Since 2016, Mike and his team of attorneys have devoted the firm practice to representing policyholders in all property claims, including residential, commercial and condo claims.
Mike graduated with honors from the University of Florida (B.A.) and received M.B.A. and Juris Doctor degrees from Stetson University. He has been recognized as a Top Attorney in Florida by The Wall Street Journal and Miami Magazine, a Florida Super Lawyer and is AV-Rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
This session will go over Understanding Insurance Coverage, Documenting Property Condition Before and After a Loss and The Claims Process.
Don’t Fumble Your Property Damage Insurance Claim presented by Strategic Claim Consultants
David Akers joins Strategic Claim Consultants as a Regional Director of Business Development. Forged with seven years of successful business development and managerial experience in private equity and the luxury high-rise condominium market, David’s role includes relationship building to enhance SCC’s expansion in the commercial property and financial firm sectors. David’s positive outlook, unmatched energy, and leadership is a major asset at the firm.
David attended Florida Atlantic University where he studied Hospitality Management and has most recently participated in Northwestern University’s Master’s Program for Sales. David is a Tampa Bay native and a life-long Philadelphia Eagles fan. In his leisure time David enjoys fishing and spending time as a “Proud-Uncle” to his nieces and nephews.
Hear about proper documentation before the storm, what the right steps are to take post disaster and the Importance of a pre-loss agreement.
Thank you so much to our Presenters and Exhibitors. If you feel so inclined to refer them to others in your community, we would appreciate you letting them you found them at the Southern States Management Group Conference. Thank you!
PRESENTERS
Asphalt Restoration Technology Systems, Inc.
Brightview Landscaping
CIT Bank
Expert Reserve Services, Inc.
FCA Insurance
Insurance Office of America
Martell & Ozim, P.A.
Michael Ciocchetti, PLLC
R&R Industries
Strategic Claim Consultants
Universal Engineering
Wilco Restoration
Wright & Casey, P.A.
EXHIBITORS
American Building Contractors Insurance Restoration Services, Inc.
Angius & Terry LLP
Bowman Painting
CM Custom Pools
East Coast Pools & Spas
Encore Bank
Five Star Claims Adjusting
Florida Waterways, Inc.
Hotwire Communications
Intracoastal Bank
Karins Engineering
Lawn Enforcement Agency, Inc.
Lerch Bates
Limitless Exteriors
One Florida Bank
Prosegur Security
Securitas USA
Southern States Management Group
Southern States Realty Services
Smart Property
Soap & Sea
Strikeforce Gutters
Sunrise Bank
The Greenery, Inc.
Verdego
Yellowstone Landscape
Being a HOA board member can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience, but it is not without its challenges.
Often many board members don’t realize exactly what they have volunteered for. It’s often said that being an association board member is the only job that you’ll ever have that has no formal education requirements for obtaining a position and has no built-in training program to help you learn as you go!
Southern States offers quarterly training sessions for HOA board education. Our training sessions will increase board members’ knowledge base so that they can make vital, informed decisions for the betterment of the community.
A senior property manager will be assigned to your community to conduct HOA property management education. We also invite professionals from other fields, including attorneys and CPAs, to help lead the training sessions.
To be an effective board member, it's crucial to understand the concept and structure of a homeowners' association (HOA). In general, an HOA is a nonprofit organization set up to help run, manage, and maintain a neighborhood, building, or another collective of homes. People who belong to an HOA pay annual or monthly dues, which the HOA uses to maintain shared spaces and carry out other association duties, like rules enforcement, meeting management, and financial planning. An elected board of volunteers runs the HOA on behalf of all homeowners.​
Our board education sessions cover the following areas:
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Basics of a Homeowner’s Association
Role and Duties of the Board
Role and Duties of the Management Company
Basic Financial Management for Associations
Fiduciary Responsibility and the Business Judgment Rule
Legislative Updates
SEASONAL BOARD EDUCATION FORUMS, BOARD CERTIFICATIONS, DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS & MORE!
Southern States Management Group, (SSMG) launched their education initiative in June 2018 and have been pursuing every opportunity to collaborate with local professionals to educate community association leaders. The underlying goal of this initiative is to provide those leaders with thoughtful insight and practical knowledge to address the challenges that they face throughout the year.
We recognize that these community leaders are volunteering their time and efforts and it is in keeping with this spirit that we endeavor to make sure that they are well equipped to face the challenges that may arise.
Recent curriculum has included:
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Ways to secure your communities and maintain business continuity in the face of an impending disaster.
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How to facilitate and begin an insurance claim to be ahead before you get behind.
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How to better understand how insurance claims are handled from a legal perspective.
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Financial & Strategic Planning.
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Effectively Run & Administer Board Meetings - Association Election DOs & DON’Ts, Tips on Robert’s Rules of Order.
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Controlling Costs & Bundling Services.
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Importance of Hiring Licensed Contractors.
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Capital & Reserve Planning for Community Pools & Other Outdoor Amenities.
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Directors & Officers Insurance Overview.
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Restoration Company Relationship, Financing Options That Make Sense, Best & Worst Case Disaster Solutions.
Additionally, our education events encourage an opportunity for community leaders to share ideas, stories and challenges
while developing relationships with other association leaders within the community.
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These programs have grown in popularity and fill up quick!
HOA/COA CERTIFICATION & CONFERENCE – Wednesday, March 2, 2022, from 9am-5pm at the Cici & Hyatt Brown
Museum of Art in Daytona Beach!
Signup at SSMGFL.com/Education.
SOUTHERN STATES MANAGEMENT GROUP EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
Recent curriculum has included:
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Ways to secure your communities and maintain business continuity in the face of an impending disaster.
-
How to facilitate and begin an insurance claim to be ahead before you get behind.
-
How to better understand how insurance claims are handled from a legal perspective.
-
Financial & Strategic Planning.
-
Effectively Run & Administer Board Meetings - Association Election DOs & DON’Ts, Tips on Robert’s Rules of Order.
-
Controlling Costs & Bundling Services.
-
Importance of Hiring Licensed Contractors.
-
Capital & Reserve Planning for Community Pools & Other Outdoor Amenities.
-
Directors & Officers Insurance Overview.
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Restoration Company Relationship, Financing Options That Make Sense, Best & Worst Case Disaster Solutions.
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Financial & Strategic Planning, Effectively Run & Administer Board Meetings, Controlling Costs & Bundling Services.
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Pool Safety & Leak Detection.
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Commonly Overlooked Insurance Exclusions.
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Dog bites, “No Pet” buildings, and service dogs.
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Hurricane Essentials - Be best prepared before the hurricane season begins.
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Board Member roles in maintaining the look and exterior of communities, buildings and common area elements.
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Tips on how to create a proactive response team within the insurance spectrum and to effectuate the best possible claim outcome.
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Suggestions on legal use of emergency powers in the event of a disaster.
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How to manage your technology: software considerations, data safety & cyber security.
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Ways to manage and understand rentals within your communities.
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Thoughts on how to review contractor bids to achieve the best results for your community.
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Notice requirements, special assessments/unbudgeted items that come up during the year
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What do maximum budget increases mean by Florida Statutes?
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What drives changes in insurance premiums?
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Annualize year-to-date using measurable occurrences.
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Identify forecasted changes that go into effect in the upcoming year such as contracts, communications, increases/changes in scope of service, etc.
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Required reserves by statute & how often are you doing reserve studies.
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What’s the difference between a reserve study and insurance appraisal.
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Pooled versus straight-line methodology.
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And MANY MORE!
To set-up a consultation/training on one or more of the above topics for your Board of Directors, contact
Outreach@SSMGFL.com.
