Take It To The Board with Donna DiMaggio Berger Donna DiMaggio Berger

Does your association have committees? Do you find them to be a helpful addition to association operations or a harmful "shadow board" with the potential to create liability for the association, its directors, and members? Host Donna DiMaggio Berger sits down with Ken Direktor, Chair of Becker’s Community Association practice, to peel back the curtain on the inner workings of committees: the good, the bad and the ugly. The following committees are discussed in this episode: Fining/Griev...

When it comes to community associations, joining forces under a voluntary "umbrella organization" often proves more beneficial than going it alone. Members reap the rewards of shared knowledge, vendor connections, advocacy, and educational resources. In this week's episode of Take It To The Board, host Donna DiMaggio Berger sits down with Ernesto Cuesta, President of the Brickell Homeowners Association (BHA), to share his insights and experiences and hopefully empower other communities to gro...

Food does more than just tantalize your taste buds—it can also weave communities together and ignite change. In this episode, host Donna DiMaggio Berger is joined by Tim and Lara Boyd from Mustard Seed Bistro in Plantation to explore how simple community cookouts can spark vital conversations and foster collaboration. They discuss how providing refreshments at gatherings like board and membership meetings often cultivates a more positive atmosphere. Many community associations feature am...

Has your association ever faced the challenge of a shadow website or social media page imitating your own? Have you discovered your community's name being used by a business entity without permission? Host Donna DiMaggio Berger, along with guest Valeria Angelucci from Becker’s Corporate Practice, shed light on these common issues. Despite their prevalence, the solution for both prevention and resolution is often just one registered trademark away!Donna and Valeria reveal how to safeguard inte...

At some point, every building will require concrete repairs and restoration. If you've ever undertaken a concrete restoration project, you're aware of the many challenges they entail: substantial costs, lengthy time delays, irritation over hurricane shutters, windows and doors, uncooperative owners and the potential for incidental damage. Host Donna DiMaggio Berger sheds light on these projects with guest Alessandra Bianchini, Vice President and General Counsel of Carousel Development a...

Various types of casualty events, including fires, floods, explosions, windstorms, and even the unavoidable burst water pipe, will likely occur at some point in your community's lifespan which means your board will have to submit an insurance claim. That process can make your association feel as if you're going through a second disaster while you're trying to recover from the first one. Host Donna DiMaggio Berger and guest Ken Shriberg, a public insurance adjuster with a track record for turn...