​Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. co-founder and managing partner of Richardson Harman Ober P.C. in Pasadena, Calif., and a CAI member since 1995, began his term as president of Community Associations Institute (CAI) on Jan. 1. He leads the 15-member Board of Trustees and three Membership Representation Groups (MRGs) that work on behalf of CAI's primary member groups: homeowners, community managers and business partners.

Members of each are listed below.

Gregory G. Smith, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, senior vice president of Associa Northern California, AAMC, is serving as president-elect.

"I am honored to lead CAI and look forward to the opportunities before us," said Richardson, who has served two terms on the Board of Trustees. "Our fundamental mission remains vital —providing unparalleled education to improve the governance and management of common interest communities for the almost 70 million Americans who make their homes in those communities."

Encouraging all members to share the CAI message, Richardson added, "All of our nearly 34,000 members are important, and I am asking them to redouble their efforts to make a difference in their communities.  CAI has a wonderful array of tools to help associations and their managers, and hundreds of thousands of these communities very much need what CAI provides. I hope to bring a greater awareness of CAI and its benefits to the common-interest community housing sector."

In practice since 1983, Richardson is a veteran business trial lawyer who has established himself as a leader in the field of homeowners association and real estate law. A member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), he has advised common interest communities for 26 of his 32 years in law practice.

Richardson has served on CAI's Greater Los Angeles and Orange County chapter boards and received CAI's national "Rising Star" award in 2004. He was admitted to CAI's College of Community Association Lawyers in 2006.  A long-time member of CAI's California Legislative Action Committee, Richardson chaired that committee in 2009 and 2010. He authors "HOA Homefront," a syndicated weekly column currently appearing in 13 daily newspapers in Southern California, reaching millions of readers from San Diego to Santa Barbara. Richardson is co-author of "California Common Interest Development Law," an eight-hour course for community managers; co-author of "Principles of Common Interest Development Leadership," a course for association board members; and co-creator of CAI's "Educated Business Partner" course.

A licensed but non-practicing real estate broker, Richardson is an active member of the National Association of Realtors and the California Association of Realtors (CAR) and author of the "Owner's Guide to the Common Interest Development," a CAR publication endorsed by CAI. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California, and his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of California at Riverside, where he was a National Merit Scholar.

"Kelly is another in a long succession of highly respected, visionary CAI leaders—the kind of dedicated men and women who have shaped CAI and the community association housing model for more than 40 years," said Chief Executive Officer Tom Skiba, CAE. "Kelly symbolizes what is most special about CAI—the countless members who give their time and talents to help us serve our almost 34,000 members and community associations in the United States and beyond. To all of our 2016 national and chapters leaders, thank you for sharing your expertise and inspiration."

2016 Board of Trustees

The 2016 Board of Trustees includes seven new or re-elected members (*elected to a first term; **re-elected to an additional term):

**Brendan P. Bunn, Esq., Chadwick, Washington, Moriarty, Elmore & Bunn PC, Fairfax, Va.

*Cat Carmichael, CMCA, PCAM, Pacific Premier Bank, Lakewood, Colo.

*John Joseph "Joey" Carona, Jr., AMS, PCAM, Associa Inc., Dallas, Texas

*Tracy M. Clay, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Lake Royale POA, Louisburg, N.C.

**John Hammersmith, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Hammersmith Management Inc., AAMC, Greenwood Village, Colo.

*Judy Silva, Heritage Park Homeowners Association, Sacramento, Calif.

*Joseph C. Wise, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Wise Property Solutions, AAMC, Johnson City, Tenn.

In addition to Richardson and Smith, the following members return to the 15-member board:

Ursula K. Burgess, Esq., Rees Broome PC, Tysons Corner, Va.

David I. Caplan, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Community Association Management LLC, AAMC, Pikesville, Md.

John Connors, Canyon Creek Homeowners Association, Austin, Texas

James H. Dodson IV, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM, Ewa by Gentry Community Association, Ewa Beach, Hawaii

Vanessa Dreyer, LSM, PCAM, Sonoran Foothills (CCMC), Scottsdale, Ariz.

Bruce R. Gran, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Gran Community Association Consulting, Scottsdale, Ariz.

2016 Membership Representation Groups (MRGs)

CAI's three primary member constituencies are represented by the Association of Professional Community Managers (APCM) Board, Business Partners Council (BPC) and Community Association Volunteers Committee (CAVC). MRG representatives are elected by CAI members in that membership category.

Association of Professional Community Managers Board (*elected to a first term; **re-elected to an additional term):

Vanessa Dreyer, LSM, PCAM (chair), Sonoran Foothills (CCMC), Scottsdale, Ariz.

Tracy M. Clay, CMCA, AMS, PCAM (chair-elect), Lake Royale POA, Louisburg, N.C.

**John Joseph "Joey" Carona, Jr., AMS, PCAM, Associa Inc., Dallas, Texas

**Katie Bikshaeva, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, AMI Advanced Management LLC, Denver, Colo.

Marge Imfeld, PCAM, I & I Property Management, AAMC, Fresno, Calif.

**Jeffrey N. Kutzer, CMCA, PCAM, The Management Trust-PMA Colorado Division, Aurora, Colo.

Patti Jo Lewis, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Zona Services Group Inc., Tucson, Ariz.

*Melissa Merritt-Darden, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Associa Carolinas, Charlotte, N.C.

Gregory "Randy" Schmaltz, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Steiner Ranch Community Association, Austin, Texas

**Jessica Towles, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Foster Premier Inc., Buffalo Grove, Ill.

*Cylinda Walker, AMS, PCAM, Bennet-Shellenberger Realty Inc., Colorado Springs, Colo.

*Mark Walker, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, FirstService Residential, Ashburn, Va.

 Joseph C. Wise, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Wise Property Solutions, AAMC, Johnson City, Tenn.

2016 Business Partners Council (*elected to a first term; **re-elected to an additional term):

Ursula K. Burgess, Esq. (chair), Rees Broome PC, Tysons Corner, Va.

Cat Carmichael, CMCA, PCAM (chair-elect), Pacific Premier Bank, Lakewood, Colo.

*Gayle L. Cagianut, CPA, Cagianut & Company CPA, Bellevue, Wash.

**Cyndi Koester, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Sunwest Bank, Irvine, Calif.

Stewart Masterson, CMCA, Kilowatt Partners Inc., Kemah, Texas

Joel W. Meskin, Esq., CIRMS, McGowan Program Administrators, Fairview Park, Ohio

Peter B. Miller, RS, Miller-Dodson Associates, Annapolis, Md.

*Robert Nordlund, RS, Association Reserves Inc., Calabasas, Calif.

Howard J. Perl, Esq., AMS, PCAM, Becker & Poliakoff PA, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

*Joseph Russo, GetDocsNow.com, Las Vegas, Nev.

*Ellen A. Shapiro, Esq., Goodman, Shapiro & Lombardi, LLC, Dedham, Mass.

*Vishnu Sharma, Sharma & Associates Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Joseph P. Waldron, AMS, PCAM, CIRMS, Robins Insurance Agency Inc., Nashville, Tenn.

2016 Community Association Volunteers Committee (*elected to a first term; **re-elected to an additional term)

John Connors (chair), Canyon Creek Homeowners Association, Austin, Texas

**Judy Silva (chair-elect), Heritage Park Homeowners Association, Sacramento, Calif.

*Jean Bestafka, Renaissance Homeowners Association, Manchester, N.J.

Judith Hanson, Sun City Aliante Community Association, North Las Vegas, Nev.

Janet L. Newcomb, Springhurst Townhomes Homeowners Association, Huntington Beach, Calif.

Robert A. Rothwell, The Village Green Homeowners Association, Henderson, Nev.

*Floyd "Duff" Smiley, Arielle Condominium Association, Sarasota, Fla.

With almost 34,000 members dedicated to building better communities, CAI works in partnership with 60 chapters to provide information, education and resources to community associations and the professionals who support them. CAI's mission is to inspire professionalism, effective leadership and responsible citizenship—ideals reflected in communities that are preferred places to call home. Visit www.caionline.org or call (888) 224-4321 for more information.