Community Leadership (M-203), a popular course designed to provide managers with the skills to motivate and guide board and committee members to achieve management goals, is the seventh professional development course offered online by Community Associations Institute (CAI).

Strategies covered in the course provide participants with the tools to build better relationships, prepare for and run more efficient meetings, encourage committee participation, organize community records and develop election procedures.

A course requirement for the PCAM designation, Community Leadership is approved for 12 hours of continuing education for CMCA recertification. The cost of the M-203 is $445 for members, $545 for nonmembers. Students who register for the course receive a manual via mail.

The following CAI professional development courses also are available online:

• The Essentials of Community Association Management (M-100)
• The Essentials of Community Association Management (M-100) California Edition
• Facilities Management (M-201)
• Risk Management (M-205)
• Financial Management (M-206)
• Ethics and the Community Manager (M-300)

Except for Ethics and the Community Manager, which is available only online, these courses continue to be available via classroom instruction.

"Learning in the classroom has many advantages, especially the value of the interaction between the participants and instructor and among the participants themselves," said David Jennings, CAE, CAI’s vice president of education. "Still, because of the distance to a particular class or time constraints, online courses enable industry professionals to get the training they need in the convenience of their homes or offices."

CAI’s professional development program features 17 courses, beginning with The Essentials of Community Association Management (M-100). In addition to eight 300-level courses, the curriculum includes six 200-level courses, the PCAM Case Study and Contemporary Issues in Community Association Management (M-400).

More than 4,500 students took advantage of CAI classroom and online professional development courses in 2012.

With more than 32,000 members dedicated to building better communities, CAI works in partnership with 60 domestic chapters, a chapter in South Africa and housing leaders in a number of other countries. CAI provides 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