The advisory board for the Virginia Tech Residential Property Management (RPM) Program has added a new partner—Community Associations Institute (CAI), a 30,000-plus member organization that works nationally and internationally to advance professionalism in the field of condominium and community association management.
Virginia Tech’s program has raised the profile of the property management profession by offering the nation’s first university-based degree and has served as a model for several colleges and universities that have developed similar programs. The program remains one of the most respected in the nation, with students going on to become valued professionals in the property management field.
Although similar in many ways, there are substantive differences between property management—for apartment communities and commercial properties—and community management for homeowners associations, condominiums and other planned communities.
“We are very pleased to be associated with Virginia Tech and optimistic that our community association management curriculum and resources will have a positive impact on the RPM program,” says CAI Chief Executive Officer Thomas M. Skiba, CAE. “The program remains in the forefront of the field and continues to educate tomorrow’s top property managers. In doing so, Virginia Tech is helping to shape the future of residential management. We are grateful for the opportunity to be involved.”
CAI leaders point out that there is significant crossover in the skills and knowledge base required for apartment and commercial property managers and professionals who manage community associations.
“The disciplines are similar yet different in substantive ways,” says Skiba. “That’s why we want to help Virginia Tech incorporate community management curriculum in the RPM program. Not only will that draw more students into the program, but it will also give graduates a greater range of opportunities when they leave the program.”
Skiba points out that CAI is uniquely qualified to provide curriculum support, since the organization has provided education, training and professional credentials to thousands of community managers in the United States and overseas. CAI credentials include the Association Management Specialist (AMS) and Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM) designations, the latter being the pinnacle of achievement in the community association management business.
CAI’s sister organization, the National Board of Certification for Community Association Managers (NBC-CAM), awards the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA), which has been earned by more than 10,000 managers. The CMCA is the first step for community managers who want to position themselves for long-term success and achievement in community management.
More than 60 million Americans live in an estimated 309,000 homeowners associations, condominiums and cooperatives. CAI estimates there are 60,000 community managers working in the United States.
“I am very excited for CAI's involvement with our RPM students. CAI's interaction will provide students with learning opportunities that will enhance their community association knowledge and also expand employment options within community associations,” says Dr. Kimberly Mitchell, assistant professor at Virginia Tech. As a trade association member of the advisory board, CAI will help prepare students for their careers by providing resources to the program; offering input on curriculum; supplying professional education and potential internship opportunities; and providing funds for research and scholarships.
“We welcome CAI as a partner in an effort to broaden opportunities for our students,” says Dr. Rosemary Carucci Goss, an RPM Professor at Virginia Tech.
The Virginia Tech RPM program provides rigorous training to students to prepare them for the demands of residential property management. Among the requirements, all students must complete at least one internship with a multifamily management company and complete the National Apartment Association's Certified Apartment Manager (CAM) exam. For more information on the Virginia Tech program, visit www.vt.edu and type AHRM in the search box.
CAI is dedicated to building better communities. With 59 domestic chapters, a chapter in South Africa and relationships with industry leaders in Canada, Australia, Dubai and elsewhere, CAI provides information, education and resources to associations and the professionals who support them. The institute’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.