The Building: The Blue Heron of Naples is located in Naples, Florida, in Collier County, and is approximately eight miles from Gulf of Mexico beaches and 5th Ave. in Naples. Blue Heron is a low-rise gated community of 324 units. Amenities include a pool, clubhouse, two lakes, a meeting/event TV room and a library.

About:Board President Anne McCauley is a New York native, who runs Blue Heron remotely as her second residence while living in New York City.

McCauley:: My background includes working in the telecommunications field for 42 years in Queens, New York, along with holding a wide range of elected positions from Delegate to Secretary-Treasurer on the Executive Board of The Communications Workers of America Local 1106 for over 33 years. Over the last 15 years, I also held a seat on a Board of Directors of the CWA Long Island Federal Credit Union. Although I retired in 2010, my professional background provided me the essential experience needed by a board of directors. Through my years of serving on policy and decision-making boards, I learned how to communicate ideas, encourage participation, respect varying opinions, and most of all, practice the art of inclusion. The experience I’ve gained throughout my professional career has afforded me the administrative, financial and leadership skills necessary to effectively manage this large organization. When I accepted the responsibility of serving as Blue Heron’s president, I pledged to donate my time and energy to transforming our once run-of-the-mill community into an attractive, tranquil and financially sound showcase community. As a result of that commitment, the Blue Heron’s transition has been impressive and incredible, and the journey has been gratifying.

Q&A:

Q: Cooperator: Tell us a little about Blue Heron.

A: McCauley: The Blue Heron of Naples is located in Naples, Florida, in Collier County, 0.8 mile east of the intersection of Santa Barbara Blvd and Radio Rd. We are approximately eight miles from the beautiful Gulf of Mexico beaches and 5th Ave Naples. The community a low-rise gated community that sits on 24.18 lush acres and is comprised of 18 residential buildings, in which there are 324 units, one clubhouse, and common areas including two lakes adorned by lighted fountains and forever wild preserves. The residential 3-story 18 unit buildings have elevators, were built between 2003 and 2006; and each of our 324 units consists of 2 and 3 bedroom with floor plans ranging from 1,202 sq. ft. to 1,431 sq. ft. and all have a spacious lanai. Each offers either a lake or landscaped view. Our community amenities include a year round heated pool, a clubhouse with kitchen, meeting/event room with television and a library. Our community is made up of a diverse mix of full time and seasonal residents who have chosen the Blue Heron to raise their families or enjoy their leisure time in the ambiance of Southwest Florida.

Q: Cooperator:Why do you serve on the board?

A: McCauley: I made the decision to serve on the board because I had invested in it financially and wanted to be part of transforming a mediocre community into a showcase community, one that was safe for all of its residents and one that had a financially-sound future and a place that I was proud enough to call my second home. Because of my professional background I was asked to consider taking on a director’s position right at turnover and did so in November of 2006. I held the position of Secretary until March of 2008, when I was re-elected by the owners and appointed by the board as President of the Association. I’ve been re-elected to the board and have been serving as President for the past 5 years..

Q: Cooperator: As a veteran board member, what advice would you give to new members?

A: McCauley: I would advise a new board member that they must be willing and able to dedicate their personal time, limitless patience and an incredible amount of energy into serving on the board. It is not an part time or seasonal responsibility; but rather one that should be taken very seriously. You must also be willing to learn all of the community’s documents and by-laws, as well as state statutes that are relevant to HOA communities. You must be willing to create and enforce reasonable and non-capricious rules and regulations; and do so consistently, regardless of affiliations or friendships. You must keep an open line of communicate with the other board members, speak your mind, vote your conscious and respect the opinions of other directors even when they differ from yours and be willing to compromise. Most importantly, confidential information must never be disclosed.

Q: Cooperator: What ingredients make for a successful board?

A: McCauley: First of all, a board should have a president who leads by example, is respectful of different points of view, and encourages participation from all directors. All Directors need to posses the highest standards of integrity, energy, motivation and conduct themselves with the selfless commitment that it takes to serve the owners and the community. Everyone must subscribe to the concept that a successful performance can only be accomplished through the combined efforts of a dedicated and skillful team, not an individual. Lastly, the board must act together in a cohesive manner and have the courage to make decisions that serve best interest of everyone, not just special interests.

Q: Cooperator: What are the attributes of a good board member? Do you need certain professionals on the board?

A: McCauley: It takes exceptional work ethics, integrity, honesty, patience and a willingness to learn in order to be a good board member. I do think that professionals can bring specialized beneficial to a board, but they are not essential for success. Many owners have such an amazingly backgrounds, skill sets and life experience, both professionally and personally, that bring a priceless expertise to the board of directors.

Q: Cooperator:What are the accomplishments you are most proud of?

A: McCauley: Some of the major accomplishments include: 1) Lowered quarterly fees three times. 2) Changed pattern of delinquencies and foreclosures. 3) Instituted aggressive effective collections policies and procedures, which as a result recovered hundreds of thousands in delinquent maintenance fees. 4) Reduced association insurance premiums dramatically. 5) Remodeled clubhouse, pool deck, enhanced security on property. 6) Renegotiated vendor contracts resulting in savings. 7) Improved maintenance efforts throughout the property. It’s very difficult it is for me to isolate the accomplishment that I am most proud of because the list is so extensive and was not accomplished without painstaking effort. But if I had to select one accomplishment, it would be that I stepped up to the challenge of accepting a leadership role in a community that was not financially sound or aesthetically pleasing or whose infrastructure and grounds had not been installed or maintained properly, and by promoting my basic beliefs of mutual respect and inclusion of each of the board members, my administration has enjoyed a very extensive and successful record of accomplishments.

Q: Cooperator: Because of the NY-FLA connection here, what are the difficulties in being a board president and managing a community remotely and being so successful at it? Are there other board members who are also part time residents (of Florida or another state) as well?

A: McCauley: There are some difficulties in managing remotely, but they are minor considering the ability one has to be able to communicate via email, text messaging, telephone, fax, conference calling and video conferencing, not to mention the endless resources of the Internet. Of course, there are times or occasions where a being on site was necessary and in that regard, I had the benefit of having the Vice President on the property full time. She afforded me the physical eyes and ears of the community and was always willing to step up to the plate. The other board members were seasonal residents, but that status too is beneficial because a large amount of our residents are seasonal so they are on-site when the population is at its peak. Additionally, as a board, we also tried to assign certain responsibilities to certain directors who would coordinate with the manager, vendor and the rest of the board. Basically, the secret to success is believing in teamwork and having a board that shares that same viewpoint.

Q: Cooperator: How does the board deal with conflict in the community?

A: McCauley: Fortunately, there has been very little conflict on the board itself, there have been differences of opinion, but they’ve all been very civil and respectful, but I think that is as a result of the way the president sets the tone of his/her administration. On the other hand, there have been conflicts with unit owners at board meetings and we’ve dealt with them in various ways. We’ve gone from asking the owner to leave the meeting, to adjourning the meeting to having a sheriff present to maintain the peaceful decorum. While none of these procedures should be necessary to conduct an open board meeting, they are occasionally necessary in order for the majority of owners who want to observe the board conducting the association’s business and who want to hear pertinent information regarding their community without disruption.

FUNNY STORY: The only story that comes into mind is a time when I was called to the onsite office by our assistant to view a video of some unauthorized nighttime activities by the pool. I called the manager, who at that time was a male and asked him to meet me so we could review the video together. As it turns out, the activity was X-rated! Needless to say, it was an awkward and embarrassing moment. The video went on for over 40 minutes and then we had the task of identifying the persons in order to send them a violation notice and fine. As it turns out, the female wasn’t even a resident, but rather was visiting a friend who lived in the community. She borrowed the pool access key and that’s how she was able to take her date into that area and entertain him.