Community Association Officers Forum Announces 2009 "Best Practices" Seminars in Palm Beach County

Palm Beach Community College and Local Professional Firms to Educate Condo, Co-Op, and Homeowner Board Members on Issues Facing Community Associations


DELRAY BEACH, FL--(Marketwire - December 18, 2008) - The Community Association Officers Forum (CAOF, www.caofonline.com), an education and business partnership helping community association officers understand the issues they face as members of their associations' Boards of Directors, announced today the launch of its 2009 series of free seminars in Palm Beach County for board members of local condominium, co-op, homeowner (HOA) and other community associations.

The CAOF "Best Practices for Board Members" series of five seminars will kick-off Tuesday, January 20th and run through March 14th at two convenient locations in Palm Beach Gardens and Wellington. These free educational events are made possible by the sponsorship of Palm Beach Community College, Becker & Poliakoff, Kane & Company, P.A., Prime Management Group, a division of The Continental Group, Seitlin Insurance & Advisory Services, and TD Bank. Expert guest lecturers will address key aspects of community association governance and management.

"We're very pleased to offer a second season of free educational seminars for condo, HOA and other community association board members in Palm Beach County sponsored by Palm Beach Community College and leading local professional firms," said Margaret Grisdela, CAOF Executive Director. "The seminars are dedicated to educating board members on industry best practices in regard to critically important issues facing community associations, including collection and foreclosure procedures, insurance coverage, asset protection, daily operations, and financial reporting."

"As the rate of overdue or foreclosed mortgages reaches unprecedented highs, board members of Palm Beach County condo and homeowner associations are struggling to collect monthly maintenance fees and protect property values," said Kenneth S. Direktor, shareholder and director of the Community Association Law practice at Becker & Poliakoff, a CAOF Palm Beach County series co-sponsor. "Becker & Poliakoff and the other professional firms participating in the CAOF seminars are committed to providing the information, tools and training needed to better equip board members to exercise their substantial responsibilities in addressing the challenges confronting their communities today."

The CAOF "Best Practices for Board Members" seminar topics and dates include:

"Banking, Budgeting, and Fiduciary Responsibility: Managing your Community's Funds" will be held at the Marriott Palm Beach Gardens (4000 RCA Boulevard) on the evening of Tuesday, January 20th, and at the Wellington Community Center (12165 West Forest Hill Boulevard) on the evening of Wednesday, February 11th.

"2009 Outlook: What's New, What's Coming?" will be held at the Marriott Palm Beach Gardens on the evening of Tuesday, February 24th, and at the Wellington Community Center on the evening of Wednesday, March 4th.

"Condo and HOA Management 101: What Board Members Need to Know" is a half-day seminar that will be held once on Saturday, March 14th at the Wellington Community Center from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Evening programs open at 5:30 p.m. with on-site registration, followed by a panel of expert speakers from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Association Board Members from condos, co-ops, homeowner and other community associations located in Palm Beach County may register in advance online at www.CAOFonline.com or via telephone to Legal Expert Connections at 561-266-1030. All seminars are free.

About the Community Association Officers Forum

The Community Association Officers Forum (www.CAOFonline.com) was established in 2007 to provide a series of free educational seminars to condo association officers to help them understand the issues that they face as members of their community associations' Boards of Directors. The annual CAOF "Best Practices for Board Members Series" is sponsored by Palm Beach Community College, Becker & Poliakoff, Kane & Company, P.A., Prime Management Group, a division of The Continental Group, Seitlin Insurance & Advisory Services, and TD Bank.

Contact Information: Media Contact: Margaret Grisdela Legal Expert Connections 561-266-1030 mgrisdela@legalexpertconnections.com