It was the week leading up to July 4th, and Sandra Denton was busy. On her agenda: planning a 5K run and a fireworks display, meeting with the executive board and a landscaping company, attending a photo shoot with the mayor and acting as a peacemaker between two feuding neighbors. After that, she had to update the Web site, send out a newsletter, and meet with volunteers and committees as part of her work as executive director of First Colony Community Association in Sugarland, Texas, a 10,000-acre, master-planned community with more than 13,000 residents.

Like property managers, community association managers (CAMs) face a number of challenges in a profession that is growing fast and full of opportunity for the right person.

"The biggest difference between property management and community association management is that with property management, you are often dealing with businesses and organizations that are leasing space," says Denton. "With community association management, you are dealing with people who own their homes. Their home is their castle, and there is a much stronger emotional and financial attachment from the individual perspective."

That is what makes the profession unique, says Paul Grucza, who has more than 25 years' experience as a portfolio manager for community associations and is the current president of the Community Associations Institute (CAI).

"You must be able to wear multiple hats," says Grucza, who is based in Fort Lauderdale. "One moment you can be heading down a chimney to find out what's wrong, the next minute you are crunching numbers, and the next day you act as a community counselor for a disgruntled homeowner."

Finding Resolution

Both Denton and Grucza say that a key to success as a CAM is the ability to resolve conflicts, often related to modifications to homes that other residents feel are bending or breaking the association's rules.

"I spend a great deal of time with my staff dealing with people's emotions," says Denton, the president-elect of CAI (a volunteer position). "When things don't go as planned or a project they want isn't approved, it can be a touchy subject. I always let them share their thoughts and explain the reason behind any decision. I tell my staff to figure out a way to say yes, but if it is no, explain why, and be empathetic."

According to Grucza, "you run into a whole gamut of personalities. This is indeed their castle, and things aren't always going to go smoothly. But being able to walk through issues and offer alternative solutions to issues and problems is important."

Get Certified

For those looking for a 9-to-5 job, a career as a CAM is not for them, says Denton. You must be prepared to work days, nights, weekends and holidays if needed. Many CAMs start out as property or residential managers, and numerous educational opportunities and certifications are available through organizations like the Community Associations Institute (CAI).

According to the 2003 Community Association Manager Compensation and Salary Survey, conducted by Industry Insights for the CAI, community managers who hold the Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM) designation earn an annual average of $21,000 more than managers who do not hold professional designations.

Here's more about what the survey found regarding compensation:

• Community managers earn an average of 23 percent more than they did in 2001, when the last study was conducted. Chief executive officers for management companies earn an average of 22 percent more than they did three years ago and now average a salary of more than $100,000 per year.
• Total compensation (salary plus bonus) of CAMs by region averages: $51,902 in California, $50,880 in the Northeast, $49,783 in the South, $46,749 in the Midwest, $44,221 in Florida and $44,043 in the West.