What is the PCAM® designation?
The PCAM® designation is the pinnacle of professionalism for community association managers. It is the highest of the advanced levels of recognition awarded by the Community Associations Institute (CAI), the nation’s voice for condominium, cooperative and homeowner associations. Through advanced education, training and guidance, the PCAM® designation helps ensure that the manager has the knowledge, experience and integrity to provide the best possible service to your association.
A Professional Community Association Manager has achieved a specialized level of expertise to help your association run smoothly by:
- developing association budgets and financial reports to ensure your association prepares for future expenses and communicates to homeowners how their assessment dollars are spent
- performing site inspections to evaluate your association’s grounds and common elements and ensure proper upkeep;
- enforcing community association rules and restrictions fairly, equitably and reasonably
- assisting board members in selecting contractors and insurance providers that can provide top-notch services for your association
- overseeing and authorizing payment for services to ensure financial safeguards
- directing any association personnel
- promoting open communication, fruitful collaboration and community spirit within the association
A community association manager faces many different types of challenges, and is often called upon to perform or oversee a wide variety of jobs. An effective manager must have a solid understanding of the principles of human resources, contracting, accounting, psychology, insurance, physical plant maintenance, education, government relations, board management, basic construction and law.
A PCAM® designee has gained an understanding of all aspects of community association management by fulfilling the designation’s extensive requirements, which include:
- a minimum of five years of comprehensive experience in financial, administrative and facilities management for a community association
- more than 70 hours of intensive instruction in law, communications, operations and asset protection and completion of a challenging case study program
- continued educational development and volunteer service to the profession
- maintaining the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA®) certification from the National Board of Certification for Community Associations Managers and the Association Management Specialist (AMS®) designation from CAI
A Professional Community Association Manager commits to upholding the highest ethical standards. He or she must abide by the strict rules of conduct outlined by the Community Associations Institute’s Professional Code of Ethics, which states that the manager shall:
- comply with all standards established by CAI and the state(s) in which the manager practices
- disclose in writing to the client any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest
- not provide inaccurate or misleading information to a prospective or current client
- refuse any compensation from parties who act or may act on behalf of the client
- see that the client’s funds are held in separate accounts, are not misappropriated, and are returned to the client at the end of the manager’s engagement
- recognize that all records, files and books are the property of the client
- maintain a CAI membership and participate in continuing professional education