Community Associations Institute, the leading authority in community association governance, education, and management, welcomes Jessica Towles, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, vice president of community associations at Hammersmith Management, AAMC, in Englewood, Colo., as its 2022 president.
Towles has spent 24 years in community association management. She was exposed to the profession at a young age through two family members who worked with communities in the Chicago area. Towles pursued the career after college and is a longtime member of the CAI Board of Trustees. She served two terms as chair of the Community Association Managers Council, is a member of CAI's education faculty, and has contributed her expertise to initiatives to attract job seekers to community management.
As CAI's 2022 president, Towles is looking forward to bringing people back together. “The idea of community has never been more important for CAI after how dramatically our world has changed over the past two years," she says. “We have an opportunity and an obligation to move forward and build a stronger, more resilient future."
Towles says the Board of Trustees is preparing to tackle some of the biggest issues facing CAI members—from attracting and retaining talent to the industry to improving condominium safety.
Vishnu Sharma, CPA, CFE, president and founder of Sharma & Associates in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will serve as president-elect. Sharma is a member of the CAI Southeast Florida Chapter and previously served as chair of CAI's Business Partners Council.
Towles and Sharma will be joined by the following members on the Board of Trustees.
2022 Board of Trustees
- President — Jessica Towles, CMCA, AMS, PCAM — Hammersmith Management, AAMC, Englewood, Colo.
- President-elect — Vishnu Sharma, CPA, CFE — Sharma & Associates — Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
- Immediate past president — James H. Dodson IV, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM — Henderson, Nev.
- Richard G. Carlson — Plantation Lakes Property Owners Association — Myrtle Beach, S.C.
- Lisa Cox, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM — Sienna Associations — Missouri City, Texas
- Jeevan J. D'Mello, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM — Zenesis Corporation —Dubai, UAE
- Melissa Guyott, CMCA, AMS, PCAM — Ponderosa Community Management — Spokane, Wash. Cynthia A. Jones, Esq. — Sellers, Ayers, Dortch & Lyons — Charlotte, N.C.
- Suzanne Mark — Saw Creek Estates Community Association — East Stroudsburg, Pa.
- Peter B. Miller, RS — Miller-Dodson Associates — Annapolis, Md.
- Matt D. Ober, Esq. — Richardson | Ober | DeNichilo — Pasadena, Calif.
- Melissa Ramsey, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM — Evergreen Lifestyles Management — Charlotte, N.C.
- Sara Ross, Esq. — Chadwick, Washington, Moriarty, Elmore & Bunn — Fairfax, Va.
- Kirk Watilo, LSM, PCAM — Crummack Huseby Property Management — North Tustin, Calif.
- Kelly Zibell, AMS, PCAM — Morgan Hill, Calif.
The Board of Trustees is supported by three membership representation groups. These elected members give their constituencies a voice in crafting CAI policy and work to ensure that CAI continues to provide services and benefits that members need and value.
Business Partners Council
- Chair — Cynthia A. Jones, Esq. — Sellers, Ayers, Dortch & Lyons — Charlotte, N.C.
- Chair-elect — Sara Ross, Esq. — Chadwick, Washington, Moriarty, Elmore & Bunn — Fairfax, Va. Michael Almonrode — Advanced Technology Group Inc. — Richardson, Texas
- Dawn Becker-Durnin, CIRMS — PeopleFirst Property & Casualty Services — Easton, Pa.
- Michael Berg, CMCA, CIRMS — Berg Insurance Agency — Lake Forest, Calif.
- Cindy Dunlop — Cogent Bank — Jacksonville, Fla.
- Jessica Knutsen, CIRMS — USI Insurance Services — Falls Church, Va.
- Robert Nordlund, RS — Association Reserves—Los Angeles — Westlake Village, Calif.
- Matt D. Ober, Esq. — Richardson | Ober | DeNichilo — Pasadena, Calif.
- Jennifer Olson — Centennial Bank — Venice, Fla.
- Sara Ross, Esq. — Chadwick, Washington, Moriarty, Elmore & Bunn — Fairfax, Va.
Community Association Managers Council
- Chair — Lisa Cox, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM — Sienna Associations — Missouri City, Texas
- Chair-elect — Melissa Guyott, CMCA, AMS, PCAM — Ponderosa Community Management —
- Spokane, Wash.
- Kelly Zibell, AMS, PCAM — Morgan Hill, Calif.
- Melissa Ramsey, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM — Evergreen Lifestyles Management — Charlotte, N.C.
- Andrew Babbitt, CMCA, AMS, PCAM — CCMC — Plano, Texas
- Brian Butler, Esq., CMCA, AMS, PCAM — FirstService Residential Illinois, AAMC — Chicago
- Julie Carter, CMCA, AMS, PCAM — Lake Forest Community Association — Lake Forest, Calif.
- Catherine Davis, CMCA, AMS, PCAM — Ghertner & Company, AAMC — Franklin, Tenn.
- Delores Ferguson, CMCA, AMS, PCAM — CCMC — Scottsdale, Ariz.
- Melissa Hargrove, CMCA, AMS, PCAM — INFRAMARK, AAMC — Cypress, Texas
- Nicholas J. Mazzarella, CMCA, LSM, PCAM — Associa—Community Management Corporation —
- Chantilly, Va.
- Robin Lynn Thomas, CMCA, AMS, PCAM — Amcor Property Professionals — Scottsdale, Ariz.
- Jessica Williams, CMCA, AMS, PCAM — Associa—The Prescott Companies — Carlsbad, Calif.
- LaTonya Young-Clayborne, CMCA, AMS, PCAM — Baltimore
Homeowner Leaders Council
- Chair — Suzanne Mark — Saw Creek Estates Community Association — East Stroudsburg, Pa.
- Chair-elect — Richard G. Carlson — Plantation Lakes Property Owners Association — Myrtle Beach, S.C.
- Patricia A. Book — Willow Springs Community Association — Fort Collins, Colo.
- Gary Burns — Mulholland Heights Homeowners Association — Calabasas, Calif.
- Matt Metz — Scottsdale Ranch Community Association — Scottsdale, Ariz.
- Joyce Sachs — 1219 W. Wynnewood Condominium Association — Wynnewood, Pa.
- Mike Wolf — La Fontana Condominium Association — Denver