by: Linda Pinizzotto, DStG – Dame Order of St George – Founder CEO COA – Condo Owners Association
The Condo Act should legislate that condo board members must hold professional designations related to the position requirements, psychological testing, and strong track record of proven accomplishments and experience with references.
Owners should send in their resumes for specific positions President, Secretary, President and 2 Directors. Candidates should be scored and put into the specific positions by Owners and not the board elect.
It is illegal for Condo Boards to call for 5 new board positions by resume at the AGM but they do it anyway. These Boards need to be personally fined and their Directors Liability Insurance cancelled. Condo Owners need to vote for candidates to fill each position based on proven experience and qualifications. Having a Board with no experience is a run away train. Real professionals that understand business should be on the board.
Candidates like a professional janitor or caretaker of buildings, for example, engineer, lawyer or paralegal, C-Suite professional with leadership abilities, a jack of all trades with advanced governance, business professional experience, persons with a professional real estate career or appraiser, perhaps a security or emergency management officer, and designated accountant are what is needed to ensure good governance and intelligent decision making ability. Also a person with credentials in the construction, building world. Board members need some knowledge of construction, refurbishments and mechanicals. The possibility of approving overpriced contracts could be a huge problem with Directors who have limited knowledge.
