Condovoter

Virtual meetings are now part of a condominium corporation’s new normal. But did you know there are some fine distinctions between chairing a virtual meeting compared to an in-person meeting? Capitalizing on a need to get managers and directors up to speed quickly, CAI Canada and other experts in the condominium industry, organized an eLearning Virtual Chair Certification program. Over two sessions in March, CAI Canada registered more than 60 participants for the virtual education sessions who learned the nuances of chairing online meetings and more.

Virtual coaches were Rod Escayola and Graeme MacPherson, Gowling WLG; and Natalia Polis and Denise Lash, Lash Condo Law. Adam Arcuri, CondoVoter was the moderator and a co-sponsor of the event.

We asked one of the newly certified participants, Bishnu Aryal, RCM a property manager with TAG–The Active Group, to tell us about his experience.

Q: Bishnu, why was it important for you to take this two-day Virtual Chair Certification session?

A: Knowledge is power, and skills help solve problems. As condominium boards and managers cannot organize the meetings in person due to the pandemic, the only way to comply with the mandate of conducting meetings in a timely fashion is to do it virtually.

I decided to take this two-day Virtual Certification session because I want to know the skills and strategies from the professionals in the field and gather the knowledge in the shortest possible time.

Q: How many virtual meetings have you chaired in the last year?

A: Over the past several years I have chaired and attended several AGMs and board meetings in person. In 2020 and 2021, so far I have attended and/or chaired about 10–12 board/general meetings.

Q: What new skills did you learn?

A: The best part for me was refreshing the legal and procedural part of meetings. Also, learning various technical aspects of video conferencing was valuable, e.g., how to effectively use chat, polling options and Q&A options.

Q: How will you use your new Virtual Chair Certification?

A: New skills will help me effectively conduct meetings. It helps to gain trust and respect of boards of directors, clients and owners. I will also use this knowledge to share it with my colleagues and team to improve their virtual meeting experience.

Q: What would you say to other managers that are thinking about signing up for the course?

A: For me training is not an expense, it is an investment. I recommend managers and boards of directors to take the advantages of the certification conducted by respected legal minds in the industry. Meeting checklists and sample scripts are good additions to the manager’s toolbox.

Jessica Katz, Operations and Account Manager

Q: What are the three best skills that you bring to your job?

A: I would say the best skills I bring to my job are organization, great communication skills, and drive for growth and improvement.

Q: Finish this sentence – On Monday morning you will find me …

A: Getting in 10 minutes of yoga as a start to the day, and then cozy in a sweatsuit with a hot tea at my desk to begin the work week.

Q: What’s a typical work day like for you?

A: I start my work day at 9am. The start of the day is usually taking inventory – seeing what has come in since my last work day ended and prioritizing tasks. A typical work day includes handling client inquiries by phone and email, preparing notices to be sent out, and setting up new clients in the system. Throughout the day, there is also lots of communication and conversations among the team as we help each other out and talk through any difficulties we may have come across.

Q:  Do you have any business skills or talents that people don’t know about?

A: I am a very fast typist, which even my coworkers likely don’t know about since we have all been working from home. My average typing speed is about 110 words per minute!

Q: What’s your favourite part about your job at CondoVoter?

A: Hard to pick a favourite part. I love engaging with clients on a daily basis. It is great to be able to help our clients through the process, and have that direct connection with them as an Account Manager. I love being part of an incredible company that values my input and feedback to promote growth of the organization and increase efficiency in all aspects. I feel very comfortable to bring my suggestions and ideas forward, and there is an open dialogue about how each of us can help CondoVoter to grow and be a part of that growth. I love being part of a great team that thrives on support and communication. There is always someone available to help when needed, talk through new processes or challenges, or simply just answer any questions that might come up. CondoVoter is a great place to work, and the Account Manager position is so multi-faceted and keeps me very engaged.

A shifting condominium climate requires business colleagues that care about your ongoing success as condominium managers and management company executives. That’s why the CondoVoter team is excited to announce our new Partnership Program. We created this program to show our support to clients during rapidly changing times within the industry.

The goal of our Partner Program is to develop new – and strengthen existing –communication channels while providing consistent service combined with excellent quality. In working alongside property management teams, we intend to remain agile and prepare to adapt to new requirements by leveraging emerging technology.

Partners included in this program will have access to:

• partner discounts
• white-label solutions
• educational sessions and team meetings
• early access to new features
• annual bundled packages
  • virtual board meetings + minute taking
  • townhalls
  • AGM

This is an early bird opportunity that you should not miss. Contact info@condovoter.com for more details and to sign up.

Sauwmi Semovski, Account Manager

Q: What are three words that describe you.

A: Three words that would describe me would be personable, driven and creative.

Q: What are the best skills that you bring to your job?

A: The best skills that I bring to my role are effective communication, organization and planning, and problem solving. Coming from an HR background I am able to wear different hats and be adaptable as the company progresses.

Q: What’s a typical work day like for you?

A: A typical day for me is filled with client questions, preparing their notices to get them out on time, and onboarding new clients. Additionally, I handle HR and marketing projects for CondoVoter.

Q:  What’s a goal you have for yourself that you want to accomplish in the next year?

A: A goal that I have for myself for the next year is to continue to improve my current skills and to learn as much as possible in relation to online voting, so I can provide strategic insight into the processes.

Q: What’s your favourite thing about your job at CondoVoter?

A: My favourite thing about working at CondoVoter is the team. The team is collaborative and innovative. We work very well together to bounce ideas off of each other, collaborate on projects, and we work together to support the growth of CondoVoter and to make processes efficient for clients.