Property Manager Spotlight: Susan Griffith
An interview with J. David Rauch

Susan Griffin joined The Walters Management Company as a Community Association Manager is 1997. She has been managing Community Associations for 11 years and brings a unique perspective to the industry having worked both the property management and development side. With several years of experience in the construction industry and with Homeowner Association reconstruction, Susan brings not only her experience but also her enthusiasm and a sense of humor to the associations she manages.

“The funniest thing that has ever happened to me shows the importance of communications with not only the Board members but also the homeowners. Each month, a billing statement is sent out to all residents for their monthly assessments. On the bottom of the statement are the words: ‘Please make your check payable to your association’. One day a check was received – and you guessed it – the check was made payable to ‘Your Association.’

The greatest challenge facing our industry is communication. The majority of homeowners don’t know what the CC&Rs are or why Rules & Regulations and Architectural Guidelines are important. As a manager, is it important to continually educate the homeowners and encourage the Board members to attend CAI educational functions. It helps to send out resident advisories or write a column in the association’s newsletter to explain how a Community Association operates. In order to reach the homeowners, the article needs to be short and to the point – and include some humor. We don’t have to go too far in this industry to find it!

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