Take It to the Board

Becker’s Take It To The Board podcast, hosted by shareholder Donna DiMaggio Berger, explores the reality of life in a community association, what’s really involved in serving on its board, and how to maintain that ever-so-delicate balance of being legally compliant and community spirited. Episodes feature a variety of guests including association leaders, experts, and […]

For more episodes of Take It To The Board, click here! Shoddy workmanship, whether in a new build or a retrofit, is the bane of any shared ownership community. And trying to avoid or recover from a bad construction job is one of the most important responsibilities a community association board can shoulder. Host and […]

For more episodes of Take It To The Board, click here! With crime on the rise across the U.S., safety is a leading reason most people believe a shared ownership community is the best housing option. But featured guests Kevin Van Middlesworth (Founder, CEO) and Phil Huber (VP, Client Relations) from Platinum Group Security are […]

For more episodes of Take It To The Board, click here! In the community association world, nothing pits neighbor against neighbor faster than outdoor holiday decorations. Donna and Andrew wade into the hell of holiday décor complaints and challenges to offer thoughtful solutions that just might help both board members and residents enjoy the festive […]

For more episodes of Take It To the Board, click here! If you thought property management centered on overseeing the upkeep of a property or building, you’re not alone in that misconception. According to Otto Freund, serving as a community association manager (CAM) is, instead, all about managing people and providing quality customer service to […]

For more episodes of Take It To The Board, click here! Are volunteer community association board members at the top of your thankful-for list? They are for Donna DiMaggio Berger, who counts their tremendous service during (and in what we hope are the waning days of) the pandemic right up there with the love and […]

For more episodes of Take It To the Board, click here! If you’ve watched HGTV’s home renovation shows or any of YouTube’s million+ room makeover videos, you probably have an opinion about what makes a beautiful space. But you might be surprised to learn that aesthetics are only part of the challenge when tackling a […]

For more episodes of Take It To The Board, click here! From building your workplace culture to breaking up with those who don’t fit into it, employing human beings is complex. Donna and Jamie continue the employment law conversation with an examination of the purpose and necessity of employee handbooks, the morass of legal guidelines requiring […]

For more episodes of Take It To The Board, click here! Does your community association hire people? If so, you’ll definitely want to listen in as Donna and Jamie discuss the complicated network of federal, state, and, in some cases, municipal laws that protect both employers and employees – and outline the consequences of mistakenly […]

For more episodes of Take It To The Board, click here! If you’re one of Florida’s 18K+ community association managers or a board member to one of the state’s 60K+ shared ownership communities, you know the FLCAJ. Or do you? Donna and Michael put the publication under a microscope, discussing what it really takes to […]

For more episodes of Take It To The Board, click here! Community association board members and managers often swap ‘war stories’ about being ‘in the trenches’ when dealing with the pressures of overseeing their communities. Host Donna DiMaggio Berger puts these catchphrases into perspective with featured guest Chris Ayoub, combat veteran and president of a […]

For more episodes of Take It To The Board, click here! Even as children, enforcing the rules that kept games playful didn’t always make you very popular with your peers. Association board members and managers will tell you that, when it comes to maintaining a community of adult homeowners, not much has changed since those […]