Spring Association Management Board Member CEUs & Learning
Board News and Education - March 2026
Dear Board Member,
Since we are deep into election season, we have scheduled our Board Certification and CEU courses for both March and April to provide greater flexibility as you plan your training.
We were excited to welcome more than 300 board members to our Certification, CEU, and general education events in February. The recording of our newest program — Board Financial Literacy: What Your Financials Are Really Saying — is currently being edited and will be posted soon on our Association Training Hub YouTube channel.
For March, we’ve focused our discussion on Board Meetings and decision making. Feedback from recent programs suggests there are questions — and some understandable confusion — about where the line is drawn between actions that may occur outside a meeting and those that must take place in a properly noticed board meeting. My apologies for the length of this month’s article. I edited out as much as I could without losing important information. I hope you find it helpful.
— Be well. Doug Jenkins, Director of Learning & Development
March & April Online Board Education Events
Registration is required for all courses.
New Condominium Board Member Four Hour Certification
DBPR Required Four Hour Certification Course for new Condominium Association Board Members Subject to Florida Statute 718
March 10, 2026, 1:00-5:00 PM
Registration Link for the March 10, 2026, Condominium Course
April 22, 2026, 1:00-5:00 PM
Registration Link for the April 22, 2026, Condominium Course
New Homeowners' Board Member Four Hour Certification
DBPR Required Four Hour Certification Course for new Homeowners' Association Board Members Subject to Florida Statute 720.
March 17, 2026, 1:00-5:00 PM
Registration Link for the March 17, 2026, Homeowners Association Course
April 29, 2026, 1:00-5:00 PM
Registration Link for the April 29, 2026, Homeowners Association Course
2025 Legislative Update - Condo Board Member One Hour CEU
An overview of 2025 Florida House Bill 913 (HB 913). This discussion qualifies as a Condominium Board Member One Hour CEU.
March 16, 2026, 4:00-5:00 PM
Registration Link for the March 16, 2026, Condo CEU
April 20, 2026, 4:00-5:00 PM
Registration Link for the April 20, 2026, Condo CEU
10 Board Meeting Practices That Improve Transparency
1. Clearly state the purpose of each agenda item
2. Briefly explain the background of the issue before discussion
3. Reference relevant documents or proposals during discussion
4. Allow owners to understand the options being considered
5. Ask clarifying questions before moving toward a decision
6. Restate the motion so everyone understands what is being voted on
7. Record the exact vote outcome in the minutes
8. Identify who is responsible for follow-up
9. Communicate the next steps after the meeting
10. Share meeting decision results with owners promptly
📌 Transparency is not just about holding meetings — it’s about helping owners understand how decisions were made.
Myth vs. Reality
Board Meetings Defined
❌ Board Myth
“We’re just having a workshop or discussion session —
it’s not a board meeting.”
✅ The Reality
If a quorum of the board gathers to deliberate association business,
it is generally considered a board meeting under Florida law.
Changing the name to workshop or planning meeting does not change the legal requirement.
📌 If the board gathers to deliberate association business,
notice and owner access requirements typically apply.
60-Second Board Tip ⏱️
Phrases That Signal Decision Making
Here are phrases that signal the board is making a decision (and should be in the minutes):
✅ “I move that…”
✅ “Let’s approve…”
✅ “We are directing management to…”
✅ “The board’s decision is…”
✅ “We’re voting to…”
Why it Matters: If you hear decision language, you need a motion + a vote + a record.
10 Habits That Keep Board Meetings Calm and Credible
1. Predictable agenda
2. Good time management
3. Strong chair leadership
4. Clear decision structure
5. Professional tone from board members
6. Owner comment rules applied fairly
7. Avoid side debates mid-meeting
8. Assign action items + due dates
9. Avoid personalizing disagreements, debate ideas not people
10. Keep meetings focused on governance
📌 Structure is kindness.
Myth vs. Reality
Email for Info Only
❌ Board Myth
“We can discuss and decide things by email as long as we don’t all reply at once.”
✅ The Reality
Email chains can create a rolling quorum,
which may effectively become an un-noticed board meeting.
Example: Director A emails B - B replies and includes C - C replies and includes D
Even if everyone was not on the email at the same time,
the board may have collectively deliberated association business outside a noticed meeting.
📌 The safest rule: Use email for information sharing,
not deliberation or decision-making.
Deliberation in the Open: How Florida Condominium and HOA Boards Should Conduct Meetings, Shape Decisions, and Delegate Financial Authority
By Doug Jenkins
Strong community governance is not defined by the speed of a decision, but by the transparency and discipline of the process that produces it.
Florida condominiums and homeowners’ associations both operate within open meeting frameworks, though the statutory structures differ. Understanding where those frameworks diverge — and where the principles of deliberation, decision-making, discussion and financial delegation ultimately converge — is essential to protecting both the association and its directors.
Read our recent blog to examine each statutory structure independently, then unify the discussion where the shared governance standards intersect. READ MORE >>