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From the Summer 2020 Issue

From the Executive Director

The New Normal Virtual World

Message from the Executive Director || Paul B. MacDonald

As I write this, governments across Canada are paradoxically easing pandemic restrictions and opening businesses even though the virus that drove us into quarantine is spreading daily. Evidently, this is a calculated risk predicated on our ability to make fundamental changes to how we interact and do business going forward.

One wonders what our new ‘normal’ will look like – it will definitely be more virtual. Since mid-March, ACMO staff have been working remotely using electronic and virtual means to take care of business and continue engaging members and delivering value while distancing - just as many of you are doing for the condos you manage.
Of course, one of the key benefits of being part of ACMO’s professional community - our ‘secret sauce’ so to speak - is the ability to network and learn together in person. Unfortunately, we have had to postpone many of our events, and it remains to be seen when they will resume. But just because we are in lockdown does not mean we have stopped learning, connecting, educating, and advocating. We are just doing it in different ways, virtually.

Since the state of emergency was declared, ACMO has been busy. We ramped up the frequency and volume of member communications to serve as an ‘information clearinghouse,’ aggregating and disseminating COVID-19 information and condominium management best practices from reliable sources. We also launched a series of free monthly educational webinars so members can continue to learn and collect continuing education credits to maintain their RCM.

While in lockdown, we launched and began implementing our new 3-year strategic plan to ensure the ongoing relevance of the association. Delivery of ACMO’s licensing courses through colleges and ACMO 2000 companies continue unabated because ACMO worked proactively with the colleges and the CMRAO to ensure provisions were in place so students could complete their education and assessment by alternate means.

Throughout the pandemic, ACMO has been lobbying government agencies to advance the interests of condominium managers. We lobbied the Ministry of Consumer and Government Services to make temporary changes to the Condo Act to extend timelines and enable virtual AGMs; the CMRAO to extend the license renewal deadline and; the federal government to extend emergency benefits to non-profit organizations and the condo industry.

Lastly, on July 24th we will be holding our AGM to review last years’ accomplishments, ratify a new board, and discuss plans for the future. We hope it will be held in person but suspect it will be the association’s first virtual AGM. While not ideal, that is the new normal, and regardless of format, members will be networking and learning to improve our profession and the quality of the services we provide.

Stay safe; with any luck we will see you all soon!

Paul B. MacDonald
Executive Director


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