Being a board member in a homeowners association is a difficult job. It takes a commitment of time and resources, but it can also be very rewarding. Sometimes you are asked to deal with tough issues that relate to your next door neighbor – maybe even your friend. It can be tough to tell the little old lady who’s just making it on social security, that a special assessment to fix something is going to be in effect. But, you can also use your role as an HOA board member to be the voice for people in the Association.

A homeowners association is best run by people with a vested interest in the community because they have ownership and they care. Many homeowners are hesitant to commit to being a board member, so how do you find the qualified people who actually want to be a member?

Keep your eyes open to people who come to meetings

As a current HOA board member, be on the lookout at meetings to see who is consistently attending. This is a good sign the person is expressing a level of interest and concern about the community. Begin to build a relationship with them. Then pop the question: “You seem interested in what happens around the Association and you ask good questions. Would you consider becoming a board member?” The worse they can say is no!

Interact with members around the community

Be proactive and intentional with who you interact with around the homeowners association and look for good, quality people – not someone who is always on their soapbox about something. You want people who are helpful and want to fix the issues in the Association. For example, maybe you notice a mom who is constantly using the community pool in the summer with her kids. She also shows up at meetings and recently requested kiddie toys around the community. She even had a committee ready and said she would do the leg work. Now that’s someone who would be a good HOA board member!

Put out information about what it means to be on the board

Homeowners don’t always understand the Association is run by a board of directors. Creating an educational flier or pamphlet to hand out or include in the Association’s newsletter can help educate people about the fiduciary responsibilities of the board, time commitment, etc. It might even spark an interest in someone who thought they weren’t qualified to be an HOA board member for some reason.

Recruiting homeowners to be board members is no easy task, but it’s important to have vested members of the community, who care about how it’s governed and the decisions being made. If you do, your HOA board meetings will run more efficiently and your Association will be a better place to live.