The Value of CAI Membership

This DCAL course series is meant to provide the core knowledge every Community Association volunteer should have. You may take each course as part of the recognition program, or as an individual course.

This program gathers a panel of top industry professionals to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about community association leadership & living. Each program will feature a presentation on current issues and will also include a question & answer session for attendees to bring up issues currently affecting their own associations.

CAI webinars offer education without leaving your home or office. Conducted online, these programs are hosted by industry experts to keep you up-to-date on legislative activity, management trends, industry best practices, and subjects of interest for homeowners. More than 400 on-demand webinars are available and new live webinars are added every month.

The Board Leadership Development Workshop teaches you how to communicate with association residents, hire qualified managers and service providers, develop enforceable rules, interpret governing documents, and more. It provides a comprehensive look at the roles and responsibilities of community association leaders and conveys information to help create and maintain the kind of community people want to call home.

Successful community management starts with the essentials! This comprehensive community association management course provides a practical overview for new managers and an essential review for veteran managers. Successful completion of the M-100 can be the first step toward earning the CMCA credential, awarded by CAMICB.

CAI offers four levels of courses designed to give new managers a knowledge base and experienced managers a deeper understanding of all aspects of association management. Courses focus on such topics as insurance, finance, leadership, governance, and communications.

As a community association manager, the most important thing you can do to increase your earning potential and accelerate your career is to obtain training and credentials from CAI’s Professional Management Development Program (PMDP). Through this program, CAI provides the most comprehensive, expert education courses for community managers seeking to increase their skills, knowledge, and job opportunities.

CAI webinars offer professional training without leaving your home or office. Conducted online, these programs are hosted by industry experts to keep you up-to-date on legislative activity, management trends, industry best practices, and subjects of interest for community managers. 400+ on-demand webinars are available and new live webinars are added each month. Continuing education credit for management credentials is available.

Join more than 1,500 industry professionals and homeowner volunteer leaders – along with over 200 exhibitors – for the most comprehensive event for community associations in the state of Illinois! This one-day event offers education sessions on legal updates, innovative trends, hot topics, and industry best practices, as well as opportunities to share, learn, network, and discuss challenges and solutions. Continuing education credit for management credentials is available.

This event features a unique opportunity to learn the latest legal updates, ask legal questions, and interact with attorneys and community association colleagues. This full-day program has multiple topics available to choose from during each session time, and continuing education credit for management credentials is available.

These educational programs are scheduled to address the unique current and upcoming issues that managers in Chicago or the surrounding suburbs may face in working with the community associations they serve. Programs are scheduled a few months in advance to allow for the newest and most relevant topics to be addressed. Be sure to check our event calendar. Continuing education credit for management credentials is available.

The first level in the career development track for community association managers, administered by the Community Association Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB). The CMCA recognizes individuals who have demonstrated the fundamental knowledge required to manage community associations. The CMCA exam is also recognized by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) as fulfilling the pre-license examination requirement when applying for a Community Association Manager License.

The second level in the career development track for community association managers. The AMS designation demonstrates a higher level of commitment to your career and the community association industry. An AMS designation is recommended for managers who want to enhance their career opportunities by increasing their knowledge and expertise.

The pinnacle of community association management. The PCAM designation is the highest professional recognition available nationwide to managers who specialize in community association management. Earn your PCAM and join the elite—the select—the best. Recommended for experienced managers who want to demonstrate advanced skills and knowledge and who wish to be recognized as one of the best and most experienced managers in the nation.

This specialist designation is designed to allow PCAM designees to specialize within their profession. CAI acknowledges the unique aspects of being a large-scale community manager and is providing an opportunity for recognition and continuing education in order for you to expand your career opportunities.

The AAMC accreditation demonstrates a company’s commitment to providing the unique and diverse services community associations need. An Accredited Association Management Company ensures that its staff has the skills, experience, and integrity to help communities succeed. Its managers have advanced training and demonstrated commitment to the industry—just the type of professionals that community association boards seek to hire!

Each of CAI Illinois’ 1500+ members receive a print copy of our annually-produced Membership Directory. This directory includes a listing of member community associations and contact information for community association managers & business partner service providers.

Business Partner and Management Company members are also included in our highly-trafficked online Service Directory.

CAI Illinois offers several advertising opportunities for your firm to reach 1500+ CAI-Illinois members who represent the interests of over 100,000 homeowners. Printed ads are available in the printed Membership Directory and the quarterly Common Interest Magazine. Digital ads are available on the CAI Illinois Website and Common Interest Podcast.

Sponsorship is a chance to get your company name and services in front of the decision-makers for community associations.

As you know, the more that people see your company name and logo, the more they will be likely to remember it. As a sponsor for a CAI Illinois event, you will be seen as a supporter of CAI and someone who cares about the community association industry.

CAI Business Partners are indispensable to the community associations they support with their guidance, products, and services. CAI education helps these businesses and professionals differentiate themselves in the competitive marketplace.

Business Partner Essentials is an online course designed to help CAI-member product and service providers better understand CAI, community associations, and the industry at large. Individuals who pass the course and maintain CAI membership earn the CAI Educated Business Partner distinction, gaining special recognition among thousands of companies and professionals who support common-interest communities—accountants, attorneys, bankers, insurance professionals, landscapers, painters, reserve specialists, software providers, and many others.

Establish yourself and your company as an industry leader by sharing your knowledge and expertise as a CAI author or speaker. CAI Illinois frequently needs: expert panelists and presenters for educational programs, instructors for specialized topics, guests to share industry-related stories on the Common Interest Podcast, and authors for articles published in the Common Interest Magazine and CAI Illinois Blog.