When homeowners think about their HOA, they often think about the visible parts of community management: landscaping, maintenance projects, board meetings, and community communications.

What they do not always see is the work happening behind the scenes to make those things possible.

Community Association Managers (CAMs) help guide boards through decisions, coordinate vendors, navigate difficult situations, interpret governing documents, and keep countless moving pieces heading in the same direction. No two days are exactly alike, which is one of the things that makes the profession both challenging and rewarding.

For this edition of Real Results, we sat down with Vincent Costa, CMCA, AMS, to talk about his journey into community association management, what he has learned through earning professional designations, and what boards and homeowners might be surprised to learn about the work happening behind the scenes every day.

Meet Vincent

Vincent Costa joined All-In-One Community Management in January 2021 and earned both his Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) and Association Management Specialist (AMS) designations in 2024. Since then, he has continued building his expertise while helping communities navigate everything from day-to-day operations to unexpected challenges.

Before entering the community association industry, Vincent built his management experience in other customer-focused fields. He held a sales management position in the mobility industry, where he managed a store and team that consistently surpassed district, state, and national goals. He also served as a general manager for a third-wave coffee shop in Atlanta.

While he enjoyed leadership roles in those industries, he often found himself limited in his ability to fully resolve customer concerns because many issues required involvement from other departments. Community association management offered something different.

As a CAM, Vincent quickly discovered that he could work directly with boards, homeowners, vendors, and industry professionals to help solve problems firsthand. That opportunity to guide issues from start to finish, while providing exceptional service and building meaningful relationships along the way, is what drew him to the profession and continues to motivate him today.

The Interview

What a CAM Actually Does

What does a typical day look like for you?

Every day differs greatly. Some days I may be communicating with vendors and getting work orders taken care of, whereas some days I may need to go on site to an association to resolve an issue or meet with vendors and Board members. Though sometimes having to pivot on the fly is difficult, it is also what makes being a CAM exciting.

What is something homeowners don't realize happens behind the scenes in their association?

Every little detail that keeps an association running and community standards maintained has someone from the management company working alongside the board to make sure the association remains a great place to live.

One area that often surprises homeowners is the amount of work that goes into association finances. There are times when homeowners may question the accuracy of monthly financial reports or form opinions about the association based on a single report. Behind the scenes, we are reviewing every bill that gets paid, monitoring budget line items, and helping boards make informed decisions about current and future spending. We are constantly balancing the need to maintain community standards today while also protecting the association's long-term financial health and planning for future projects.

Supporting Boards Every Day

What are some of the most important ways a CAM supports a board?

One of the most important ways a CAM supports a board is by educating board members on industry standards and helping them make decisions that protect the association legally.

A recent example involved an association trying to determine who should be allowed to use the pool when lifeguards were not actively on duty. We were able to discuss not only industry norms, but also considerations related to the Fair Housing Act and how neighboring associations handled similar situations. It was not necessarily an easy or popular decision for the board, but by understanding both the legal and industry perspectives, they were able to move forward confidently knowing they had considered all the relevant factors.

What's one misconception people often have about CAMs?

One misconception is that CAMs do not have a strong understanding of an association's governing documents.

In reality, governing documents are something we work with constantly. CAMs spend time studying association documents to improve processes and understand the similarities and differences between communities. At the same time, we reference the governing documents of specific associations throughout our day-to-day work. That ongoing exposure allows us to speak accurately and confidently about the provisions that guide decision-making and operations within each community.

Solving Problems in Real Time

What has been one of the most challenging situations you've worked through as a CAM?

Recently, navigating a vendor's termination of an association during the service contract. We were forced to find a quality vendor on a short notice. I was able to find the association a vendor who has been providing even better service than what they were receiving quickly due to the relationships I have with other people who work in the industry.

What Makes It All Worth It

What is your favorite part of the job?

The relationships I have built with our team and with the vendors who service our many associations.

Those relationships are valuable because I know that when challenges arise, I have people around me who are willing to help me work through them. Sometimes that support comes from teammates who step in to assist with communication or help keep things moving when priorities shift quickly. Other times, it comes from vendors who are willing to prioritize a project or help solve a difficult problem because of the trust we've built over time. I've even had situations where a vendor was hesitant to take on a community because of prior challenges, but agreed to do so because of our relationship. It's incredibly rewarding to know I have such a strong network of people supporting both me and the communities I manage.

Growing Through Education

What did you learn through the CMCA & AMS certification process that has helped you become a better manager?

Getting my CMCA and AMS certifications helped me better understand all the inner workings of the industry and gave me expert-level knowledge even in areas I do not work in every single day.

One example is accounting. Through the certification process, I gained a much stronger understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of different accounting structures and reporting methods. That has helped me educate boards and homeowners on why certain accounting practices are used and how they support the long-term financial health of an association. It allows me to speak confidently about topics that may fall outside of my day-to-day responsibilities and provide more well-rounded guidance to the communities I serve.

Why is continuing education important for CAMs and the associations they serve?

Things are constantly changing in our industry, and continuing education helps CAMs stay current with legal developments, operational best practices, and emerging challenges.

The most recent example is SB 406 and the significant changes it brings to community associations throughout Georgia. Legislation like that can dramatically change how associations operate, often with little warning. Education helps ensure we are prepared for those changes so we can guide our boards through them confidently.

I believe that as a company we do this better than so many others. We actively work to improve the way we support associations because of them. Whether that means adjusting internal processes, updating systems, or finding better ways to communicate with boards and homeowners, we are always looking for ways to turn industry changes into opportunities to serve our clients better.

Why Credentials Matter

Professional designations like the CMCA and AMS help managers build expertise across multiple areas of community management, including:

  • Financial management
  • Governing documents
  • Community operations
  • Board governance
  • Vendor management
  • Legal and regulatory considerations

For boards, that means having access to a professional who understands not just today's challenges, but also the broader context surrounding them.

Closing Thoughts

When you read through Vincent's answers, some common themes appear again and again: learning, relationships, and service.

Whether he is continuing his education, helping a board navigate a decision, solving an unexpected vendor challenge, or building partnerships across the industry, his focus remains the same: helping communities succeed.

That is what Real Results is all about. The real people behind the work. The real expertise developed through experience and education. And the real relationships that help communities thrive every day.