CCMC Community Manager Larry Sheeler and CCMC Assistant Community Manager Andrea Login

Congratulations to Victoria Park, FL for taking home the 2012 Florida Communities of Excellence Award for Family Friendly Programs & Initiatives! Designed to recognize communities that encourage family participation and well-being, this award was presented last Friday in Hollywood, Florida.

Victoria Park was chosen for this honor because of its established lifestyle program, enduring community traditions and classic signature events; organized by CCMC lifestyle directors Heather Baker and Pat McAlister. These include an annual 5K race, Hunt for the Golden Egg, Red, White & Blue event on July 4, Community Yard Sale, Music by the Pool, Sundae Sunday, Splash Bash, Fall Fest, Martinis and Mistletoe, Breakfast with Santa, Light up Victoria, Annual Kentucky Derby Party, and New Years Eve Bash. The entire lifestyle program is fueled by community partners and resident volunteers.

At Victoria Park, the young and “young at heart” often join forces to celebrate special holidays. Like when the neighborhood Girl Scouts escorts veterans to the stage to share their personal stories on Veteran’s Day. Sweet and meaningful. Bridging the gap between generations.

Hats off to the entire CCMC team at Victoria Park for making their community so EXCELLENT!

Morrison Ranch has been managed by CCMC since inception. Like the Morrison family, we understand the value of character. It is the driving force behind everything we choose to do – or not do. It is the reason communities of character – like Morrison Ranch – choose CCMC.

“Our inspiration comes from our forefathers and the character of Gilbert as we knew it growing up,” explains Howard Morrison, developer and co-owner of the family business Morrison Ranch, Inc. “We like to think that the new residents of Gilbert like buying into a place that has roots, has a sense of family, has a unique identity and has been developed with a sense of character in mind.” So congratulations to Morrison Ranch and the entire Morrison family. Staying true to your roots never looked so good!   

CCMC’s long history of “doing the right thing” is a source of great pride for me. It is the litmus test by which we measure our strategic choices and our daily actions. Every CCMC team member is held personally responsible for keeping this component of our company’s character alive.

Yesterday, while flying Southwest Airlines, I read an article on sportsmanship (integrity) that really resonated with me. To read the entire article, CLICK HERE. It asked whether sportsmanship has become the exception, rather than the rule. And, “When did cheaters become clever practitioners of their art?”

Then, the beautiful stories of character – of people doing the right thing, at unexpected times – began to flow. I hope that when you think of CCMC, stories like these will come to mind.

Nine years ago, our industry began to feel the tide of legislation shifting in Arizona. Guidelines were quickly becoming mandates, as the wave of new laws regarding community associations moved east from California. So, I sat down with 6 of my peers for a little powwow. How could we ride this wave to raise the level of professionalism and accountability for community managers – and still act as the voice of reason for the future? Our answer? Arizona Association of Community Managers (AACM): an organization where competitors come together to promote a positive understanding of our trade, by providing professional education and impacting public policy. Since inception, AACM has awarded 618 Certified Arizona Association Manager (CAAM^®) certifications (I actually hold the very first). What started out as 7 founding members has now grown to an influential organization of more than 55 community management companies and 200 affiliate partners, representing more than one million Arizona households.

So what does all this have to do with Sandra Day O’Connor? Well, AACM brought us together. That’s right, O’Connor was recently the keynote speaker at an AACM luncheon. She was there to emphasize the importance of voting and how individual involvement can make a big impact. Later, she would administer the oath to our new CAAM^® graduates, including two from CCMC. Never did I imagine that our little organization would someday warrant a guest like O’Connor. I guess it’s just one more example of how individual involvement can, eventually, become a very big force.

This year, The Tally Awards partnered with Capital City Youth Services (CCYS) , a local nonprofit agency serving young people, ages 10-17. Proceeds from this year’s awards gala will help build a new facility for older youth who are transitioning to adulthood. The facility will be the foundation of a program designed to help teach the life skills needed to build a successful future.

Morrison Ranch

At CCMC, the hits just keep on coming! That’s because we manage many of America’s most outstanding master planned communities — including eight of the top-sellers for 2011! Congratulations to Alamo Ranch (San Antonio, TX), Mountain’s Edge (Las Vegas, Nevada), Providence (Las Vegas, Nevada), Morrison Ranch (Gilbert, AZ), Daybreak (South Jordan, UT), Frisco Lakes (Frisco, TX), Vistancia (Peoria, AZ) and Estrella (Goodyear, AZ) for making the 50 Top-Selling U.S. Master Planned Communities for 2011 list from Irvine, CA-based John Burns Real Estate Consulting.

According to Howard Morrison of Morrison Ranch LLC, “We were surprised to learn of this accomplishment for Morrison Ranch. We continue to work hard to make this a community of true character – not just high volume sales. We are pleased to see that our commitment has been rewarded.” Morrison Ranch was the highest ranking Arizona community on the list, number 23 nationwide.

This is the second year for John Burns’ ranking, which includes sales data from 136 master planned communities throughout the country. This represents nearly 24,000 new homes.