The Texas legislature meets every two years for 140 days. The 88th Legislative Session adjourned on May 29th. Thousands of bills were introduced but less than half make it to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.

In each session, there are bills that affect property owners associations; the 88th session was relatively mild for our industry, but there are still some important things to know.

Check out the video our President, Ralph Troiano, made regarding the Legislative Session to learn about changes in the Texas Property Code and how it affects POAs here!

A Special Partnership
by Kim Moore

RiverPark on the Brazos Property Owner’s Association is a community of 1300 single-family homes in Sugar Land.  The community is unique in that it is serviced by a Levee Improvement District "LID#10". The LID is responsible for providing flood protection and stormwater management services for the community since it is situated at the bend of the Brazos River.  They are also responsible for the construction and maintenance of the levees and other flood control improvements along this portion of the river.  LID#10 was created and operates pursuant to the powers granted by the Texas Constitution and is subject to oversight by TCEQ.  They are funded by publicly sold tax-exempt municipal bonds which are then paid off through property tax assessments.  

LID#10 has utilized the park bonds they obtained to partner with the community in bringing a variety of enhancements to the common areas of the community.  The LID is only able to assist with projects that are accessible to the public and not access controlled. Over the last several years, LID funding has been used to remove and replant hundreds of freeze-damaged trees, add a boardwalk along the lake, add a zipline, installed hog fencing around the community, river erosion mitigation, expansions of several parks, lake edge improvements, yearly contribution to the grounds maintenance contract, and lake management and construction of stone walls throughout the community.  Later this year, the partnership has plans to bring an open-air pavilion and tennis/pickleball courts to the community as well.  

This year, the two partnered to bring a state-of-the-art 9-hole disc golf course to the community known as The RiverPark DGC.  The course is situated around two of the community’s beautiful lakes and was expertly designed to be fun for beginners and challenging for those with some experience in the game.  On April 30th, the community, along with LID#10, held a grand opening celebration to welcome the course to the community.  Gorilla Golf assisted in hosting a professional disc golf tournament that attracted over 100 players from as far away as Arizona.  When players were surveyed throughout the tournament, they all commented on how nice the course was and that the challenges were fun.  Gorilla Golf also had a pop-up store on site for players to purchase an array of specialty discs for their arsenal.  To mark the occasion, each player was given a special commemorative disc with the RiverPark logo on it. Tournament prizes were graciously provided by various sponsors. Later in the day, an amateur tournament was also held. Throughout the day various food trucks were on hand for everyone’s enjoyment, as our DJ, MixDoctor’s, played a variety of music.  

Thank you to LID#10 and the RiverPark Board of Directors for making your community a premier place to call home in Sugar Land.

Congrats to the Class of 2023! 

Every year, at least a few of our employees are celebrating this great milestone with their loved ones. We consider ourselves an extended family and are excited to be celebrating along with them!

We are very proud of the accomplishments of all of this year’s employee and extended family graduates and wish them all the best in fulfilling their future goals.

We look forward to seeing what the future will bring!

College Graduates

Our Accounting Team is excited to announce the Graduation of Tammy Smith.  Tammy recently walked the stage to accept her degree for a “Masters In Business Administration” from the University of Texas at San Antonio – with a 4.0 GPA!  

Tammy has also been inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.  Only the top 10% of graduate students and the top 7.5% of undergraduate students are eligible for this prestigious honor.  Other notable members are Steven Spielberg, John Grisham, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Jimmy Carter, Hillary Clinton as well as several Pulitzer prize winners. 

In addition to all of this – she will also complete her Certificate in National Security this summer.  Only one class left to go! 

Tammy is a star in school and in our office.  She’s taking a well-deserved, celebratory vacation over the summer and we are excitedly awaiting her return.  

Congratulations Tammy!  You climbed that ladder and always made it look easy!

Faith Padgett is the daughter of Sabrina Padgett, a Community Manager at the North Houston office.

Faith graduated this Spring from Trinity University of San Antonio with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Psychology. Even with the pandemic disrupting her freshman and sophomore years, Faith graduated cum laude and spent her junior and senior years on the Dean’s List.

In addition to academic accolades, Faith has conducted research with the Hertel Cognition Lab and is eagerly awaiting the publication of her first co-authored study. Faith’s time at Trinity (particularly her time in the lab) helped her recognize a serious passion for Human Factors and Cognition. She hopes to pursue a terminal degree in a related field and is actively seeking employment within the Houston area.

She is excited to take a break from the rigorous academic lifestyle but expects that she won’t be able to stay away for long!

High School Graduates

Gavan Giampietro is the son of Deirdre Giampietro, an Architectural Review Coordinator, and sister of Nuala Giampietro, Staff Assistant, both out of our North Houston Office.

Gavan graduated from Atascocita High School (Go Eagles!) in May. Gavan has been an active member of the Atascocita Marching Band all 4 years of high school.  In addition to his love for trombone playing, Gavan loves all things automotive.

Gavan will be attending Lonestar College, North Harris Campus to get his Associate of Applied Science in Automotive Technology!

Congratulations, Gavan! Your future is revving up for success!

Helen “Maggie” Miksch, is the daughter of Renea Miksch, Executive Vice President and Branch Manager of our North Houston office, and Todd Miksch, Community Manager.  Her grandparents Tony Victorino and Cynthia Wood were both founders of C.I.A. Services.  Her grandmother Charlotte Bulcken, sister Morgan Miksch and aunts Rhonda Duffield and Dawna Woods are all part of the company. You will even catch Maggie working in the office from time to time and helping out in the communities with some of their lifestyle events.

Maggie graduated from Dayton High School (Go Broncos!).  She was a setter on the varsity volleyball team for two years and played club for five years.  Hats off to her amazing coaches who not only coached her but contributed to many of the amazing qualities she has today. Maggie is a member of the Science, Technology, and Social Studies Honors Society.  She was also a member of the Peer Assistance & Leadership (PAL) program her senior year.  Her only regret is not being involved in this amazing program earlier.  She enjoyed the opportunity to work with the “littles” at the elementary school and had a wonderful mentor, Mrs. Hollaway.    

Maggie has an amazing personality and outlook on life, she loves to shop, dress to impress, take photos, travel, attend sporting events and concerts, and hang out with family and friends. She is an amazing big sister, has a heart of gold, and is a loving and caring young lady.

Maggie will be attending Lee Community College in the fall with a dream of attending the University of Houtston to earn a degree in hospitality. Her mom has always told her to “be true to yourself and follow your dreams” and sends her love to her Magoo!

Daughter of Kristen Craig, C.I.A. Services Vice President.  Rayna Craig, daughter of Kristen Craig, Vice President out of our North Houston office, graduated from Dayton High School (Go Broncos!).

Rayna has already overcome so much in life.  Compared to losing her brother during her junior year of high school; finishing school felt like such an easy task!  Rayna does not let anything stop her; she is a strong-willed, strong-minded go-getter kind of young lady; she gets those traits from both her mother and father.  After her brother passed away, she helped start a Memorial Foundation in his honor and has served on that committee since his passing. She is truly a brave soul.

Rayna is quite anxious about moving on to the next chapter of her life after high school. She plans to follow in her mother’s footsteps and start working for C.I.A. Services shortly after graduation. Her parents, siblings, friends, and family are very proud of her!

Moving to the Next Campus

Jayla Smith daughter of Brandi Brack, Vice President out of our San Antonio office, is excited to be transitioning from Hill Country Elementary to Bandera Middle School (Go Bulldogs!) for the 2023/2024 school year. 

Jayla is looking forward to joining the Drama Club and the Choir in middle school. She said she will miss her teacher Mrs. Karageorge the most. She loves Anime, the color purple, and her Winnie dogs!

Congratulations Jayla!

Marley Miksch is the daughter of Renea Miksch, Executive Vice President and Branch Manager of our Humble Office, and Todd Miksch, Community Manager.  Her grandparents Tony Victorino and Cynthia Wood were both founders of C.I.A. Services.  Her grandmother Charlotte Bulcken, sister Morgan Miksch and aunts Rhonda Duffield and Dawna Woods are all part of the company.

Marley attended Woodrow Wilson Junior High School in Dayton, Texas. As an athlete, she participated in all sports during junior high; volleyball setter and team caption, basketball guard, track and field high jump, long jump, 4x100, 4x200, and 300 hurdles, and soccer midfielder and co-captain.  Marley received the school all-around athlete of the year and outstanding soccer player of the year awards. Marley also plays club soccer as a left back for the Baytown Saints Panthers U16, which they are currently competing in the Directors Cup State Finals.  This year she also competed in the Soccer Youth Golden Cup Tournament in Naples, Florida, where she won the outstanding defensive player of the Tournament award.  She also competed in the All- American Tournament in Arizona.

When Marley is not playing or practicing sports she is studying.  She received an honors award and took all PreAP classes and is a member of the National Junior Honors Society.

Marley will be moving on to Dayton High School in the fall where she will continue to play volleyball and soccer, take all advanced placement classes, and participate in several different organizations.

Marley has a unique personality and at such a young age is very opinionated, driven, and speaks her own mind. Her big sisters and nephew are her best friends.  

Her mom sends this special message to Marley: "Don’t let others intimidate you, let them inspire you to be better!  Smile my love, Mommy loves you!"

Every month we appreciate the communities that are celebrating their anniversaries with us. Here are the clients that started with us in June.

• Copper Creek CIA – 26 years        
• Cross Creek Ranch Commercial Association – 9 years     
• Park at Hollister HOA – 6 years

Our goal has always been to create a positive, long-term relationship with all of our client communities. We are very proud to be managing all of these communities.

We are proud of every one of our communities, so it is always hard to find just one to highlight. However, our managers are always eager to share the great things they see their communities doing!   

Here are the most recent selections:

• June Sonoma Ranch Homeowners Association Houston
• May Westover Forest Homeowners Association San Antonio
• April Sunrise Pines Homeowners Association Houston
• February Hidden Springs Homeowners Association San Antonio 
• December - Clear Lake City Boulevard Houston

To see the full story on these communities and to see all of the past winners, visit the Community Spotlight page on our site.

Valerie Flinn, Mother to Marshall Tucker

To the woman who was a trendsetter before she even realized it. To the woman who, in the early eighties, worked two jobs to ensure her son had all he wanted and needed to get by in this life, to the woman who wore many hats so that her son would grow to be a well-rounded man.

This woman was most importantly a mother, she played the part of a father, an educator, my friend, and a confidant. She was compassionate when the world was tough and hardened when the young man would not step in line. She would give the young man just enough rope to hang himself with, she would let the life lesson sink in, and then walk through what was learned. She taught him how to navigate the ways of the world with love and compassion. By today’s standards, a woman of this caliber would be praised as a fierce, strong, and independent woman.

Back then times were different, she was a hard-working woman wearing a shoulder-padded sports jacket in a man’s world making her mark. Back then through all her struggles and successes she had no idea, she was laying the framework for single moms everywhere, for those ahead of her facing the same things she did 44 years ago as a single parent. She was a trendsetter;  that trendsetter is my mother: Valerie Flynn.

Happy Mother’s Day to the strongest woman I know.  Love you Ma! 

10+ Year Anniversaries

Congratulations to Patrick Sheffield for his 15th anniversary at C.I.A. Services! Patrick is the Maintenance Coordinator at our South Houston office. He does a great job assisting several communities by overseeing maintenance projects and contracts. He is an early bird and is always the first one to arrive at the office. In his spare time, Patrick enjoys woodwork.

Annette McConnell is celebrating her 15-year anniversary this month! Annette has worked for us as the Office Manager of the Bandera Accounting branch since it opened and has been integral in shaping that office. The office efficiently processes incoming payments, outgoing checks, and financial management under the watchful eye of the Office Manager. When not at work, Annette enjoys playing card games, and trivia, and spending time with family and friends.

Valerie Lehr will be celebrating her 11th year at C.I.A. Services! Valerie is a Community Manager and the Office Manager of the North Houston office. She manages several communities while making sure our office runs smoothly every day.  Valerie loves the beach and will get away as often as she can on a cruise to just about anywhere.

More Stockholder Anniversaries

Please join us in celebrating Jeff Northington’s 6th anniversary! Jeff is the Maintenance Coordinator for several communities out of our North Houston office. He’s always ready to have a friendly conversation and to help out however he can. In his free time, Jeff loves traveling, diving, and photography. Jeff and his wife have enjoyed a lot of quiet time as "empty-nesters" since both of their kids are currently attending college outside of the home.

Congrats to Anderson Campbell for his 6-year anniversary this month! Anderson has been the Maintenance Coordinator for master-planned communities since he began 6 years ago and always does a fabulous job! He is always willing to lend a helping hand. Anderson loves listening to old-school music and can usually name every song on the radio.  He also enjoys weekend projects around the house and spending time with his family. 

Congratulations to Norris Daniels, Maintenance Coordinator out of the North Houston office, who is celebrating his 5-year anniversary and is our newest stockholder! Norris works with a large master-planned community and has proven to be a huge asset to the company.   He has a great personality and is a joy to work with.  Norris is also a talented artist and has been known to doodle a few funny drawings.  

Associations in Practice

Our Associations in Practice Series is an offering of short videos with very specific topics.  

The 2023 session of the Texas legislature had some impact on property owners’ associations.  The short 17-minute video, Texas 88th Legislative Session, provides a concise review of what passed and what didn’t, and what’s next for POAs based on the Session.

Also available is Texas 87th Legislative Session.  The 2021 session of the Texas legislature produced significant changes to the Texas Property Code affecting property owners’ associations. This video explores those changes and provides specific follow-up recommendations. 

Super-Budget Concepts is a great introduction (or refresher) to our Super-budget and a nice refresher or opening to the full webinar offered in our Seminar Series. 

Stay Plugged in With Webcasts

We offer each of our seminars in the form of a recorded webcast on demand for you to watch at any time! If you are interested in one of our seminars, they are available on our YouTube channel. The following seminars are now available:

• Board Member Orientation
• Practical Deed Restriction Management
• Understanding Collections and Financial Reports
• Meetings and Records - The Legal Requirements
• The Essentials of Architectural Control
• The Super-Budgeting Process
• Advanced Topics for Board Members

To watch any of the webcasts, simply click on the links above.

C.I.A. Services, Inc. has a long and proud history of providing up-to-date news on our company happenings, industry news, and association governance.  Each month, we are pleased to share with you our eNews Monthly.  Each issue is loaded with great information! 

We have broadened our social media presence to include LinkedIn and Facebook. With these additional layers of communication, you can always find the latest information about our company, employees, association management, and other related news.  

If you are not already following us, please ”Like” us on Facebook and “Follow” us on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on all things C.I.A. Services and beyond

Every month, we issue an electronic newsletter, eNews Monthly, to keep clients informed about Association items, spotlight clients, answer frequently asked questions, and let you know what is happening with the company. Old issues of eNews Monthly are available on our Library page.