Take It To The Board with Donna DiMaggio Berger

Send us Fan Mail The recent flooding in South Florida makes today's episode of Take It To The Board particularly timely.  Anya Freeman, the visionary founder of Kind Designs, sits down with host Donna DiMaggio Berger to explain her groundbreaking approach to protecting our coastal properties and shorelines. Anya explains how her 3D-printed Living Seawalls mimic natural marine habitats like ma...

Send us Fan Mail Host Donna DiMaggio Berger takes listeners behind the curtain of Florida's legislative process with lobbyist Travis Moore of Moore Relations, Inc. to uncover what lobbyists do, how they do it, and why community association leaders and residents need to know about this process. Together, they discuss the often misunderstood role of lobbying in shaping laws that impact communit...

Send us Fan Mail Does your association have committees? Do you find them to be a helpful addition to association operations or a harmful "shadow board" with the potential to create liability for the association, its directors, and members? Host Donna DiMaggio Berger sits down with Ken Direktor , Chair of Becker’s Community Association practice, to peel back the curtain on the inner worki...

Send us Fan Mail When it comes to community associations, joining forces under a voluntary "umbrella organization" often proves more beneficial than going it alone. Members reap the rewards of shared knowledge, vendor connections, advocacy, and educational resources. In this week's episode of Take It To The Board, host Donna DiMaggio Berger sits down with Ernesto Cuesta, President o...

Send us Fan Mail Food does more than just tantalize your taste buds—it can also weave communities together and ignite change. In this episode, host Donna DiMaggio Berger is joined by Tim and Lara Boyd from Mustard Seed Bistro in Plantation to explore how simple community cookouts can spark vital conversations and foster collaboration. They discuss how providing refreshments at gatherings like boar...

Send us Fan Mail Has your association ever faced the challenge of a shadow website or social media page imitating your own? Have you discovered your community's name being used by a business entity without permission? Host Donna DiMaggio Berger , along with guest Valeria Angelucci from Becker’s Corporate Practice, shed light on these common issues. Despite their prevalence, the solution for b...

Send us Fan Mail At some point, every building will require concrete repairs and restoration. If you've ever undertaken a concrete restoration project, you're aware of the many challenges they entail:  substantial costs, lengthy time delays, irritation over hurricane shutters, windows and doors, uncooperative owners and the potential for incidental damage. Host Donna DiMaggio Berger shed...

Send us Fan Mail Various types of casualty events, including fires, floods, explosions, windstorms, and even the unavoidable burst water pipe, will likely occur at some point in your community's lifespan which means your board will have to submit an insurance claim. That process can make your association feel as if you're going through a second disaster while you're trying to recove...

Send us Fan Mail It’s a complex issue that is reshaping neighborhoods and communities across the country. We are talking about Airbnb, a homestay rental experience that has quickly become a major disruptor in the global hospitality industry. It’s also become a major security concern in many private residential communities, with reports of “party houses” and even crime. Host Donna DiMaggio Berger l...

Send us Fan Mail The topic of defamation has become more prevalent as civil discourse has eroded. Unfortunately, sometimes it is the rare board member and/or manager who has not been subject to some form of potential slander or libel throughout their course of community association service. Host Donna DiMaggio Berger sits down with the highly respected litigator Keith Grumer of Grumer Law, to guid...

Send us Fan Mail Does it seem like everyone around you is coughing, sniffling, or under the weather? It’s no coincidence—we’re currently in the middle of cold and flu season. Join Donna DiMaggio Berger and guest Dr. Jason Mansour , Chair of Emergency Medicine at Broward Health, to learn the best ways to stay healthy even in shared spaces. Is loss of smell exclusive to COVID or indicative of other...

Send us Fan Mail What’s the secret to a highly functioning community association? Host Donna DiMaggio Berger and Take It To the Board's producer, Claude Jennings Jr. look back on Take It To The Board’s 2023 season and revisit some of the most important conversations about community association living while answering listener questions.  Most new communities are devoid of all but the most basi...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered how a camera can pick out a face in the crowd or if that gym security camera is a watchful guardian or an intrusive eye? Discover the intricate dance between security and privacy in our neighborhoods, as host, Donna DiMaggio Berger , sits down with guest Louis DiGioia from IC Real Time. They shed light on the advanced technology that's safeguarding our communiti...

Send us Fan Mail Is your older, cash-strapped condominium or cooperative association contemplating a termination and/or sale to a developer? The once rare ideas of a termination and sale have now become much more common as community members struggle to maintain, repair and insure older buildings. Host Donna DiMaggio Berger and guest John Cadden , from the Condominium Advisory Group and co-founder...

Send us Fan Mail This episode of Take It To The Board sheds light on a legal process that may be needed to help both struggling associations and their individual members. In these challenging economic times, more people are asking whether filing for bankruptcy protection is the right decision for an individual or a struggling community association.  Host Donna DiMaggio Berger speaks with attorney...

Send us Fan Mail Financially strapped community associations are always looking for new revenue sources but is a sound investment strategy a possible path to avoiding large budget increases or special assessments? In this episode, host Donna DiMaggio Berger , along with investment gurus Michael Coady , Chief Strategy and Growth Officer for Slatestone Wealth, and Kenny Polcari , Chief Market Strate...

Send us Fan Mail Does your community association have an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) or a Bleeding Control Kit (BCK) on hand in the worst-case scenario and do you have trained people on hand to use these devices? Do you have a gym, pickleball/tennis courts, and other recreational amenities where a cardiac event may be more likely? Are you familiar with the responsibilities and value of...

Send us Fan Mail As developers continue to build at a brisk pace, community association residents often find themselves sharing space with all types of wildlife including the good, the bad and the dangerous! What would you do if you spotted an alligator in your community pool?  How about iguanas or possums snacking on your community garden? A bear tearing through your garbage?  This week, host Don...

Send us Fan Mail This week, our guest and Becker Shareholder, Howard Perl , sits down with host Donna DiMaggio Berger to share his experiences as both an army veteran as well as a successful PCAM before going to law school later in life. Howard recounts his unique journey from joining the army at 17, to participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom to how his military background inspired Becker's...

Send us Fan Mail Does your community perform background checks on potential purchasers and potential renters? Do your community residents expect their neighbors to be screened for safety and financial capacity purposes?  Join Donna DiMaggio Berger and guest Robert Sanchez , a seasoned professional from SARMA, as they unravel the complex world of background checks. Donna and Robert dive into the in...

Send us Fan Mail Get set for an insightful exchange as host Donna DiMaggio Berger dives into the world of effective leadership with guest, Gary C. Rosen , Managing Shareholder and the commanding force behind Becker & Poliakoff. Donna and Gary discuss what leadership truly means, and the qualities one must possess to successfully influence and inspire others to work toward a common goal or visi...

Send us Fan Mail Are you confused about whether your board can stop residents from smoking marijuana in your community even if they claim it is for medical purposes? Join Donna DiMaggio Berger and guest JoAnn Nesta Burnett , Shareholder at Becker, as they unravel the intricacies of marijuana use within community associations. Donna and JoAnn dig deep into the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban D...

Send us Fan Mail Does being an attorney make you unhappy? Could the legal profession be the root cause of your stress? Join host Donna DiMaggio Berger and guest Professor Marcia Narine Weldon for Part ll of a two-part series as they pull back the curtain on the high-pressure legal industry, exploring its impact on mental health and offering several strategies for coping. Throughout their conversat...

Send us Fan Mail Brace yourself for a deep dive into the hot issues surrounding extreme summer heat with host, Donna DiMaggio Berger , and guest Dr. Jason Mansour , Medical Director at Broward Health Medical Center's Emergency Department. Together, they discuss the physical and mental impact of extreme heat events. This isn't just another conversation about the weather - it's a crit...

Send us Fan Mail This week, in Part I of a two-part series, Donna DiMaggio Berger and guest Marcia Narine Weldon , Harvard Law School graduate and University of Miami School of Law professor, explore the intricate intersection of corporate responsibility, consumer rights, and the increasing influence of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) factors in today's dynamic business world. In...