Take It To The Board with Donna DiMaggio Berger

Send us Fan Mail Join us this week as host Donna DiMaggio Berger sits down for a fascinating conversation with Marvin Nodiff , a retired community association attorney and prolific fiction writer. Together, they dive into the world of Marvin's eight novels based on the trials and tribulations of a dynamic young St. Louis community association attorney named Joshua Fyler and the cast of condom...

Send us Fan Mail What would you do if you found yourself in the eye of a devastating hurricane? This week, our guest and Becker Shareholder, Joseph E. Adams , sits down with Donna DiMaggio Berger and relives this very question when he rode out Hurricane Ian in his home on Fort Myers Beach. In this gripping episode, Joe shares his harrowing experience and provides valuable insights into preparing f...

Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode, Donna DiMaggio Berger sits down with Vice Mayor Ray Martin of Lauderhill to discuss why it is important to keep most regulation at the local level – particularly in large, diverse states –rather than using a “one size fits all” solution at the state level. They dive deep into what is driving the trend towards states adopting the preemption doctrine to place imp...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, Becker Shareholder Jay Roberts , who represents community associations and developers with respect to all aspects of creating and operating planned community developments throughout Northwest Florida, sits down with Donna DiMaggio Berger to discuss two thought-provoking questions:  Should commonly accepted rules regarding signs, flags, and holiday decorati...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Take It To The Board is proud to release its 50th episode! This podcast was started with the goal of giving its listeners a glimpse into the inner workings of a community association including the good, the bad, and the ugly. Now, it is only fitting to give a glimpse of its host, Donna DiMaggio Berger , who is joined by her husband, Michael Berger , a fellow University...

Send us Fan Mail Professor Harold "Hal" R. Wanless , Chair of the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Miami and Dr. Esber Andiroglu , Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering with a secondary appointment at the School of Architecture at the University of Miami, sit down with host Donna DiMaggio Berger to d...

Send us Fan Mail More and more condominiums and HOAs are converting tennis and shuffleboard courts into pickleball courts but is everyone happy about the “pickleball mania” that has seized the nation? Join us this week as host, Donna DiMaggio Berger sits down with guest, CA Messana , a member of Team Phantom, a family run, small business dedicated to creating premium pickleball paddles and product...

Send us Fan Mail Donna DiMaggio Berger sits down with Chief Commercial Officer, Dave Davis , and Key Accounts Licensing Manager, Scott Templeton of Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC) to discuss the proper licensing needed when playing or streaming copyrighted work in community association common areas. That’s right - if you have music in your elevator or your building is hosting a movie n...

Send us Fan Mail Donna DiMaggio Berger sits down with guests Chris Tonn , CEO and Founder of Pelican Drones and Co-Founder of Rocket Drones and attorney Neil Johnston of Hand Arendall Harrison Sale LLC, drone expert and leader of its Real Estate, Land Use and Timber Practice Group. Over the last few weeks many of us have been looking up at the sky more often with Jupiter & Venus shining bright...

Send us Fan Mail Donna DiMaggio Berger sits down with guest, Jules Trump , a South-African born businessman and one-third of The Trump Group. His wife of 50 years, Stephanie, and his younger brother and business partner, Eddie, comprise the other two-thirds of the team. Also known as “the Other Trumps,” they have amassed a truly impressive empire consisting of luxury real estate developments and h...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Becker Shareholder Kathleen "Katie" Berkey, AICP , sits down with Donna DiMaggio Berger and explains how she helps clients deal with all sorts of issues related to their property. As Mark Twain once said, “Buy land, they're not making it anymore,” and truer words have never been spoken. Land remains invaluable and there is often a developer looking to bui...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Donna DiMaggio Berger sits down with Sarah Emmons , the Florida Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), to discuss recent incidents of hate symbols being placed inside community associations, how antisemitism takes root and what can be done to combat it. Specifically, Sarah and Donna discuss the 2022 Weston Hill’s hate crime that took place inside the ups...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Becker Shareholder Mark D. Friedman , who provides legal counsel  to condominium, homeowner and cooperative associations, sits down with Donna DiMaggio Berger to discuss “Housing for Older Persons” communities including their legal requirements for establishment and whether these communities have the same appeal today as they did in the past. Conversation highlights inc...

Send us Fan Mail Marcie Gershoni , President at Community Cable Consultants, is an experienced Cable professional having worked as an account executive for Comcast and then in the Cable Consulting field.  Marcie has been involved with the telecommunications industry from both sides of the aisle as the provider and the consumer. She also has two decades of experience with the construction industry...

Send us Fan Mail Today’s guest is unlike any other. A teacher , public speaker , and author, Shelly Tygielski , is a self - care activist and community organizer helping leaders to do the “inner work” of radical self-care to create mindful communities. After spending nearly 20 years in Corporate America, working for and leading Fortune 1000 organizations, including one of the largest community ass...

Send us Fan Mail C ondo and HOA battles make the news fairly frequently and when they do, volunteer board members, managers and residents need a crash course on how to interact with the media on a moment's notice. Laura Guitar , President of marketing communications firm, Reputation & Risk Advisors, a division of RBB Communications, joins host Donna DiMaggio Berger to discuss the ways her...

Send us Fan Mail Tim Marshall , a Florida Registered Professional Engineer, Florida Building Inspector, and a Special Inspector, sits down with host Donna DiMaggio Berger and discusses just how busy his days have become since the passage of SB 4D, the new safety law in Florida requiring thousands of older coastal buildings to undertake milestone inspections within the next two (2) years. Founded i...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know that shared ownership communities are prime targets for con artists and fraudsters? And that even the best association employee can be tempted to join those ranks?  Former Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Reiter   tells host Donna DiMaggio Berger that the best way to “keep honest employees honest” and to protect an association’s financial resources is to put systems in...

Send us Fan Mail If you’re in the elevator business, the effortless and constant up and down momentum means business is good. But for community association boards and residents, elevator safety, maintenance, and even innovation can truly test one’s sanity.  Host Donna DiMaggio Berger challenges featured guest Todd Schwartz   (Founder, Connections Elevator) to clarify the inner workings and ultimat...

Send us Fan Mail When there’s a dispute that can’t be resolved amicably, lawsuits are not the only option. Mediation and arbitration are often used to save both sides considerable amounts of time and money. In this episode of Take It to the Board, host Donna DiMaggio Berger speaks with former Judge Jeffrey Streitfeld, who has worked on legal disputes from nearly all sides. Jeff is currently certif...

Send us Fan Mail Are Robert’s Rules of Order the best way to keep board and membership meetings on track? What are the other uses for this book, which was first published in February of 1876? In this episode of the Take It to the Board podcast, host Donna DiMaggio Berger speaks with Jim Slaughter , one of the premier experts on parliamentary procedure. Jim is a Certified Teacher of Parliamentary P...

Send us Fan Mail In this second of our two-part episode, host Donna DiMaggio Berger and Marty Kiar , Broward County’s Property Appraiser, continue their conversation about how properties in the county are appraised, how those appraisals can change over time and why Marty’s Office is a helpful resource that all of Broward’s two million residents should know about. Marty is a lifelong Broward reside...

Send us Fan Mail With Trim Notices having just gone out to Broward County property owners, our conversation with Marty Kiar , Broward County’s Property Appraiser, is especially timely. Marty’s Office serves Broward’s two million residents. He is a lifelong resident himself, as well as an attorney, and has an extensive career in local politics. Marty has served on the Airport Advisory Board and the...

Send us Fan Mail Could volunteer board members do their jobs more effectively and less stressfully with the solid communication skills a professional coach can impart? In this episode of Take It to the Board, host Donna DiMaggio Berger speaks with Carmelo Millimaci , Professional Certified Coach. He is a member of the International Coaching Federation and a Senior Coach of Ackert Inc., a leader in...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Take It to the Board, host Donna DiMaggio Berger speaks with State Representative Dan Daley, the Florida House or Representatives member for the district which includes portions of Coral Springs, Sunrise, Plantation, and Tamarac. He is the Democratic ranking member of the Redistricting Subcommittee, and he also serves on the Commerce Committee; the Environment,...