Association Information for Heather Lakes
Note: This information provided is general information as it pertains to any given community association. Some of the
criteria listed is not relevant to Heather Lakes (i.e. We do not maintain a pool as there is currently no community
center)
1. What is a Community Association?
2. What is the purpose of a Community Association?
3. What are the roles and responsibilities of a Community Association?
4. How does the Community Association gets its power and responsibilities?
5. Who is on the Heather Lakes board of directors?
6. What are the roles and responsibilities of the board of directors?
7. Who is the property management company?
8. What are the roles and responsibilities of the property management company?
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What is a Community Association?
A Community Association is an automatic membership association created to manage an oversee jointly-owned or
shared property and interests of owners within the community. All community associations have three essential
characteristics:
1. Created as ad administrative organization to maintain and preserve common property, to enforce rules for mutual
benefit and to provide other common services to the home owners in the community.
2. All owners, by virtue of he purchase of ownership interest in the community are required to be members in the
association.
3. All owners are required to share equitably in the expenses of carrying out the associations functions.
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What is the purpose of a Community Association?
The primary purpose and responsibility of a community association is to protect, preserve, and enhance the value of
the property owned, individually and collectively, by its members, operating in accordance with their governing
documents.
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What are the roles and responsibilities of a Community Association?
To achieve this purpose, the association takes on a business role and a government role.
1. Business Role - Asset Management
º Provides for physical maintenance and operation of he shared property (common elements such as pools,
driveways, parking areas, etc.) Note that Heather Lakes HOA road ways are county owned and maintained.
º Provides delivery of common services (trash removal, security, etc.)
º Provides review and enforcement of rules/standards of appearance and maintenance.
2. Government Role - People Management
º Provides a democratic mechanism for self governance with elections, annual meetings, voting's, etc.
º Administers a program of rule-making and rule enforcement to facilitate people living together in shared situations.
º Maintains a program of communication and participation of owners through committees, volunteers, newsletters, etc.
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How does the Community Association gets its power and responsibility?
The foundation and premise of all association operations, functions, powers and responsibilities are its legal
documents -- The Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions, the Articles of Incorporation and the By-laws
with the parameters prescribed by federal, state and local laws. The purpose of the legal documents is to:
º define the common property
º bind each owner to all the owners through the association
º establish standards, restrictions and rules to protect minimum levels of appearance and behavior
º create the association to manage and maintain the property, provide services and to enforce standards
º provide for the financing of association operations with an equitable funding scheme applied to all owners
º provide a process for transition of control of the association from the developer to the unit owners
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Who is on the Heather Lakes board of directors?
Board of Directors
Heather Costa, President
Heather Costa was born and spent her early years in the suburbs of Pennsylvania. At the age of 10, her family moved
to the Orlando area. After graduation from high school, Heather decided to attend the University of Florida. She
graduated with a bachelor's degree in microbiology and a minor in chemistry and anthropology. Eight and a half years
ago, she and her husband David, the former Treasurer of the Heather Lakes Board of Directors, made the move from
Orlando to Brandon. Heather took a job teaching Chemistry at Jefferson High School in Tampa. Both she and her
husband have been active in the neighborhood’s board and community events for the past five years. Heather has
helped organize such events as the spring picnic and the fall fun fest for kids. After her husband’s tenure on the board
ended, Heather volunteered to take on the role as director.
Elected: January 10, 2005
Term: 3 years
E-Mail : Heather@HeatherLakes.org
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Dwayne Denny, Vice President
Dwayne Denny was born in Greensboro N.C. and raised in Queens NY. He joined the Army at the age of sixteen and
served his country for four years as a Medical Specialist. Having obtaining a degree in Advance Electronic
Technology, he was recruited by the New York Stock Exchange where he began his career in information technology
specializing in security, surveillance, and disaster recovery. In addition to his technical career Dwayne has been
designing and building advanced covert surveillance systems for law enforcement and industry since 1990. His spy
equipment was used in the movies "The Juror" with Demi Moore and "Ransom" with Mel Gibson. In 2004 he relocated
to Florida with his wife and children, where he runs an I.T. Consulting Company and assists his wife with her Private
Investigations Agency. In his spare times he consults in credit repair and property investing. He is the newest member
of the board and hopes to increase property values by bringing the community closer together."
Elected: November 10, 2006
Term: 3 years
E-Mail : d.denny@HeatherLakes.org
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Kevin Anderson, Treasurer
Kevin Anderson was born and lived most of his life in Minneapolis, MN. His employer, Mosaic, relocated his family and
they chose Heather Lakes as their new home in 2004. This is Kevin’s second time in Tampa, the first being 1995-
1997. He has a BA from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN with a major in Organizational Behavior. Kevin
has worked for Mosaic and its parent company Cargill, Inc since 1982 holding positions in customer service, logistics,
and transportation. Currently he is a business analyst in the I/T department. Kevin’s family is the most important
thing in his life. This includes his best friend and wife Jocelyn, their four wonderful children, and the newest additions
their two grandsons. Kevin joined the Heather Lakes Board of Directors to make our neighborhood safer, friendlier,
more attractive to families, and a great place to live.
Elected: November 8, 2007
Term: 3 years
E-Mail : k.anderson@HeatherLakes.org
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Kim Edwards, Secretary
Kim has lived in the Heather Lakes community with her family since 2003. She has been visiting the Brandon area for
years to visit family and is glad to make Heather Lakes her home. She looks forward to serving on the board and
working with community members to continue to make Heather Lakes a great place to live and raise a family.
Elected: 2008
Term: 3 years
E-Mail : k.edwards@HeatherLakes.org
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Gail Callinan, Director
Gail Callinan grew up in Hollywood, FL and moved to Tampa in 2000 to attend the University of South Florida. She
played softball at USF for 3 years and obtained a Bachelor's degree in Accounting. After graduation, she began
working as a staff accountant at Aidman, Piser & Company, PA, a local accounting firm in downtown Tampa. She is
currently a licensed CPA in the state of Florida and senior accountant at Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, who merged with
Aidman Piser. She bought her first house in Heather Lakes in 2007. She has joined the Board to help make a
difference in the community and get neighbors to take a higher interest in Heather Lakes.
Elected: November 13th , 2008
Term: TBD
E-Mail : g.callinan@heatherlakes.org
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What are the roles and responsibilities for the board of directors?
º The Board manages the community by setting the policies, standards, procedures, programs and budget. The
authority to act on behalf of the association is given to the board of directors by the governing documents and laws.
º The board has a fiduciary duty to the association. This requires that directors act for the benefit of the community as
a whole and perform duties in good faith and in the best interest of the association.
º The board's responsibilities include:
- Care, maintenance and enhancement of the physical property, common areas and facilities.
- Management of the community finances.
- Risk management, including obtaining insurance and developing reserve funds
- Establishment, enforcement and interpretation of rules and regulations as they relate to the community
- Human resources management of employees and volunteers
- Preservation and promotion of community harmony.
º A board of directors may implement its own decisions and delegate implementation to a manger, committee or an
independent contractor. However, the board of directors is always responsible for the end result of these appointed
delegates.
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Who is the property management company?
Property Management Heather Lakes Community Association, Inc.
c/o Rick Pitrowski
Communities of America, Inc.
P.O. Box 2608
Valrico, FL 33595
(813) 685-6473
e-mail: manager@communitiesofamerica.com
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What are the roles and responsibilities of the property manager/company?
º Implement decisions of the board of directors
º Administer services, programs and operations of the association within the policy guidelines set forth by the board.
º Provide information, training and leadership to the board as it sets its policies.
º Note that the board of directors is the decision maker NOT the property manager.
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Heather Lakes at Brandon Community Association, Inc.
Copyright © 2006. All rights reserved.
Revised: December 03, 2007.
