Eligibility & Judging Guidelines

In addition to membership in the CAI Keystone Chapter, the following eligibility guidelines apply to all award categories:

• Members of the chapter Board of Directors are not eligible for nomination.
• Members who have won an award are not eligible to be nominated for the same award for a period of two years after the year in which they won the award.

Nominees are not permitted to participate in the judging process for the award category in which they have been nominated. Award submissions will have the name and other identifying information redacted from the data provided to the judges so the nominations can be judged anonymously.

Each award category will be judged by a panel of the following:

• Two members of the chapter Awards Committee
• Two members of the chapter Board of Directors
• Two CAI-affiliated representatives from outside of the Keystone and New Jersey Chapters.

To the greatest extent possible, each award category will be judged by a different team of judges.

Awards will be judged separately by each judge using a points system. Judges will send their scoring sheets to the chapter staff liaison for the Awards Committee and the staff liaison will determine the winner based on total number of points for each nominee. In the event of a tie, multiple recipients will be awarded in the category where there is a tie. For an overview of the awards scoring guidelines and points system, please click here.

Membership Awards

Excellence in Education Award

This award will be given to a member who has contributed valuable educational content during the year in either verbal or written form. Nominees can include program speakers, magazine authors, podcast contributors, etc.

• Recognizes excellence in creating valuable, relevant & consistent content that educates, attracts and retains the CAI audience.

Excellence in Community Management Award

This award will be given to a manager or managers who have excelled in the field of community management and who is demonstrably engaged in the chapter. Nominees must have achieved and currently maintain at least one of the following CAI professional manager credentials: CMCA, AMS, PCAM, or LSM
This award will take into consideration the following:

• What distinguishes this nominee from other community association managers?
• What impact has this manager had on the community or communities they manage? What are this manager’s most outstanding achievements over the last year?
• What has this manager done to support the goals and objectives of CAI and how is the manager engaged in the chapter?

Excellence in Community Leadership Award

This award will be given to a community association board that has excelled in the field of leadership and community governance. Nominees should demonstrably cultivate a true sense of community, promote active resident involvement and create a culture of informed consensus. Nominees should strive to preserve the character of their community, protect property values, meet and/or exceed the expectations of homeowners and serves in the best interests of the association.

Nominations must include an overview of what this community association board has done to earn your nomination. Include information such as involvement with CAI, community and board operations, involvement in the community at-large and other supporting information. Please note: nominations of individuals for this award will not be judged; this award is intended for a community association board.

Excellence in Community Service Award

This award will be given to a member organization (management company or business partner) that has excelled in the area of service to a community association or to the community association industry.

• Nominees have a demonstrated commitment to personal & professional development and have fostered harmonious relationships within CAI.
• Nominees are actively engaged in the chapter and serve as mentors or examples to other organizations within the membership.
• Nominees provide leadership that encourages others to provide exceptional service / customer value.

Chapter Volunteer Awards

Chapter Shining Star Award

The Shining Star Award is given to a member or members with a minimum of two years of volunteer service with the chapter and who has displayed extraordinary commitment, leadership, and contributions to the chapter.

• Demonstrates passion for their work & CAI’s mission.
• Recipient strives to make an impact within CAI and their respective field of work.

Chapter Rookie of the Year Award

The Rookie of the Year Award is given to a member or members in their first year of volunteer service with the chapter and who has displayed extraordinary commitment, leadership, and contributions to the chapter.

• Demonstrates passion for their work and CAI’s mission.
• Recipient strives to make an impact within CAI and their respective field of work.

Recruiter of the Year Award

The Recruiter of the Year is given to the member who has recruited the most new members in the previous year.

Robert Wise President’s Award for Lifetime Achievement

This annual award is chosen by the chapter president and is named after former chapter president Robert H. Wise, Sr. This award was created by the board in 1996.

• Recipient has been a longtime member of CAI and continues to be actively engaged in the chapter.
• This award honors the recipient(s) for ongoing service and a lifetime of achievement within CAI and the community association industry.
• The recipient is dedicated to the principles & objectives of CAI.
• Demonstrates leadership & provides guidance and inspiration to CAI members to achieve similar success.
• Recipient has contributed, above and beyond, to the advancement of the chapter and is recognized for the significance of the body of contributions of the award recipient(s).