Professionalism, accountability, and education are of utmost importance to credibly and capably represent the tens of millions of dollars of real estate throughout Arizona.  To that end, AACM developed its Certified Arizona Association Manager (CAAM®) Certification Program.

CAAM® and CAASP™  are Arizona-specific designations signifying that a manager or community management industry professional is trained to address community association management issues specific to our climate and laws particular to our state.  Additional course completion and testing requirements in the areas of essential management principles and ethical business practices round out the CAAM® Certification Program curriculum, ensuring that community management professionals are comprehensively prepared to represent the values of Arizona’s communities and homes.

Continuing Education Units, or CEUs, support the CAAM® and CAASP™ designations by enhancing the professional education of those professionals who have completed a designation under the CAAM® Certification Program through elective courses developed by AACM and approved by our Professional Standards Committee.

CAAM® CERTIFICATION AND DESIGNATION

In order to obtain the prestigious CAAM® designation, an individual must meet at least one of the following qualifications:

• Member management company employees who are community managers actively engaged in community management.
• Member management company employees who are executives and are actively engaged in community management.
• Non-member management company employees who are community managers actively engaged in community management and have obtained Individual Membership in AACM.
• Non-member management company employees who are executives and are actively engaged in community management and have obtained Individual Membership in AACM.
• Community managers who are employed directly by a community association and have obtained Individual Membership in AACM.
• Employees of a developer or builder who are employed as the HOA Coordinator for that company and have obtained Individual Membership in AACM.

A person who has earned a CAAM® designation may continue to use the CAAM® designation as long as they maintain their required Continuing Education Unit requirements and remain in good standing with AACM as a Management Company Member employee, a Platinum-level Affiliate Partner employee, or an Individual Member, regardless of a career change after earning their CAAM® designation.  A person who has earned CAAM® designation but is temporarily unemployed may continue to use the CAAM® designation and take continuing education courses under their former Membership affiliation for up to six months from their last day of employment with the AACM Member Company, after which time they must apply for Individual Membership with AACM in order to maintain their CAAM® designation.

CAAM® designation requirements include:

• An application and 3 recommendations using the CAAM® Recommendation Form, as the caliber of Certified Arizona Association Managers is of utmost importance to AACM and its Members.
• All membership dues and fees (if applicable), a registration fee, course fees, continuing education credits and fees, and any other applicable fees must be current at the time of CAAM® certification and subsequent renewal.
• Completion of the CAAM® core course curriculum,
• The previous six (6) months' direct experience as a community manager and
• CAAM® Continuing Education Units; 27 in a period of three (3) calendar years, including 3 CEUs each year of mandatory Annual Law Update credits, and 3 CEUs of Effective Communication Tools for Community Managers during an individual’s first three-year CAAM® certification period*.

*Exception: CAAM®-certified individuals with a certification date prior to January 1, 2007 may take their 3 required CEU’s of Effective Communication Tools for Community Managers within their second three-year CAAM® certification period.

The courses required to receive CAAM® designation may be taken in any order.  A test is taken during each course, and each course must be passed with an average of at least 70%.  The Ethics course also requires a signed AACM Code of Ethics to pass.  For Member company employees, test scores and course completion certificates are mailed to the designated executive or CAAM® Program Contact for each company, to be passed on to the individual who participated in the CAAM® course.

CAASP™ DESIGNATION

The CAASP™ designation is available to those community management industry professionals who are employed by an AACM Member community management company in a support role, such as community management administrative assistants, community management accountants, compliance managers, and others who perform roles vital to the support of community managers but do not directly perform community management duties in their day-to-day activities or meet the CAAM® designation requirements as stated above.

A person who has earned the CAASP™ designation may apply to AACM to convert their designation to a CAAM® designation after directly performing the duties of a community manager for at least six (6) months. 

A person who has earned the CAASP™ designation but is temporarily unemployed may continue to use the CAASP™ designation and take continuing education courses under their former Membership affiliation for up to six months from their last day of employment with an AACM Member company .

CAASP™ designation requirements include:

• An application and 3 recommendations using the CAAM® Recommendation Form.
• All membership dues and fees (if applicable), a registration fee, course fees, continuing education credits and fees, and any other applicable fees must be current at the time of CAASP™ designation and subsequent renewal.
• Completion of the CAAM® Certification Program required course curriculum, and
• CAAM® Continuing Education Units; 27 in a period of 3 calendar years, including 3 CEUs each year of mandatory Annual Law Update credits, and 3 CEUs of Effective Communication Tools for Community Managers during an individual’s first three-year CAAM® Certification period*.

*Exception: CAASP™ -designated individuals with a certification date prior to January 1, 2007 may take their 3 required CEU’s of Effective Communication Tools for Community Managers within their second three-year CAAM®  certification period.

CAAM® Certification Program courses taken for the CAASP™ designation may be taken in any order.  A test is taken during each course, and each course must be passed with an average of at least 70%.  The Ethics course also requires a signed AACM Code of Ethics to pass.  Test scores and course completion certificates are mailed to the designated executive or CAAM® Program Contact for each company, to be passed on to the individual who participated in the CAAM® course.

CAAM® REQUIRED COURSES

CAAM® - Basics of Association Management (BAM)

BAM is a 2-day course covering a comprehensive spectrum of topics vital to effective community management.  This course is taught by seasoned community managers as well as legal and financial specialists.  Legal aspects of HOAs, understanding association insurance, budgets, financial statements, reserves, industry terminology, board meetings, and member communication are all topics included in BAM.

CAAM® - Ethics

This is a full-day course written and instructed by members of the AACM Board of Directors and Professional Standards Committee.  It is designed to help managers understand the high ethical standards held by AACM Members and their associates, and employ said standards in their daily business.  AACM’s organizational structure is explained, along with the Code of Ethics and Professional Standards that all AACM Members have committed to uphold.  Hypothetical situations are presented in class to assist managers with real-world decisions, and a Manager Code of Ethics is to be signed by all class attendees at the end of this course, indicating the individual manager’s agreement to also commit to the ethics detailed in class.

CAAM® Law

Navigating and understanding community association law and the legal issues that affect HOAs and community managers can be quite a challenge.  Some of AACM’s Affiliate Partners who are legal professionals specializing in the HOA industry instruct this full-day course.  Topics include community association documents, condominiums vs. planned community developments (PUDs), roles of the Board and the Manager, developer transitions, reserves, collections, restriction enforcement, board meetings, and insurance.

CAAM® Finance

Financial management is an integral part of the community manager’s duties.  This course is designed to set forth minimum standards and recommended procedures for financial management of a community association.  Financial experts, as well as seasoned community managers, instruct this course, including topics such as recordkeeping, accounting methods, financial statements, budget preparation, reserve studies, and taxes in the course curriculum.

CAAM® INITIAL CERTIFICATION COSTS

AACM Individual or Management Company Member Costs

• $150.00 Registration Fee (includes CAAM® binder for course materials)
• $150.00 for each full-day CAAM® course
• $300.00 for 2-day CAAM® BAM course

CAAM® CHANGES AND CERTIFICATION EXPIRATION/RENEWAL

AACM will maintain records for each CAAM®-certified individual (records are also available through the CERTS website - see this website's Home Page).  The Designated CAAM® Contact (designated Management Company Member employee, or Individual Member, as applicable) will be notified approximately four months prior to a CAAM®’s certification renewal date (3 calendar years from the January following the certification date).  However, it is strongly recommended that each CAAM®-certified individual also maintain his or her own records and certificates.  The Designated CAAM® Contact as described above must notify the AACM office of any name, address, or employment changes on the CAAM® Records Change Form as soon as possible following the change.  The CAAM® Records Change Form is available in the Resource Center at www.aacmonline.org.