The Farmington community, located in Lascassas, was started in 2001 and has 170 single family homes. The neighborhood is situated on the corner of Lascassas Pike and Barlow Lane with the main entrance monument on Lascassas Pike and Farmington Road. The Board discussed areas where they could add improvements to the community and decided that adding pillars at the second entrance to match the existing entrance monument would add value to the community. Chanel Mumford, the Community Association Manager, worked closely with the Board obtaining proposals and helping to navigate through the construction process. The final design will have two pillars on either side of Old Orchard Drive, with landscaping and uplighting. This addition will add curb appeal to the entrance and will help showcase the community.
Workshop Focuses on Creating a Code of Conduct
Board members attending the recent Zoom Leadership Training session learned about the value of creating an appropriate ‘Code of Conduct’ for matters relating to their HOA. Topics included the reasoning behind adopting a code, how to deal with conflicts of interest, the board’s fudiciary responsibility and building on an ethical foundation.
Kathleen Sutherland, Ghertner & Company Director of Development & Training, made the presentation on Tuesday, June 8th with a midday and evening option provided for the convenience of our board members. This session was recorded and a link to the video can be requested through your Ghertner & Company Community Association Manager.
Wyngate HOA Features Walking Trail
David Huebner, Wyngate HOA President shares with Scott Ghertner about the many benefits of the Peter Jennings Walking Trail on Thursday, June 3rd. Several months ago, Ghertner & Company donated one hundred trees as part of the preservation effort taking place in this Spring Hill community. HOA volunteers are partnering with environmental agencies, like the Tennessee Environmental Council, to enhance and preserve the area.
Workshop Focuses on Vision & Mission
Creating, developing and implementing your community’s vision and mission is important to leading a successful HOA. Board members were challenged to take the time to work with their fellow board members and homeowners to establish the purpose and meaning behind their association. Having these determined and shared will minimize distractions and keep everyone on the same page and track to success. Kathleen Sutherland, Ghertner & Company Director of Development & Training, made the presentation on Tuesday, May 11th at noon and in the evening for the convenience of our board members leadership.
This session was recorded and a link to the video can be requested through your Ghertner & Company Community Association Manager.
Avondale Park Community Realizes Benefits of Trees!
Congratulations to Avondale Park for an extremely successful tree planting event in March. Over two hundred native trees were planted in homeowners’ yards. The project was funded through the Root Nashville Campaign. The donated trees were worth over $30,000. A huge thank you to Angelie Quimbo for organizing this project. She applied to be a “Planting Captain” through the Root Nashville campaign. Angelie is a high school junior who lives in Avondale Park and is a member of the Mayor's Youth Council and a planning team member for the Cumberland River Compact's Youth Climate Summit.
The trees will benefit the neighborhood in many ways. One of the immediate benefits has been to build community. The project has given the neighbors an opportunity to improve communication, foster new connections and build relationships. As the trees grow, they will increase property values. Studies have shown a 5-15% increase in the value of homes with mature trees. Over the years to come, the trees will filter the air and reduce noise pollution, which is especially beneficial for a community located near Interstate 40. The trees will also absorb rainwater and reduce the risk of flooding from the nearby Harpeth River. These are just a few of the many benefits the trees will bring to the community.
Some quick facts about the project:
● 202 trees were planted in homeowners’ yards (56 sweetbay magnolia, 77 redbud, 10 honeylocust, 14 nuttall oak, 45 tulip poplar.)
● 79 total households participated in the project.
● Ghertner and Company donated two bur oaks, planted next to the playground, which will provide shade as they grow into large canopy trees.
All of the trees planted in Avondale Park count towards the Root Nashville campaign goal. Root Nashville is a public/private partnership, led by Metro Nashville and the Cumberland River Compact, to plant 500,000 trees in Davidson County by 2050 (rootnashville.org.) If you are interested in applying to be a “Planting Captain” for your neighborhood, go to https://rootnashville.org/organize/. For all Davidson County homeowners, if you plant a tree on your own, you can log it and it will count towards the goal.
To learn more about the importance of trees, the following is a link to a recent workshop we offered which focused on the benefits of trees to homeowner’s associations. You can view the recording at https://ghertner.com/sustainability-initiative or directly on https://vimeo.com/514029991.
HOA Delinquencies Workshop Presented on April 6th
Over 60 participants took advantage of the recent Board Leadership Training workshop dealing with delinquencies of Homeowner Association dues. The guest speaker was attorney Joel Surber, who discussed the legal considerations that are taken in the pursuit of delinquent owner accounts. He described the step-by-step process of managing these accounts, before and after they are referred for legal action. Attendees were able to ask pertinent questions and gain practical insight through the responses.
This session was recorded and a link to the video can be requested through your Ghertner & Company Community Association Manager.
Sugartree Arboretum: A Tree Sanctuary in Nashville
Sugartree Homeowners Association is a certified level four arboretum through the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council. The arboretum is a collection of over one hundred twenty species of trees covering fifteen acres of common space. Through the leadership of Vicki Turner and other dedicated residents, the beautiful trees in Sugartree have become one of its greatest assets. In addition to the many mature trees, the arboretum contains unusual and endangered species. Sugartree is a proud partner of the American Chestnut Foundation, working to re-introduce the American Chestnut. They have also set aside a small tree nursery tucked in a protected area of the common space to nurture trees before they are planted in other areas of the community. In 2009, the Sugartree Arbor Society was formed with fifty-nine founding members. The mission statement is “A membership society dedicated to the beauty, health, diversity, and life of the trees of Sugartree with special emphasis on education, preservation, and re-establishment of endangered species of trees.” The Arbor Society hosts tree-related activities throughout the year, funded by annual dues from its members. Many thanks to Vicki Turner for guiding Ghertner & Company through the arboretum qualification process. If your community association would like to pursue becoming an arboretum, contact sustainability@ghertner.com. We will be glad to offer guidance to your board.
Fair Housing Act Workshop Informs HOA Board Members
The March 2nd virtual workshop focused on HOA Board members raising their awareness and responsibility as it relates to the Fair Housing Act. Guest speaker and attorney, Gerald Wigger, Esq., gave an overview and dealt with several facets of the act. His presentation also included practical examples to give attendees an idea on how their communities can be proactive in this area.
Workshop Focuses on HOA Remote Meetings
The February 23rd virtual workshop focused on the emerging trend over the last year that is now expected: remote meetings for Homeowner Association boards and members. Professional guidelines and practical tips were shared with over 75 participants on how to make board and annual meetings effective and productive. Industry leader, Kathleen Sutherland, led the training and fielded questions from attendees.
The next Board Leadership Training workshop will be held Tuesday, March 2nd at 11:30. Guest speaker and attorney, Gerald Wigger, Esquire, will be sharing on Fair Housing considerations for HOA Board members.
Trees Matter!
The benefits of trees to our communities was the topic of the Feb 9th virtual workshop for board members. Several speakers shared their professional and personal perspectives about the positive impact of trees. Meg Morgan of Root Nashville shared data showing the economic benefits of trees as well as the many important health and environmental benefits. David Huebner, president of Wyngate Estates HOA, described the HOA's efforts over 15 years to plant over 1000 trees in their 17 acre common space and to create a walking trail that leads to their neighborhood elementary school. David explained their process of board planning and cooperating with a local non-profit and their landscaping company to create an incredible asset to their community. Jordan Young, with the Tennessee Environmental Council, shared about the partnership projects with Wyngate Estates and their overall mission. Patty Ghertner and Michael Ryckeley wrapped up the discussion with an overview of the Level One Certified Arboretum located at the Ghertner & Company corporate offices in MetroCenter. Several resources were posted to get involved and make a difference in your own yard or community. Board members are encouraged to share their stories about environmental improvements in their HOA by emailing sustainability@ghertner.com.
This recorded workshop is available for viewing at https://ghertner.com/sustainability-initiative or directly on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/514029991.
Effective Boards Develop Good Habits
Successful HOA boards are the result of implementing healthy habits. The January 26th Board Leadership Training virtual seminar focused on ‘Ten Habits of Highly Effective Boards’ as developed by industry professional, Kathleen Sutherland, Ghertner & Company’s Director of Development and Training. Those habits dealt with strategic planning, teamwork, decision-making, defining roles, the board/manager relationship, evaluating and assessing, prioritizing time and energy, orderly meetings, using feedback, and committing to learning and leading. Over eighty board members and associates attended this complimentary virtual training event.
The next training presentation is February 9th, 2021 and reservations can be made by emailing Theresa.Savich@Ghertner.com.
Team Member News
Congratulations to Dorothy Ratliff, CMCA, AMS, for being named the 2020 Community Association Manager of the year for the Tennessee Chapter of the Community Associations Institute.
Dorothy has been involved in real estate for over 30 years, starting in Florida with her own company. She joined the Ghertner & Company team in 2014 as on onsite manager and in 2015, she started managing a portfolio of HOAs.
She believes strongly in the value of the education opportunities provided through Ghertner & Company, Community Associations Institute (CAI) and other professional resources. She has completed the M200 series and looks forward to the M300 series. Dorothy knows that homeowners and vendors will realize and value that she is an informed and educated professional.
Dorothy enjoys the challenge of taking a struggling association to a successful one, especially as it relates to the process of building, teaching, implementing and reviewing budget challenges…she loves to “crunch the numbers”. She likes to lead board members in gaining a sense of accomplishment regarding projects and budgets. She believes the keys to success to treat everyone fairly, honestly and directly coupled with disciplined work ethic of doing what needs to be done.
Dorothy feels fortunate to be a part of the Ghertner & Company team that values her experience and work but also encourages her to keep balance in her personal life and professional growth.
Virtual Training Kicks Off for 2021!
The 2021 Board Leadership Training series began the new year with the timely topic, “Strategic Planning for Board Members”. This practical presentation focused on HOA goal setting, the value of the reserve funds and creating a long-term plan for a community. Fifty-five participants attended via the Zoom platform on Tuesday, January 12 as Kathleen Sutherland, Ghertner & Company’s Director of Development and Training, led the session. Many board members were able to present examples and present questions relevant to the topic.
The next training presentation is January 26, 2021 and reservations can be made by emailing Theresa.Savich@Ghertner.com.
Supporting Local Community Organizations Makes a Difference
As part of the Giving Back to the Community Initiative, Ghertner & Company made financial donations to two community organizations.
Our Kids
“Our Kids is so grateful for the twenty-two year partnership with Ghertner & Company, resulting in a total of nearly $19,000. Providing medical forensic evaluations and crisis counseling for children and families struggling with child sexual abuse is difficult work. The generous contributions from the Ghertner & Company team have provided essential funding so that Our Kids staff can give gas cards, food cards and Walmart gift cards to the families we serve. Especially this year when so many families have lost jobs and experienced loss, in addition to the heartache of child sexual abuse, these gift cards have made an immediate, tangible difference for these families.” Learn more at ourkidscenter.com.
Tennessee Children’s Home
The Tennessee Children’s Home “Building the Future” capital campaign to raise $4 million dollars for the new, state of the art facilities in Spring Hill, TN was the recipient of a $500 donation. This contribution will help Tennessee Children’s Home build the best quality facilities to serve and provide the opportunity to continue to build the future of Tennessee’s at-risk youth. Learn more at tennesseechildrenshome.org.
Wishing You the Warmest of Holiday Greetings
The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year. Nothing is truer during this season than taking a tour of the beautifully decorated HOA properties managed by Ghertner & Company. Our firm would like to thank all the holiday decor vendors, community volunteers and staff members who assisted in decorating the entrances, club houses and condominium lobbies at the various properties that we support across Middle Tennessee. In addition, we would like to thank the individual homeowners who have decorated their property for the season providing joy to their neighbors and those who might take a holiday light tour through each participating community.
Wishing you joy, peace and good health this Holiday Season.
The Entire Team at Ghertner & Company
Legislative Update with State Senator
State Senator Dawn White addressed board members and community association managers at the December 16 Lunch & Learn Zoom meeting. With over 50 attendees, she shared and answered questions about:
- The need to get involved at every level.
- How to communicate with your representative.
- The process of a bill being introduced, discussed and voted on.
- Tracking a bill through the state website.
- The upcoming 2021 legislative session and how COVID will affect the legislation.
Senator Dawn White was elected to serve as State Senator for the 13th District, covering the western half of Rutherford County, in 2018. She currently serves on the Judiciary Committee, a committee that handles legislation affecting judicial and property issues as well as the State and Local Government committee which addresses alcohol, annexation and other local government issues.
Special thanks for Mandy Young with the Butler Snow law firm for making the connection and arrangements for the Senator to speak.
Community Events Support Good Causes
The residents of the Sullivan Farms HOA participated in two events recently to support worthy causes. The first event was a Craft Fair featuring the handiwork and items of forty local vendors. Proceeds from the event went to two foundations that the HOA supports: Faithfully Restored Women and Brett Boyer. Next was the LEGO Truck event that donates to children in need this holiday season when Lego sets are purchased and built. Learn more at #BuildtoGive. Ghertner & Company salutes the Sullivan Farms board members and residents for making a positive impact during these challenging times.
Why Plant Native Trees?
The Ghertner & Company Arboretum, located at our corporate office in Nashville, includes over forty species of trees so far, and is still growing. Our goal is to support local biodiversity by featuring trees that are native to Middle Tennessee.
Here’s a brief article by a Nashville naturalist that shows the importance of planting native.
Need a New Tree? Go Native!
By Joanna Brichetto , Tennessee Naturalist, SidewalkNature.com
Why choose a native tree? Not just because natives are beautiful and can deal with our soils and seasons, but because they feed our food web.
If you want birds, bees, and butterflies, plant native.
If you want to boost biodiversity, plant native.
If you want a healthy ecosystem, plant native.
“Every living creature on the planet relies on native plants for survival,” says the National Wildlife Foundation. Animals and plants evolved together in place, which means native plants “are the foundation of local food webs, giving butterflies, birds, and other wildlife what they need to survive.”
Have you heard that one third of all animal species might go extinct in the next 50 years? Or that we’ve lost 1 in 4 birds since 1970? The reason for both is habitat loss. And because we’ve run out of wilderness, our yards are now crucial habitat. Our yards are Nature!
The problem is that most yards are already landscaped with exotic plants: our turfgrasses, shrubs and groundcovers are typically from another continent which may share our latitude but not our ecosystem. Even Kentucky bluegrass is not from North America. Nor are most shrubs (even “American” boxwood), nor any Crepe-myrtle. All these plants are native somewhere, but not here. And guess which plant outnumbers every other tree in Tennessee? Chinese privet.
So, our Nature needs all the native we can give it. The biggest, best bang for the buck is a new tree.
A Bounty of Bugs
How do trees feed birds? Seeds, fruit, sometimes nectar, but here’s the biggie: bugs! This is where exotic trees can’t compete. Butterfly and moth moms look for particular native trees when time to lay eggs. And when caterpillars hatch, many become bird food. 96% of all backyard birds—even the birds who come to our seed feeders—can only feed insects to their young. No caterpillars, no new birds.
And only native trees “host” caterpillars in the numbers needed. A native oak can feed over 400 species of butterfly and moth, but a Ginkgo in Nashville can host only one. (Other top producers include native black cherries, willows, maples, crabapple, and elm.)
How many caterpillars does it take to raise one chickadee family? About 7,000, reckons Doug Tallamy, author of Nature’s Best Hope, which is an excellent guide to the why and how of turning your yard into bona fide, helpful Habitat.
Selecting a Native Tree for Your Yard
Meanwhile, a native tree can give YOU everything you wanted in the first place: curb appeal, home value, shade, privacy, HVAC benefits, erosion control, edible fruit, pretty flowers, and a gorgeous way to track the seasons.
To learn which trees are native, type your zip code into these two sites which can save your selections as a list.
National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder (The butterfly icon shows how many species a genus hosts.)
If a tree you love isn’t listed in either site, it may still be native. Check this printable pdf “Landscaping with Native Plants: Middle TN” from the TN Invasive Plant Council. It also lists native groundcovers, vines, shrubs, ferns, and flowers.
For more info on why and how to turn your yard into Habitat, see Doug Tallamy’s online project: Homegrown National Park, which aims to encourage small efforts of many people to create a network of biodiverse yards
Resources:
Nashville's all-native nurseries are GroWild, Inc. and Nashville Natives. Both are open by appointment.
Villages of Riverwood Social Committee Gets Creative
Although 2020 has been a tough year for community events, the Villages of Riverwood social committee thought outside the box this Fall to create opportunities for residents to have safe interaction. In October they put together a scaled-back Community Yard Sale. Next, was Halloween and they applied for and received a Metro Health Department event permit. Residents setup chairs around the clubhouse island (practiced social distancing) to give out candy as the Halloween parade of children & pets participated. That was followed in the evening by an outdoor movie in the parking lot. Everyone wore face masks and had a great time. On November 10th and 11th, the social committee hosted a Red Cross Blood Drive at the clubhouse yielding 63 pints, which equates to helping 189 patients. More fun activities are planned for the remainder of the year!
Veteran Honored During Grand Ole Opry Performance
Operation FINALLY HOME, Beazer Homes and Ashlar Development enlisted Army Veteran and country music entertainer Craig Morgan to surprise U.S. Army Sergeant Ethan LaBerge and his family ahead of Veterans Day with the news they will be receiving a mortgage-free home recently during a show at the Grand Ole Opry®.
The organizations have partnered together to build a custom-built, mortgage-free home for the LaBerge family in Nichols Vale in Mt. Juliet, a Ghertner & Company managed community.
Ethan LaBerge and his family thought they were at the Opry as part of a special recognition series for Purple Heart recipients. Following a performance by U.S. Army veteran, Operation FINALLY HOME ambassador and Opry member Craig Morgan, Morgan paused to address the LaBerge family:
“U.S. Army Sergeant Ethan LaBerge and Arin, we thank you for your service to our country,” said Morgan. “While you’re here because you’re a Purple Heart recipient, you’re also here so we can share some exciting news. Thanks to Beazer Homes, Ashlar Development and Operation FINALLY HOME, you are receiving a mortgage-free home in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.”
Representatives from Beazer Homes, Ashlar Development and Operation FINALLY HOME, including Operation FINALLY HOME founder, Dan Wallrath, safely gathered at the Opry to present Ethan and his family with a symbolic key to their new home.