President's message: Everyone needs a plan

Whenever you hear about a project with problems or a group initiative that doesn't quite seem to get off the ground or any other unsuccessful endeavor, many times we later find out that the participants entered into it with the greatest intentions, zeal and passion for its success but that the ultimate downfall was something that they didn't anticipate. They say you should expect the unexpected, but sometimes these things just aren't meant to be. However, many of these situations will render the reaction of "I can't believe they didn't think of that". It's because they didn't have a plan. An old carpenter's adage, to measure twice and cut once, captures the essence of it. My involvement in the construction industry has always rendered the opinion that the correct amount of planning and preparation put into any endeavor will usually result in a smooth and satisfying outcome. At CAI New England we've had a Strategic Plan in place since 2005 and have just completed a full review and update to that plan to help take the chapter into the next 3-5 years. Garnering input through a task force made up of homeowner, manager and business partner members from all of our New England states, along with questionnaires, surveys and interviews across the membership matrix, we were able to determine what we've been doing right, what we can improve on, and what we've either done wrong or didn't accomplish from the prior plan. We're very proud of this accomplishment and I want to thank the members of the task force for their time and effort including Paul Carroccio, CMCA, AMS, PCAM; Pete Garrett, CMCA, AMS, PCAM; Frank Lombardi, Esq.; Bob McBride, CMCA, AMS, PCAM; Charles McNamara, Fred Schernecker and Scott Wolf, CMCA, AMS, PCAM. Although we have established the Strategic Plan for the upcoming years it is a working document and as such, we are always looking for industry insight and suggestions and welcome comments and ideas. Tony Chiarelli is the 2010 CAI-NE chapter president and president of RMX Northeast, Inc. Milford, Mass.