Guest Blog By Robert Riddick, Homeowner Volunteer Leader, Sunnymead Ranch PCA
By way of introduction, my journey with the Community Association Institute (CAI) and the California Legislative Action Committee (CLAC) began in 2007 when I joined my HOA board after retiring, as a replacement board member. It was my first exposure to what would eventually lead to serving 15 years as a board member of my 2,677 single-family HOA.
During my tenure, I had the opportunity to serve in every officer position on the board, including 9 years as board president, as well as chairing every committee of our Association. During that time, I also had the good fortune of becoming involved extensively in pretty much all aspects of CAI’s rather impressive national network of sub-organizations, resources and amazing members who make up the whole of this incredible group of folks known collectively as CAI.
The journey so far has been one that I could have never in my wildest imagination, I never thought it would be as satisfying, as personally enlightening, and as rewarding as it has been for all of these short years of my involvement. Which leads to my opportunity to highlight one of the most rewarding (of many) aspects of being a part of this organization – Advocacy Week.
Getting Involved with CAI-CLAC
One of the most rewarding aspects of my CAI experience has been participating in CAI-CLAC’s annual Advocacy Week in Sacramento. Since 2010, I’ve joined these yearly visits to meet state legislators, advocating for issues affecting California’s HOA residents. These interactions remain a profound way to engage in the democratic process and influence legislation. I’ve been a participant of this in-person event, as a member of the CAI Greater Inland Empire Chapter’s Legislative Support Committee (LSC). Even after all of these years, it still resonates with me as the most productive experience one could imagine when it comes to actually participating in the democratic process, especially when it comes to issues that impact the quality-of-life for the almost 13-million residents of California’s homeowners’ associations.
So, as someone who has had both the opportunity and the pleasure of participating in this annual jaunt to Sacramento, today known as Advocacy Week, please allow me to share with other CAI members who might be considering joining my fellow attendees and myself this year, some insight into what to expect during our visit to the Capitol.
What to Expect During Advocacy Week
First, and foremost, always remember that with attending Advocacy Week, you are NOT alone! Really! Your other fellow attendees, whether veterans or other newbies, will be sharing this experience with you and one another as a collective group. On Day 1 of our Week, we will all be participating in the preliminary bill review meeting that leads to our Day 2 visits with legislators.
Day 1 is designed specifically to orient and prepare all of us on what to expect during our individual office visits. Our CAI-CLAC facilitators will have prepared packets containing a wealth of information for each of us to carry with us. The packets will contain in-depth information regarding any particular bills that we will be advocating either in support of, or advocating against. Our positions on any bills will be clearly laid-out for easy understanding, along with any appropriate “talking-points” associated with the positions we’ve taken on them.
The packets will also include some demographic information that is particular to the legislators that we will be visiting with, and designed to help them understand that we are not only knowledgeable, but informed about who their constituents are and to help them understand just how many of their constituents reside in HOAs.
Each of us will be part of a group of members, usually no more than 5 in size. That makes for easy conversation-sharing with the legislators and our groups. There is usually at least one seasoned member of each group who will be designated as the primary speaker for the group. The group generally selects the speakers for individual bills(s). However, any member is encouraged to add to the conversation if they feel comfortable enough in doing so. As such, the pattern repeats itself with each office visited.
Day 1 ends that afternoon, and all attendees are free to socialize, network, take in the hotel neighborhood, either individually or as groups. There is plenty of local entertainment and a host of dining options within easy walking distance.
Day 2 starts with an early breakfast at the host hotel (Hyatt Regency on “L” Street) and networking. It’s also a great time to go over the packets we’ll be taking with us during our legislator visits. And it’s an equally great time to foster as much camaraderie with your fellow-members, in an effort to feel as comfortable as possible with the upcoming visits and your individual participation. Again, remember that you are NOT alone. We’re all there to support each other as much as supporting our goals and objectives when meeting with the legislators.
Day 2 wraps with our traditional Meet the Delegates social event, along with our 2024 Volunteer of the Year award being presented, followed by a much-deserved Champagne Toast for all of our combined efforts at making this year’s Advocacy Week the success that we expect.
Day 3 starts with our breakfast and important Visit Debrief hosted by our CAI-CLAC advocate, Louie Brown. This is an excellent opportunity for all of us to share our group experiences with all of the attendees. It’s also a primary way of gauging how effective we were in our own advocacy efforts in discussing our target bills with legislators. Everyone in attendance has a voice in this process, so don’t feel like you can’t speak about your personal or group experience, because you absolutely can!
We close the week with a presentation from Dawn Bauman, our CAI National Chief Strategy Officer, with an update from CAI on federal issues. It’s a vitally important informational event that you won’t want to miss.
Why Relationships in Sacramento Matter
In closing, I mentioned at the beginning that our Advocacy Week visit is a unique opportunity to interact with our elected officials regarding those issues of importance to all of us as residents of California HOAs. For those of you who will be joining the rest of us this year, I can’t over-emphasize just how effective that interaction can truly be. Just look at the adoption of last year’s CAI-CLAC-sponsored bills, which included AB2114, AB2159, and AB2460. All bills that, in no small part, became law, because of our direct interactions with our legislators. In almost every case, the relationships developed as a result of our initial interactions with our legislators, is just a reminder of how important and valuable those in-person visits can be.
Join Us for Advocacy Week 2025 – In-Person or Virtually!
For those members still hedging on whether to make the trip this year, I hope you don’t pass on the opportunity to effectively influence our legislators with your thoughts, your ideas, and above all, your concerns that they recognize the value of listening to the 13million HOA residents who make up a significant majority of their voting constituents.
I encourage you to seize this chance to make a difference. Let’s show we are California HOA-Strong! Thanks for the opportunity of sharing this with all of you. And I hope to see you in Sacramento on April 22-24, 2025.
Can’t Attend In-person? Join our Virtual Legislative Meetingson Wednesday, April 23rd, during Advocacy Week via Zoom—for FREE! Your voice is just as powerful online.
Let’s ensure 2025 legislation reflects the needs of our communities. You can learn more and register for Advocacy Week here.
Robert Riddick, Homeowner Volunteer
Sunnymead Ranch PCA
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