As a Board of Governors member of CAI’s College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL), I have to brag on a few friends and CCAL members. The Community Associations Institute recently held its 2013 Annual Conference and Exposition in San Diego. At that conference, three CCAL members received three of CAI’s highest recognitions. With all due respect for other award winners, I want to talk about three for a moment:
- Lucia Anna “Pia” Trigiana, a partner with MercerTrigiani in Virginia, received the CAI President’s Award. Pia has done just about everything in the industry–community association attorney, lecturer, book author, longtime Chair of CAI’s national Government and Public Affairs Committee, and past receipient of CAI’s Distinguished Service Award. Somewhere in there she fit in serving as President of the Virginia Bar Association.
- Don Dyekman from Arizona received CAI’s Distinguished Service Award. Don is a past President of both the Community Associations Institute and the College of Community Association Lawyers. Rather than relaxing after those positions, Don has for the past 10 years compiled all of the case law materials for the Community Association Law Seminar hosted by CCAL each year!
- Stephen Marcus, a partner at Marcus Errico Emmer & Brooks in Boston, received CAI’s Outstanding Volunteer Service Award. Stephen is a longtime fellow member of CCAL’s Board of Governors and has also received most every recognition, including CAI-NE Hall of Fame recognition. For many years, Stephen has worked with CAI’s national Amicus Curiae Team to ensure that certain cases involving significant community association issues get assistance. Stephen has devoted much of his time for the past several years in raising awareness and funds to fight Chrohn’s Disease and colitis. Despite his hectic schedule, Stephen has always taken time to talk through any particularly convoluted condominium law questions.
There is an impression in the legal world these days that lawyers do less outside of simply working on clients’ files. These three and their recognitions prove that trend wrong!
So, congratulations to Pia, Don, and Stephen! These are well deserved awards. And congratulations to CCAL for having such outstanding members.