President's Report - Winter 2022 - CCI Manitoba Chapter

Article from Volume 9, Issue Number 1, 2022

President's Report - Winter 2022

By John Popowich | Other articles by John Popowich | Regular Column

It’s winter, and welcome to my first report as President of CCI Manitoba Chapter. Since being elected to the position in October, I have been busy not only with the functions of being President but with learning what those functions are. Certainly with the help of Past President Maureen Hancharyk, the rest of the board members, our chapter administrator and our volunteers, the task has not been that daunting. Being President is both rewarding and challenging at the same time. From the numerous emails, committee and national meetings I have learned a lot in my short time in this position. Learning is key to being successful and my learning will continue throughout my term.

To be a good President, I believe you need to understand how the board and committees work and while I may not have the suggestions or answers for those committees, it is important to participate and know what makes each committee tick. To that end I have been attending each committee meeting to listen and learn and hopefully participate in making them successful. I have also been attending the National Council meetings to become better aware of the happenings of the Canadian Condominium Institute in all regions of this country.

There have been many challenges for us over the past while due mainly to Covid-19 and its variants. Our board meetings which recently returned to in-person were held virtually for
quite some time. As well our lunch-n-learns were also held via Zoom. While most of us had to resort to virtual meetings and a virtual presence, I was never quite comfortable with the whole notion of meeting electronically. I felt the loss of that personal presence of meeting face to face. Yes, we accomplished what we needed to, but seeing someone in person and talking to them individually was missed.

The same can be said for our annual general meeting, which was held virtually again for the second straight year. We are hoping to hold our 2022 AGM in person and I am looking forward to seeing and speaking to as many members as I can. I have spoken to or communicated via email to a few of our members, but there is nothing like meeting you in person and being able to have a real conversation.

I am happy to announce that we will be returning to our in-person lunch-n-learns. Our Education committee’s plans are to resume the in-person format shortly and you will find more information in this newsletter.

The absence of our CCI Introductory Course was missed by everyone and I’m happy to see it returning at least in an online format.

We are by no means out of the woods with Covid-19 and as we have seen over the past couple months, things can change overnight. Omicron has thrown a wrench into many of our plans to return to the way things used to be. However, being persistent and following the guidelines is something we all need to be doing and CCI Manitoba will continue to provide the services we always have, although the format may not always be what we want it to be.

For those who don’t know me, I will fill you in. I am an accountant at Lazer Grant LLP and have been an accountant for well over thirty years. I enjoy the job and have no plans to leave it in the near future. I get to travel around the province and to national conferences (not in the past two years however) and I really enjoy travelling whether for work or pleasure. I have been to Europe, Asia, South America and the Caribbean and as soon as I feel comfortable with travelling, I will continue my adventures.

I joined the CCI Manitoba Board in 2019 and participated as a member of the Education Committee. In 2020 I became the Vice-President and held the position until I was elected President this past year. As a condo owner myself and treasurer of my condo board, we have had many of the same struggles over the past two years. We met virtually, held our AGM outside in our courtyard and managed to conduct our affairs without missing a beat. So too has CCI Manitoba.

So my first few months in office have been hectic, difficult, time consuming, yet fun and informative. I have learned so much from my fellow board members and appreciate the knowledge and insight each has offered. I will continue to learn and look forward to learning as much as I possibly can.

I hope you have had a great holiday season and the winter weather has not got you down. Spring is around the corner. I’m looking forward to the New Year. We at CCI Manitoba plan to make 2022 a great year so come out and enjoy our lunch-n-learns, take the introductory course and drop us a line
letting us know how we are doing. We appreciate yourcomments and insight.

Until we meet, stay safe.

JOHN POPOWICH, President
Manitoba Chapter