President’s Blog

Photo of the ROC USA conference room with photos of the current and past ROC Association Directors as well as a large photo of the first elected Directors.

I am so happy I have to tell someone!

When a community leader is elected by ROC Boards in their region for one of the three ROC Association Board seats, it’s a big deal for them personally.  A big deal in the sense that it requires quite … More »

Photo of Liz Wood and Paul Bradley attending a ROC Association meeting together.

Third-party compliments cement certainty of co-op’s success

Ownership works. I received a lovely note yesterday from Liz Wood, former ROC Association Director and Membership Chair for Duvall Riverside Village in Duvall, Wash. In sharing the story of a member who recently passed, she forwarded her … More »

Photo of sign announcing celebration at Halifax Estates.

2017 in Review

I met the all-female Board of Directors of Halifax Estates Residents’ Association as they prepared for the October purchase of the community that they call home. They were smart, dedicated and serious. They also knew how to have … More »

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You want experience? You got it!

People trying to understand resident ownership sometimes ask, “But, do people have the capability to own and manage their communities?” After working with co-op leaders for going on three decades and in literally hundreds of communities, I can … More »

Photo showing judges standing together

More than fun …

It has always been fun to be on the University of New Hampshire campus in Durham.  I graduated in 1986 and have attended numerous events over the last 30 years, largely fun stuff like sporting events, concerts, ceremonies … More »

Photo of Roger Wilcox

Sad to report death of friend of housing co-ops

We lost a dear friend and co-op housing legend in Roger Wilcox last summer. Roger was an enthusiastic supporter of all things co-ops and was an especially strong leader in the co-op housing movement of which we are … More »

Screen shot of the New Hampshire Business Review’s article about co-ops in New Hampshire

Cooperatives Gaining Attention

New Hampshire Business Review published an interesting article on co-ops in the state which I thought our readers might appreciate.  As the article suggests, there are more co-ops operating than most of us realize. Cooperatives are corporations that … More »

Photo of Shirlene Stoven at her home at Applewood Mobile Home Park in Midvale, Utah, on Dec. 9, 2016.

The thrill of victory, and agony of defeat

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The absolute worst phone calls I get are from homeowners facing eviction due to community closures. The calls are, unfortunately, regular. Today, for instance, there’s an email from a Legal Aid lawyer who … More »

Photo of homes at Wamsutta

Thrilled to see Annual Meeting done right

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, Mass. — I spoke with the Members of Wamsutta Residents Association yesterday.  I was down for their Annual Meeting on a lovely Sunday afternoon. First, I have to commend the Board of Directors for a well-executed … More »