Winter Insider 2014

InsiderLeland

We would like to thank

everyone who visited us at

FLCAJ’s “The Show” 2014.

This event was Florida’s

only statewide conference

and expo completely dedi-

cated to educa� ng Flori-

da’s community associa� on

professionals, service ven-

dors, and board members.

Leland Management is

proud to have been the

educa� onal sponsor for

The Show offering Cer� fica-

� on courses to all board

members, as well as con� n-

uing educa� on courses for

all community managers in

a� endance.

In the fourth quarter of 2014,

the Leland Management edu-

ca� on team has awarded 238

state-approved Board Member

Cer� fica� ons to community

board members throughout

the state of Florida. We are

proud of the impact our educa-

� on ini� a� ves have had on our

communi� es and look forward

to our next series of courses in

the Spring. Visit our website at

www.LelandManagement.com

for more informa� on.

As 2014 is coming to an end I find my-

self reflec� ng on this past year with great com-

fort that Leland has worked hard to provide the

best service to all of our communi� es. During

the weeks surrounding Thanksgiving, I have

been coun� ng my blessings and taking stock of

what I am most grateful for both personally and

professionally. 2014 has offered many reasons

to give thanks; the happiness and health of my

family, my beau� ful grandson's first birthday,

the opening of 4 new loca� ons for Leland, win-

ning Best Places to Work for the 4th consecu� ve

year, as well as provide encouragement to

look to 2015 with great promise. When I think

about what I am grateful for, the first thing that

comes to my mind is family. Without the sup-

port of my extended "Leland Family", the suc-

cess of Leland would not be possible. Leland

Management has always prided ourselves on

being a family owned business. Like any family,

it has grown over the years, from 3 employees

and one small office to over 300 employees and

17 offices.

We have welcomed new members and said

goodbye to others, but throughout the 15 plus

years that Leland has been in business we

have never deviated from the family culture

and atmosphere that you are unable to find in

any other management company. It is be-

cause of this culture, and the talent and dedi-

ca� on of the "Leland Family" that we are

able to provide flexible associa� on manage-

ment services that are unparalleled in the in-

dustry. As the leader of the "Leland Family", I

am thankful that we are able to share our ded-

ica� on and talent with over 450 wonderful

communi� es throughout Florida. I am grateful

that you have put your trust in our company

and have allowed us to serve your communi-

� es, you too are part of the "Leland Family".

In celebra� on of "family", this issue of the In-

sider is all about family, ours and yours. I hope

you enjoy learning more about Leland, our

rich history, and take the opportunity to re-

flect on the blessings that you have in your

life. Have a happy holiday season.

• Reader’s Choice

• Gardening Tips

• Veterans Day Diner

• Meet the Team:Family Edi� on

• Meet the Furlow Family

• Avalon Park Named BestPlace to Live

• Holiday Decora� ng in HOAs

Rebecca Furlow

He then started and ran

his own flooring installa-

� on company from 2005

to 2011. It was in this � me

frame that Nicole and

Greg started their rela-

� onship by going on a first

date at the Mellow Mush-

room restaurant in Winter

Park. A� er two years of

da� ng Greg proposed to

Nicole during the Christ-

mas season of 2010.

Their lives changed on

April 25th, 2011 when

their son Trenton was

born. Trenton, who is now

three, is an avid Disney

and Ninja Turtles fan.

Greg says Trenton loves

his mother, chicken nug-

gets, and Jake and the

Neverland Pirates (a chil-

dren’s cartoon). This fami-

ly of three enjoys going to

Disney and the beach reg-

ularly. In the summers,

they make their way to

The Shores Resort in Day-

tona Beach for an annual

family vaca� on.

Both Nicole and Greg

joined the Leland team in

the second quarter of

2014 allowing them to

add work to the list of

ways their lives are en-

twined. Nicole says her

favorite part of being here

at Leland is the way we

invest in our employees

personally through our

Kid’s Day, Team Building

and holiday events. Greg

agrees that he enjoys

those investments as well

but more so appreciates

the high level of commu-

nity involvement Leland

has with Nathaniel’s

Hope, Making Strides

against Breast Cancer, and

other non-profit organiza-

� ons.

We are proud to have Ni-

cole and Greg as members

of the Leland team and

hope you enjoyed mee� ng

one of our Leland Man-

agement families.

She then took her educa-

tion to work for a doctor’s

office in Winter Park from

2007 to 2014. Here she

became good friends with

a fellow co-worker named

Denise. One day in 2008,

Denise’s son, Greg, came

into the office to be treated

for the flu and Nicole took

care of him during his vis-

it. It was then that Nicole

and Greg first met each

other. Greg was also a

Central Florida na� ve and

a� ended Daytona Beach

Community College where

he graduated in 2002.

For this family focused

edi� on of the insider we

would like to introduce

you to two members of

the Leland Management

team, Nicole and Greg.

Nicole is the manager of

first impressions here at

Leland and Greg is an

integral member of our

gates department; how-

ever, their story goes far

beyond a tale of two co-

workers.

Nicole, born in Riverside,

CA, moved to Orlando

with her family at the

tender age of four. She

then a� ended St. Marga-

ret Mary Catholic School

in Winter Springs un� l

the 8th grade and trans-

ferred to Winter Springs

High School where she

graduated in 2003. A� er

high school she part-

nered with the Ameri-

care School of Nursing to

become a Registered

Medical Assistant.

“Leland is the onlycompany I haveworked for that givesso much back to theiremployees.Its refreshing.”

Leland ManagementVoted Readers’ Choice

Leland Management con� nues to grow to support the needs of our clients. This quarter we welcomed the following team members:

● Erin Eddy ● Will McCormick ● Ayesha Antoine ● Thomas Dondey ● Jennifer Marston ●

● Nora Pacheco ● Angela Walker ● Sarah Roberge ● John Dougherty ● Frank Bochicchio ●

● Jill Morrison ● Valerie Kniffin ● Carol Reed ● Rebecca Strong ● Amy Troupin ●

● Lara Kerr ● Dan Bhumibhark ● Veronica Flores ● Reid Wicker ●

Due to Leland’s reputa� on throughout the state of Florida as a top service provider for community

associa� ons we have experienced tremendous growth in 2014. To accommodate this growth and

con� nue exceeding our client’s expecta� ons we will be opening four new offices in emerging markets.

The Orlando Division welcomes the addi� on of a loca� on in Clermont while the Ocala Division welcomes

a new office in Eus� s, and the Jacksonville Division welcomes an Orange Park office. Leland is also open-

ing a new Divisional office in Sarasota. We look forward to serving community associa� ons in these areas

and thank you for your support in this new venture.

Leland Management is proud to announce that we were

selected by the readers of the Florida Community Associa-

� on Journal as the Pla� num recipient of their second an-

nual Readers Choice Awards. We are especially proud of

this award because our communi� es and board members

took the � me to cast their vote for us.

Before the Holiday:

♦ Check to see if your HOA has a policy

on holiday decora� ons.

♦ Check with your neighbors to find out

what is considered “normal” in your

community.

♦ Review Florida laws on HOA rules and

policies. Some� mes state laws may

override HOA rules.

♦ Consider your neighbors and how your

decora� ons may affect them.

It is the � me of the year when we bring

out our lights and decora� ons to cele-

brate the holiday season. But before you

put up those twinkly lights and wreaths,

make sure you know everything about

your Homeowner Associa� on’s policies

regarding holiday decora� ons. Even

though your home is your property, you

did agree to a specific set of rules and

regula� ons when you joined the associa-

� on.

As a result, the HOA can regulate the us-

age of holiday decora� ons, especially

those placed in common areas.

The main reason for these regula� ons is

to bring the community together. This

means making the winter a great � me for

all local residents, regardless of their reli-

gious affilia� on. The Fair Housing Act and

mul� ple other federal laws prohibit dis-

crimina� on based on religion. Based on

this alone, a HOA can ban religious dis-

plays and decora� ons, or in some cases,

holiday lights in general. The goal is to

make no religion appear dominant in the

community and to make all residents feel

comfortable during the holiday season.

In most cases, homeowners are allowed

to place any decora� ons on their proper-

ty that they choose; however, taking the

extra � me to check with your associa� on

before splurging on holiday decora� ons

can save you from a possible covenant

viola� on.

A� er the Holiday:

♦ Be sure to remove holiday decora-

� ons in a reasonable � meframe.

♦ Consider dona� ng old or unwanted

decora� ons to your community or

neighbors.

• Allyson Todd promoted to Senior

Accoun� ng Manager

• Dus� n Heaton promoted to Senior

Accoun� ng Manager

• Lydia Dominique promoted to

Senior Accoun� ng Manager

• Debbie Pearlman promoted to

Senior Accoun� ng Manager

• Tracey Clement and Greg Ashworth

nominated for OBJ 40 Under 40

Awards

• Jeff Gay promoted to Director of

Sarasota Division.

• Vivian Carvalho promoted to Senior

Community Associa� on Manager

• Greg Buehler promoted to Senior

Community Associa� on Manager

• Doug Harrier earned PCAM

designa� on

Avalon Park's new urbanism

planning made it OBJ readers'

choice for best residen� al

development. The 1,860-acre

community is in southeast

Orlando beside the Econlock-

hatchee River. It has 3,600 sin-

gle family homes and 1,431

mul� family units, plus live/

work units with 1,200 square

feet of ground floor commercial space and 1,800 square feet of living space

above. It also has a 500,000-square-foot town center with eateries, shops and

more.

Tracey Clement , HR Director,

appointed to serve a 3 year term

on the Employers Associa� on

Forum’s Board of Directors and

named Vice President of

Lifestream’s, a non-profit 501(c)

(3), Founda� on Board of Directors.

WELCOME

WAGON

◊ Derby Downs

◊ Wickham Place

◊ Lake Washington

◊ Sebastian Crossings

◊ Mini-Farms

◊ Steven’s Plantation

◊ Harbour Point

◊ Hamilton Park

◊ Beach Community

◊ Tamaya Residential& Master

◊ Sevilla at WorldCommerce

◊ The Sanctuary atRiverview

◊ Terra Costa

◊ Jesup’s Landing

◊ J.P.O Condos

◊ The Arbors

◊ Dora Pines Unit III

◊ Lake Frances Estates

◊ Renar Golf Commu-nities

◊ Lexington Place

◊ Sierra Lakes

◊ Lake MarkhamLandings

Avalon ParkNamed OBJ Readers’ Choice

By: Marilyn Stern

Kalanchoe: This is a large genus with many different

forms. Kalanchose blossfeldiana is one you will see in pots

at big box stores around Mother’s Day. But its quite hap-

py in the garden and blooms profusely several � mes a

year, including in the winter when you probably have the

most guests. More unusual are kalanchoe thrysiflora

(large-leaved and some� mes called flapjacks) and kalan-

choe fedtschenkoi Variegata, which grows to 2 feet tall

with stems that spread out and root along the ground to

form large colonies with fleshy lavender gray-green leaves

with cream-colored variega� on along with scalloped leaf

margins.

Night Blooming Cereus: There are several species withthis name. Some have long, thin stems with large, broad,strap-like leaves; the advantage to these is no spines!Others look more like cac� with tall, thick, columnar stems with spines. Both types produce large, showy,white flowers that open about 10:00 in the evening and close around 10:00 the following morning.

Stapelia Gigantea: The blooms on these low growingplants are called starfish flowers for their 10-inch bloomswith starfish shape. They are also known as carrion orroad-kill plants because the blooms are foul-smelling. Thisis a fascina� ng conversa� on starter of a plant.

If you choose to grow succulents in containers, you have ahuge variety from which to choose. Start with a shallow,preferably terra co� a container with good drainage holes. Choose several succulents in contras� ng forms, textures, and colors, and place them in well-drained po� ng mix. For a finishing touch, top the soil surface with gravel.

The best thing about succulents is their self-sufficiency.These are plants that allow you to be lazy. If you are � me-stressed, frequently away, or have limited mobility, succu-lents allow you to garden on your own terms.

Succulents are a group of plants with thick, fleshy stems,

leaves, or roots designed to hold water. The broad term suc-

culent describes plants from many different plant families

that store water against � mes of drought in specialized � s-

sues, whether in fleshy leaves (such as those on a jade

plant), stems (as with most cac� ), or a bulbous stem-root

structure known as a caudex. Because succulents have

adapted to survive in dry condi� ons, they don’t need much

supplemental water. Easy to care for and drought-tolerant,

they come in all kinds of interes� ng forms, textures, and

colors. All cac� are succulents, as are agaves, aloes, and

many euphorbias.

In Florida’s rainy, humid climate, most succulents grow best

in containers. But there are some that are suitable for

plan� ng beds, notably larger varie� es. Be sure to use heavy

gloves and eye protec� on, as needed, when plan� ng any

par� cularly spiny succulents. When removing larger spiny

succulents from the pots you purchased them in, you may

find it helpful to wrap them with thick collars of newspaper

so you can handle them without ge� ng scratched by the

spines. You may even find some of the spines are barbed,

like a fishhook, and aren’t easily removed from your skin.

Some of the succulents suitable for your garden beds might

be:

Agave: This plant generally takes the form of a stemless ro-

se� e. Victoria-reginae is a lovely example that grows to

about one foot in size. You probably should not consider

plan� ng the century plants; both the blue and the variegat-

ed green and white grow quickly to an unmanageable size,

and the spines are a hazard to you or anyone else working,

or even just walking, in your garden.

Yucca: This is a type of flowering succulent not actually a

cactus, but o� en called a cactus. Once established, they

bloom quite dependably each year with tall stalks of white

flowers. Yuccas are very hardy.

Crown of Thorns: This slow-growing shrub is true to its

name with LOTS of thorns; but if you want color in your

succulent garden, you will enjoy this plant. It can be found

with pink or white flowers, but red is the most common and

the showiest. It flowers non-stop, year round. Growing from

3 to 5 feet tall, it can get bi� en by frost but usually comes

back.

On November 15, 2014 Tradi� ons Clubhouse of Winter Haven held a Military Ball to honor

all the United States Military Veterans in their community who have served our coun-

try. The veterans, who were complimentary guests, were treated to a video presenta� on

containing photos of the Veterans while they were ac� ve duty, followed by a current photo

for recogni� on. Following was a short video en� tled "I'm Proud to be an American". In the

back of the ballroom sat a beau� ful display of memorabilia that our Veterans and their

spouses provided from every branch of service as well as a “Missing Man” table in honor of

our heroes who did not make it home. Cornerstone Hospice gave a special presenta� on where each veter-

an was called by name, saluted, honored for their service and received a cer� ficate and pin. Tradi� onal Mili-

tary Ball protocol was observed as we saluted the American Flag, offered a Invoca� on, and shared in a toast

to the United States and our Veterans. Over 140 guests were in a� endance. Longhorn Steak House in Win-

ter Haven, catered the meal and The Dukes provided entertainment for the

evening. At Tradi� ons, and throughout all of our communi� es,

these men and women who served definitely make us proud to

be Americans.

Leland is Making Strides in the FightAgainst Breast Cancer

The Leland Management team has once again joined the fight against breast

cancer in Orange, Brevard and Lake Coun� es. Throughout the months of

September and October the team hosted a yard sale, pancake breakfast,

silent auc� on, and an ’80s themed gala to raise proceeds to benefit the Amer-

ican Cancer Society. A number of team members also par� cipated in the

MSABC walks in Orlando, Ocala and Brevard and collec� vely completed 128

miles to help raise awareness. We are proud to say

that Leland Management was among the top 5 com-

panies par� cipa� ng in the MSABC walk having raised

$20,577.92 and enjoyed silver strider status in 2014.

Closed Entrance Gates:Frequently Asked Ques� ons

Now that the front gates will remain closed throughout the en� re day, 7 days a week, what does this mean?

This means that the gates will be programmed to stay closed all of the � me, allowing residents and authorized

guests to enter your community. Please make sure you keep your private code with you at all � mes.

How do my guests enter the community? Guests will pull up to the keypad at the front gate and search the di-

rectory for your name. They will see a number (not your phone number) on the display and enter it on the key-

pad. The gate computer will dial the landline home number you have provided to Leland Management and con-

nect you to the guest through a speaker phone at the gate. Press “9” on your touch tone phone to allow the

guest to enter. If you do not wish to allow access, just hang up. If you do not have your name set up and you

have a local number, please contact the gates department to apply for one.

My house is up on the market for sale. What code should I give so that realtors can show the property? Pleaseemail Leland Management at [email protected] for a code to provide to the realtor. Please notethis code will be linked to your property so it is important that it is given only to reputable realtors who are ac-� ve on your property.

What about delivery vendors such as Fed Ex, the US Postal Service, DHL, etc. They must use the vendor code.

Leland sends out no� fica� on le� ers but the informa� on does not always get communicated internally to the

drivers. It some� mes takes a few weeks to transi� on with all of the drivers of various vendors. If you are ex-

pec� ng a delivery, please help to communicate that you live in a gated community and provide the vendor code.

What about my lawn service? If you have any private

home services (i.e., lawn, pest control, pool service, wa-

ter delivery, etc.) that will require entry to our commu-

nity and you will not be home to give access, please pro-

vide them with the vendor code.

What about the pizza delivery, etc. Vendors such as this

should call you using the directory at the front entrance,

it is not advised to give them a code.

Can emergency vehicles get in? Yes, they have been

given special gate access codes to use. In addi� on, the

gate will open when it senses their emergency lights or their yelping sirens directly in front of the reader (not

just passing by).

Have more unanswered ques� ons about the gate? Contact [email protected] or call (407) 781-1169 for assistance.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We Want to Hear from You!

Does your community have a story or photos of an event you would like to share? Send usyour photos and stories to [email protected] and check us out on ourFacebook, Twi� er, LinkedIn, and WordPress.

1. Make Elf Footprints - A� er the kids are in bed on Christmas Eve, leave atrail of prints from the fireplace or front door through the living room.To make them, cut two sponges inthe shape of small shoeprints, thendip them in a plate of “elfdust” (flour, baby powder, carpet deodorizer). The prints always stopat the tray of cookies and milk le� out for Santa and some� mes they are a bit naughty and play with thepresents.

2. Surprise Your Neighbors withTreats - To bring your communitycloser try doing 12 days of secretsurprises for a neighbor, bringingthe appropriate number of goodies— one on the first day to twelve on the twel� h day. You can keep your iden� ty a secret or choose to reveal yourself on any of the 12 days.

3. Help the Needy - Teaching our chil-dren the true spirit of the Holidays andthat there is more to life than ge� ng a Sony Play Sta� on is a great tradi� on. Consider limi� ng gi� s to one per child and one gi� to share with someone in need. Another op� on is to donate your � me to a charity or soup kitchen.

4. Start an Ornament Collec� on - EveryChristmas buy an ornament to cele-brate something that happened thatyear. For example, buy a wedding orna-ment no� ng the year you got married or for the year you graduated from col-lege get one with a diploma. Your fami-ly will look forward to unwrapping theornaments every year and remember-ing why you bought them.

5. Learn About Other Cultures - Take thefamily to the library and have eachperson pick out a story about Christ-mas or holidays in other cultures. Thenon Christmas Eve everyone reads (orhas an adult read) their story, finishing up with the holiday your family cele-brates.

Back Row: Daniel, Travis, David, ColinFront Row: Erica, Alexis, Landon, Rebecca

Leland Management is well known as an industry leaderin the community associa� on management field. What is less known about Leland is that it has always been a fam-ily owned company. The Furlow family has owned Lelandsince 1997 growing it from humble beginnings into oneof Florida’s premier community associa� on manage-ment firms.

Rebecca Furlow, President and CEO, began LelandManagement with one employee and 8 communi� es. Under her leadership Leland has grown to be one of the most respected management firms in Flori-da, managing over 440 communi� es with 300+ employees and 17 offices throughout the state. This growth has primarily been driven by word-of-mouth referrals from exis� ng clients who appreciate the high level of service provided by Leland. Rebecca has been driven by her mission to have Lelandbecome the best management company in Florida. She has lead the company in achieving this goalby demonstra� ng hard work, dedica� on, a great a� tude, a focus on con� nuing educa� on, team-work, honesty, leadership, and community involvement. Personally, Rebecca follows the same phi-losophy she set forth for Leland. “I have never wanted us to be the biggest management company. Ihave always wanted us to be the best management company and we believe our growth has resulted

from this focus.” She is focused on being the best person profession-ally and personally that she can be (including her newest role as agrandmother to Landon her one year old grandson).

In 2005, due to the tremendous growth of the company, David Fur-low, joined Leland as the Chief Opera� ng Officer bringing with him 25 years of experience as a CPA and CFO of a large Florida corpora� on. David's focus on sound management principles and accoun� ng expe-rience combined with Rebecca's focus on customer service and teamwork make the perfect balance which con� nues to drive the growth of Leland today.

Throughout the years, Rebecca and David have always maintainedthe family ownership and atmosphere, welcoming and encouraging

their children to become a part of the company. David and Rebecca’sthree sons Colin, Travis and Daniel all have been or are currently in-volved with the company.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

David and Rebecca celebratingtheir grandson Landon’s firstbirthday.

The oldest son Colin, a Licensed Community Associa� on manager with a de-gree in Computer Science from the University of California at Santa Cruz,joined Leland in 2013. Prior to joining Leland Management, Colin was a Cap-tain in the U.S. Army serving in Psychological Opera� ons (Psy-Ops) under theSpecial Opera� ons Command where he served three tours of duty in the Mid-dle East including two in Iraq.

Middle son Travis is also a Licensed Community Associa� on Manager who worked at Leland for several years as a community manager and in the assess-ment and gates departments. In 2012, Travis partnered with childhood friend

to form Exclusive Construc� on and Maintenance. They recently expanded into the gate and ac-cess systems with the forma� on of Exclusive Gates and Access. His community management background has allowed him to understand the special requirements and challenges facing com-munity associa� ons and the day to day requirements for maintenance and managing access sys-tems.

Daniel also recently joined Leland in 2013 as a Director of Finance. Daniel is a CPA with a Master’sDegree in Accoun� ng and Finance from Florida State University. Out of college he joined the accoun� ng firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers and then the corporate finance department of a na� onal public company. At Leland Daniel is responsible for the accoun� ng department, internal control, systems and opera� onal improvement.

Family involvement compliments Leland’s strong team ofassocia� on managers, accountants and support staff and reinforces the values of a family owned company. “Beinga family owned business has been very important to thesuccess of our company. Although we are large enough tohave all the resources of a na� onal company, we are also able to maintain the flexibility and accountability of a family owned private company. We maintain a personalinterest in the success of our communi� es and our staff. We are readily accessible should an issue arise or quickdecision is needed. This is one of the areas that sets usapart from other management companies.”Rebecca Furlow, President Leland Management

The family � es run strong at Leland and con� nue on throughout the extended “Leland Team”. All Leland employees are considered part of the Leland family and work together for the commongoal of providing the highest levels of service to all of the communi� es we serve. “It is because of our strong sense of family that Leland is able to succeed. We pull together when necessary tosupport each other or get the job done.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

On November 25th, 2014 nearly 250 individuals gathered at 8:00 a.m. in the

Town Center of Avalon park to take part in the annual 5k Turkey Trot

hosted by the Avalon Park Founda� on. Registra� on fees were $15 or a food

dona� on of similar value. Together the Avalon Park Founda� on and Proper-

ty Owner’s Associa� on collected enough food to feed 300 families or

approximately 1500 people. All of the food was donated to the Woodbury

food pantry organized by the Woodbury Presbyterian Church. The race

lasted throughout the morning to allow everyone to finish; however, the

winner of the turkey trot completed the 5k in 19 minutes and 23 seconds.

Overall this event was a huge success and all par� cipants were able to work

off some Thanksgiving calories in a fun community event that benefited a

great cause.

6972 Lake Gloria Blvd

Orlando, FL 32809

407.447.9955 ph

407-447-9899 fax

www.LelandManagement.com

12

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Avalon Park Hosts Annual 5k Turkey Trot