Vantaca and Maegan Woytek are proud to present Guilty By Association's new segment that will deliver you the news you need to know happening across the industry! We plan to bring you all the critical news, regulatory shifts, market shifts and operational insights that are impacting your business every week, so you can stay ahead of it.

What you need to know for this week's episode:

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Georgia is going nuclear on HOA reform. Senate Bill 406 would double the foreclosure threshold to $4,000 and ban management companies from buying homes at foreclosure auctions. That's just one bill. Two others want to strip foreclosure power completely and let homeowners vote to dissolve their HOAs. This is the most aggressive reform push we've seen in any state.

Insurance is eating everyone's lunch right now. Premiums are up 24% since 2021, and 82% of homeowners are bracing for another increase this year. This isn't just a homeowner problem. It's an HOA problem. Associations in Florida and other climate-risk states are seeing insurance costs become a bigger line item than maintenance. And with everyone expecting climate damage in the next three years, reserve planning just got a whole lot more complicated.

And one more positive note: We're still growing. The Foundation for Community Association Research expects 4,000 new HOAs this year, bringing the total to 377,000 associations serving 80 million Americans.

In the Season 3 premiere of Guilty by Association, host Ben Currin (CEO of Vantaca) sits down for a transformative conversation with Zack Kass, the former Head of Go-to-Market (GTM) at OpenAI.

As the head of GTM during the launch of ChatGPT, who helped bridge the gap between OpenAI’s research and the global launch of ChatGPT, Zack provides a unique, techno-optimist perspective on the future of work and community. This episode explores the core thesis of Zack’s new book, The Next Renaissance (released Jan 13, 2026), and introduces the concept of "The Human Premium."

In this episode, we dive deep into:

1. The OpenAI Legacy: Inside the GTM strategy that brought AI to 100 million users and what it taught Zack about human nature.
2. The "Human Premium" Theory: Why the commoditization of digital intelligence through LLMs makes physical-world connection the most valuable asset of the next decade.
3. The End of Utility Software: How industries like community management are moving toward "Intelligent Ecosystems" that prioritize human leadership over administrative noise.
4. A New Renaissance: Why Zack believes AI is the catalyst for a return to thriving local communities and meaningful human connection.

Whether you are a tech leader, a community builder, or a professional navigating the shift from software to intelligence, this conversation provides the roadmap for thriving in the AI era.

About Zack Kass: Zack Kass is a global AI futurist and strategic advisor to the Fortune 100. During his tenure at OpenAI, he led the Go-to-Market team, shaping the commercial trajectory of the most significant technological shift in history. His book, The Next Renaissance, is available now.

Today on Guilty by Association, Kathleen sits down with Sarah Hudson (Director of Continuous Improvement at Inframark)—a self-described problem solver who has literally spent half her life in this industry. Sarah traces her path from temporary admin to PM lead to CI director, and shares how project management principles, tiny habits, and a renewed focus on wellness can transform the way we lead at work and live at home.

They dig into building an onboarding program from scratch, why “progress over perfection” beats all-or-nothing health kicks, how to start with low-hanging-fruit habits (water, steps, smarter takeout), and the surprising ways sobriety and running unlocked long-term consistency. If your calendar is chaos and your energy is up-and-down, this one’s a blueprint.

• Careers aren’t linear: saying “yes” to interesting problems can create a 20-year arc across ops, AR, software integrations, and leadership.
• Onboarding = a project: treat new-client onboarding like mini projects with clear lifecycle, owners, and checkpoints.
• Start small to stick big: audit one week of life, pick two low-effort wins (e.g., +water, −one takeout), and track for 3–4 weeks.
• Intentional steps > magic numbers: break movement into short walks you can actually do; consistency beats intensity.
• Protein helps adherence: prioritizing protein supports satiety and muscle maintenance while you improve other habits.
• Progress over perfection: miss a day? Reset tomorrow. The goal is autopilot foundations, not a 90-day sprint.
• Leadership lesson: empower people—and explicitly hand off ownership so they know it’s theirs to run.

Sarah Hudson is Director of Continuous Improvement at Inframark. A PMP-certified project leader, she partners across departments to streamline processes, elevate client value, and coach teams through change. Outside work, Sarah is an avid runner and wellness advocate.

Host: Maegen Woytek, Director of Community Engagement at Vantaca

Guest: Adoni Kokkinos, CEO of Newell Property Management, Naples, FL

Episode Overview:

In this episode of Guilty by Association, Maegen Woytek chats with Adoni Kokkinos, CEO of Newell Property Management, about one of the toughest challenges facing community management companies today: finding—and keeping—great people.

Adoni shares how his team recruits new talent directly from universities across the country, and how they use location, culture, and career pathing to sell not just the job, but the lifestyle of community management. From training programs inspired by Disney to long-format interviews on the beach, this episode is packed with creative, actionable recruiting strategies.

• Why community management has a recruiting problem—and how to fix it
• How Newell uses Naples itself as a recruiting tool
• What “career pathing” really looks like for new grads
• Tips for turning community management into a lifestyle choice
• How structured onboarding (like Newell Academy) impacts performance and retention
• What other firms can learn—no matter their location

Want to turn recruiting into a competitive advantage?

Learn how Vantaca’s Community Management Performance Software supports hiring, onboarding, and retention.

👉 Visit vantaca.com

In this episode of Guilty by Association, Maegan Woytek sits down with Catie Marks, President at May Management, to talk about the real-world side of running a high-performing HOA management team.

With over a decade of experience in community management, Catie shares her journey from portfolio manager to president—and the lessons she’s learned along the way about building trust, optimizing workflows, and keeping people at the heart of every decision.

🔍 What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How Catie structures processes to improve team performance
• Why communication, consistency, and documentation are make-or-break
• The power of listening before leading—and why small improvements add up
• How Vantaca’s tasking and dashboards help eliminate chaos
• Why leadership in CAM is about empathy just as much as efficiency

Whether you’re a community manager, team lead, or CAM executive, this conversation offers practical insights you can apply today.

🔗 Want to learn how Vantaca supports operational excellence

Visit www.vantaca.com to explore workflows, automation, and performance tools that power scalable community management.

🎧 Subscribe to Guilty by Association and leave us a review if you enjoyed the show!

In this episode of Guilty By Association, we sit down with Haoyu Zha, the founder of HOAi, to explore the inspiring origin story of how a frustrated HOA board member turned his pain points into purpose—and ultimately, innovation.

From a hands-on journey managing communities to launching an AI-driven assistant designed to streamline operations, Hao reveals how HOAi went from a bold idea to a transformational technology now embedded within Vantaca.

Learn how this next-gen AI agent is not just automating processes, but enabling management companies to shift from reactive task-handling to proactive, relationship-focused service delivery. We also dive into real-world success stories—from major gains in accounting department efficiency to smaller firms elevating homeowner response times—and discuss why now is the time to adopt AI before evolving expectations leave others behind.

What You'll Learn:

• The real problem HOAi was built to solve
• Why traditional software alone wasn't enough
• How HOAi and Vantaca form a powerful performance ecosystem
• The future of community management through the lens of scalable AI

Whether you're an industry veteran or just starting to explore what's next, this episode is packed with strategic insights you can’t afford to miss.

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Guilty by Association, Eddie Key sits down with Peter Greaves, Founder and CEO of EJF Real Estate Services, to explore how one of the most respected names in community management is scaling operations, transforming culture, and leading the charge into the AI-driven future of the industry.

From humble beginnings answering phones during college to building a multi-market, culture-first company, Peter shares the story behind EJF’s growth, leadership philosophy, and intentional approach to acquisitions. He offers an unfiltered look at how to scale with purpose, preserve values through expansion, and equip teams with the right tech to elevate both client service and operational efficiency.

They also dive into EJF’s early adoption of HOAi, the impact of AI on accounts payable and service response times, and why Peter believes the next five years will bring the most dramatic shift the industry has seen in decades.

What You’ll Learn:

• How EJF scaled from a family-run rental division into a regional powerhouse
• The role of leadership development and cultural alignment in successful acquisitions
• Why intentional growth matters more than fast growth
• How Vantaca and HOAi are transforming operations—from AP to real-time customer support
• What the future of the property manager role looks like in an AI-enabled world
• Peter’s blueprint for breaking through the growth ceiling without burning out

In this episode of Guilty by Association, host Eddie Key sits down with seasoned recruiting expert Sam Morton to explore what it really takes to attract and retain top-tier talent in the community management industry.

From overcoming burnout and boosting candidate engagement to refining your interview process and understanding what today's job seekers really want—this episode is packed with actionable insights for anyone building or scaling a team. Whether you're an owner/operator, HR leader, or community management professional, you’ll walk away with real-world strategies to strengthen your recruiting game and elevate your team’s performance.

🛠 What You’ll Learn:

• How to stand out in a competitive hiring market
• What candidates value most (spoiler: it's not just salary)
• Tips for improving onboarding and long-term retention
• How recruiting directly impacts your company culture and growth

It’s honest, practical, and perfect for anyone in the community management space looking to build a team that performs.

🔗 Subscribe, share, and let us know what you think!