Over the last few months, we have been highlighting major advancements within C.I.A. Services which will enhance our organizational structure and the services we provide to our communities. Over the last three months we announced the relocation of our North Office, described great new technology we are implementing and introduced our Customer Service Center opening early next year.

• North Office Relocation
• New Technology
• Customer Service Center
• Paperless Operations
• Centralized Accounting
• New Support Office Opening

Our newest initiative is moving towards a paperless operation. The amount of paper we generate is staggering. Each year we make 1,000,000 copies and print 300,000 pages from our laser printers and fax machines. Some of that paper is mailed, some is filed and some goes in the trash. Eventually, most of it ends up in a land fill somewhere. Each year, the paper we use would stack almost as high as the Williams Tower near the Galleria.

While we will never eliminate paper, we will be drastically reducing our internal use. We are now making changes to our management software which will automatically generate PDF images of all of our internal accounting reports. Our software will place the reports into virtual filing cabinets for easy review or distribution. We will be able to hand CPA auditors a CD with all of the financial transactions and backup for the year.

Communications to and from residents will be similarly imaged and stored in virtual filing cabinets. For example, when an owner submits a Home Improvement Request, it will be manually scanned to a PDF image. These images can be emailed to the ACC members to eliminate mailing delays. Once the ACC makes a decision, the response letter will be automatically generated as an image and appended to the original PDF request. All of the items that we normally process and file for owners will instead be scanned and virtually filed.

The efficiencies of paperless operations are great. Prior to our move into our new North Office, we scanned the files for every property in every community managed out of our North Office. This was a major undertaking over several months but we eliminated 60 file cabinets of records! Those files are now readily available from every computer in our office. Paperless operations reduces the amount of time it takes to file papers and retrieve paper. Since our software will do the virtual filing, we don't have to worry about misfiled information. If we need to provide information to a resident, board member or attorney, the information is immediately available for emailing.

Next month we'll review our move towards centralized accounting and how that will benefit every community we manage.

"Nothing Happens Unless First A Dream" - Carl Sandburg

After 19 wonderful years at the same location for our North Office, we had to relocate. The owner of the building, Lake Houston Church of the Nazarene (LHCN), needed the space for their growing congregation. We are now located on the 2nd floor of the brand new four story Citizens Bank Building just 7 miles west of LHCN.

We shut down operations at the North Office on Thursday, October 25th and were back in business the following Monday. We've been here for several weeks now and are really started to feel at home.

The new office is just over 8,000 square feet and provides plenty of room for our existing and future staff. We increased the size of our conference room as well and look forward to hosting our Seminar Series classes with even more students. Our new space also has a separate "Call Center" that is the base for up to ten Customer Service Representatives dedicated to helping the residents of our communities.

Feel free to drop by at any time. Directions are on our web site.

The C.I.A. Services 10th Annual Hockey Night with the Houston Aeros is coming up on Saturday, February 2nd. This is a great, annual event where we invite our community leaders, friends and families to join us for a fun night of hockey. There will be lots of door prizes including the third in the series of our popular cowbell collectible.

Our 500 cheering fans always get noticed. And this is where you come in. Our hometown team has been struggling early this season to stay out of the division basement. They need our fans - they need our cowbells!

Join us on February 2nd to see the Houston Aeros take on the Quad City Flames. The Aeros are the farm team for the NHL's Minnesota Wild and the Flames are the farm team for Calgary Flames.

Check out photos of the fun from the last five years on the Library page of our web site or just click the years here: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007.

So mark your calendar for February 2nd and look for the official announcement and invitation in December.

The C.I.A. Services Electricity Savings Program (ESP) with Tara Energy continues to save money for our communities and residents. We created the program last year to take advantage of electricity deregulation in Texas. If you or your community hasn't made a change in your Retail Electric Provider, take a look at how ESP can save you money without any hidden surprises.

ESP is saving money for our clients and the residents in our communities. Those that signed on when we introduced our program last October have locked in rates for up to four years. Commercial accounts (i.e. the community common areas) have rates as low as 6.95 cents per kwh. Currently, residential accounts can lock in for 3 years at 9.10 cents per kwh. All new accounts receive a $25 credit on their first bill.

For more information on ESP including current rates and options, click here. So what are you waiting for? Think ESP and save!

We are proud of every one of our communities so it is always hard to find just one to highlight. We start by having each of our Community Managers write a nomination for one of their communities. We then read them and take a vote. Here are our most recent selections:

• November — Vicksburg Community Association
  Southwest Office — Leslie Baldwin, Community Manager
• October — Crystal Lake Property Owners Association
  Southwest Office — Margaret Eckhardt, Community Manager
• September — Westfield Glen Property Owners Association
  North Office — Evelyn Abram, Community Manager

To see the full story on these communities and to see the past winners, visit the Community of the Month page on our web site.

C.I.A Services continues to grow as more communities hear about our unique approach to community association management. We would like to welcome our newest clients that have come on board in the last three months.

• Cypresswood Lake Community Association — North Office — Kim Easterling, Community Manager
• Courtyard Westway Homeowners Association — Southwest Office — Tony Victorino, Community Manager
• Fairway Place Homeowners Association — Southwest Office — Libby Hodges, Community Manager
• Heron Nest Owners Association — North Office — Shelly Brady, Community Manager
• Hunters Green Homeowners Association — Southwest Office — Tina Jameson, Community Manager
• Morningside Place Homeowners Association — Southwest Office — Tony Victorino, Community Manager
• New Forest Homeowners Association — North Office — Diane Santos, Community Manager
• Westfield Forest Homeowners Association — North Office — Olga Martinez, Community Manager

Every month we appreciate the communities that are celebrating their anniversaries with us. Here are our clients that started with us in November.

• Heather Ridge Homeowners Association — 16 years
• Lochshire Maintenance Fund Inc — 14 years
• Atascocita West Community Improvement Association — 10 years
• Community Association of the Highlands — 10 years
• Southdown Community Association — 9 years
• Pine Brook Community Association — 7 years
• Plantation at Woodforest Community Association — 7 years
• Greatwood Commercial Owners Association — 6 years
• Legends Run Homeowners Association — 4 years
• Lake Shore Harbour Community Association — 4 years
• Oak Park Ridge Homeowners Association — 4 years
• Silver Ridge Homeowners Association — 4 years
• The Stable Gate Homeowners' Association — 3 years

Our goal has always been to create a positive, long term relationship with all of our client communities. We are very proud to be managing all of these communities.

• Congratulations to Brenda Alvarez, our Office Manager and a Community Manager at our North Office, on her 19th anniversary with our company.
• Congratulations to Ed Barnett, a Maintenance Coordinator at our Southwest Office, on his 8th anniversary with our company.
• Community Manager Olga Martinez has transferred from our Southwest Office to our North Office.
• We welcome five new employees. Gina Victor has joined our Southwest Office as a Community Manager. Farrah Dickens and Maria Casas are now part of our new, dedicated Customer Service Center team. Hollis Whiteside is the new Activities Coordinator for Eagle Springs. And Ann Tate is now providing staff support at our North Office.

Brenda Alvarez		Ed Barnett		Olga Martinez
Gina Victor		Farrah Dickens		Maria Casas		Hollis Whiteside		Ann Tate