FLCAJ Celebrates 35 Years!

By FLCAJ Staff / Published January 2022

As 2022 has arrived the Florida Community Association Journal (FLCAJ) is excited and thankful to be celebrating its 35th year in print. We wanted to take this opportunity to share a little about the publication’s origins and how we arrived at where we are today.

January 1987—1st issue of Managers Report (started as an 8-page newsletter)

     In January 1987, Managers Report (as FLCAJ was known then) debuted as an eight-page newsletter, hand addressed, stamped, and mailed to managers in and around the Palm Beach area. Ivor and Marcia Thomas were managers who had the desire to help other managers through education. While it started out as managers helping managers, it started to grow to include boards of directors helping other boards of directors.

     By 2001, when publisher Charlene Yarbrough of Advantage Publishing purchased Managers Report, it had grown from an eight-page newsletter to a 64-page magazine. In January 2004, the name was changed to Florida Community Association Journal because it was recognized as a resource that not only helped CAMs but had also expanded to provide helpful information to boards of directors as well.

     Some of the exciting features that have been added to the magazine, with the goal of ongoing education of community association leaders, have been Communities of Excellence, Readers’ Choice Awards, the Salary and Information Survey, and Women Making a Difference, to name a few. In addition, the many advertising partners provide content that educates community association leaders on topics ranging from legal, financial, and management advice to maintenance, renovation, and reconstruction.

     In 2019 Richard and Dana Johns stepped into the publisher’s role for FLCAJ. They have been excited to grow the magazine readership and offer expanded educational opportunities through online training. Later this year, FLCAJ will feature its first “Products and Services Showcase.” This will provide boards and CAMs with an additional opportunity to improve their standard of care for the communities in which they reside and manage.

     We’re grateful to celebrate 35 years, and we look forward to what 2022 will bring.