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 CARDINAL CHRONICLES

35th Anniversary Edition
Spring 2016  
CEO and Founder's Message
Susan Naples
  
Sometimes when we reflect on the past, we think, "Gee, where has the time gone?" As I look back on 35 years of Cardinal's operations, I know exactly where the time has gone.

It crawled by during the bumpy, early years in the mid-1980s when we had three desks in a small office in Santa Ana, signing with our first clients. We joined CAI shortly after, and we've been partnering with them ever since.

Time sped by through the years we experienced our first growth spurt in our office in Tustin, when we started to hire more staff. It flashed by through our two decades of continuous, measured growth in Anaheim, with additional clients and additional staff members. We learned that we all needed to learn more.

As a founding member and former director of the professional trade association California Association of Community Managers, Inc. (CACM), I participated in the establishment of the standards for our industry in California.

Last year we moved our offices back to Santa Ana, the city of our roots. Much has changed during the past 35 years, from the way we conduct business to the tools we use to achieve our goals. I'm proud of our achievements and our ability to change with the times, keeping abreast of legislative and technological changes as well as the changes in the needs of our communities.

I'm also proud of the one thing that has never changed. We still operate every day on the foundation of our original core values:

1. Service-we treat all our clients as if they are our only client.
2. Commitment-we dedicate our working lives to helping our boards improve the quality of life in their associations.
3. Ethics-we operate with the utmost ethical and legal standards and help our clients do the same. 

We know it is because of our valued clients that we are still in business after 35 years, and we gratefully look forward to the next 35 years!
Susan Naples
CEO & Founder
 
 
 
How Did Cardinal Get Its Name?
 
"I always wished we had some glamorous or meaningful story behind how we decided to call the company, Cardinal," said Founder and CEO Susan Naples.
  
"If anyone can think of one we could adopt, let me know.
  
"The truth is, three of us were sitting around a desk in the wee hours of the morning when we were establishing our new company, and we were tossing around possible names. We wanted a name that would portray a positive image, be memorable, and near the front of the alphabet for our Yellow Pages listing.
  
We tossed around a lot of names, made our list, and the next day I headed to Los Angeles to the Secretary of State's office to research if those names were available for use. Those were the days well before the Internet could tell us the answers in 5 seconds.
  
"Cardinal" was available so we took it, and 35 years later Cardinal is still flying."


A Peek At 1981
  
What else happened in 1981 besides Cardinal opening its doors for the first time?
  
  • MTV debuted.
  • Chariots of Fire received the Academy Award for Best Picture.
  • The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the World Series.
  • The San Francisco 49ers beat the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl.
  • The average gas price was $1.35.
  • Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes topped the song charts.
  • The Dow Jones closed the year at 875.
  • Ronald Reagan was president of the United States.
  • Sandra Day O'Connor was nominated to become the first female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

 
 
2016
   
1981
Thank You from CEO and Founder Susan Naples

"I am grateful every day for our unparalleled family of staff members who work tirelessly to ensure that our board and committee members have the most effective tools with which to govern their communities.
From hosting free board education classes to keeping up to date on the latest legislative changes that affect community management to attending to their board's needs, our account managers provide a continuous stream of support to every community we serve.

Our administrative and accounting staffs work hand-in-glove with our management team and clients to ensure that our processes are efficient and effective for our valued clients.

To our clients, board members, committee members, supporting organizations, and business partners, we know we would not be here without you. You are the reason we come to work every day. You are the reason we have food on our tables.

Thank you for your 35 years of unflagging support. Here's to the next 35!"
  

Thank You, Business Partners!
  
The old saying, "No man is an island" certainly holds true for companies that are based on providing services. Without our trusted business partners, we could not have 35 successful years of history offering superlative services to our clients.

From landscapers to lawyers, from rooters to roofers, we appreciate all our business partners who so ably serve our clients and communities. Many of our valued partnerships have also become valued friendships. We support each other in our charitable works and our fund-raising projects. Thank you to all our business partners who team with us every day!

 
 
 
Cardinal and CAI - A Supportive Partnership
  
As Cardinal is celebrating our 35th anniversary this year, the Orange County Regional Chapter of Community Associations Institute (CAI-OCRC) is celebrating its 40th anniversary. 
Cardinal joined this important organization in 1984, and we've been supporting each other ever since. CAI-OCRC provides education, networking, resources, and advocacy for community associations and the professionals and volunteers who serve them.
  
In addition to educational and certification opportunities, CAI- OCRC gives us the opportunity to further serve the communities in which we work and live. Cardinal has a long history of volunteering on such committees as the Outreach Committee, which enables us to    participate in opportunities such as donating books to children, backpacks of school supplies, food to the Orange County Food Bank, toys to Olive Crest Children's Home, and helping with local beach cleanup projects.
  
Also through CAI-OCRC, our managers have all either earned or are earning vital national professional designations. These certifications enable us to offer the best of the best to our valued clients.

Many of our account managers have the privilege of serving on Chapter Committees, and give of themselves and their private time to help others. Cardinal President Farrah Esquer served two terms on the Board of Directors in the positions of Secretary (2012), President-Elect (2013), President (2014) and Past President (2015). CAI bestowed upon Ms. Esquer the prestigious John C. Kubas Manager of the Year award for 2009, the 2011 Author of the Year Award, the 2011 Speaker of the Year Award, and the 2012 Outstanding Service Award for her dedication to the Chapter. In 2015, Ms Esquer was nominated for CAI's Chapter Appreciation award.



Thank you to CAI-OCRC for helping our industry. It's been great partnering with you for the past 32 years, and we look forward to our continued relationship!





 

 

 
 
In This Issue
Message from CEO Susan Naples
How Did Cardinal Get Its Name
A Peek at 1981
Thank You from CEO and Founder Susan Naples
Thank You, Business Partners!
Cardinal and CAI - A Supportive Partnership
Cardinal's Champion for a Cause
Giving Back
Join CAI
Cardinal on the Fly
Thank You, Valued Clients!
Help Cardinal Fly Farther in 2016 and Receive a Discount for Your Association
Cardinal's Champions for a Cause 

Cardinal's Champion for a Cause (CCC) is an internal Cardinal program that allows employees and the company to team up to donate money to the employees' favorite charitable organizations throughout the year. Employees who participate in Casual Friday dress day each week donate a small sum of money to do so. Cardinal matches the collected funds, and a participating employee's name is randomly chosen during a staff meeting. That employee selects the charity to receive the donation.
 
Dominique Zarate, Office Manager, was chosen to direct first donation of the year. She named the Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County as the recipient. Her nephew, Cardinal President Farrah Esquer's 8 year-old son, was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2014. "He has now been seizure free for one year, and our whole family is grateful for the work of the Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County," said Dominique.
Giving Back
 
Ever mindful and grateful to the people and circumstances that have enabled Cardinal to thrive and succeed for thirty-five years, Cardinal and its staff members proudly support charities and local families throughout Orange County.
 
In memory of staff and family members who have fought and lost their war on cancer, and in support of those who are fighting today, Cardinal has maintained a long relationship with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Teaming with our families, vendors and other business partners, we hold fund-raising events all year, leading up to the local LLS Walk at Anaheim Stadium.
Over the decades, members of Team Cardinal have participated in 5- and 10-k races, as well as half and full marathons, all in support of a wide variety of charitable organizations.
 
Cardinal team members give of themselves in myriad ways year after year. Partnering with others in our industry, we clean beaches; and provide food, clothing, and books to needy families throughout Orange County. At Thanksgiving, our Cardinal family provides food for as many hungry Orange County families as possible. And at the end of every year, Cardinal team members (many with small children of their own) give food, money, and gifts anonymously to a family in need.
Yes, 35 years in business is an accomplishment to be celebrated and, equally as important, are our Cardinal family's humanity and acts of kindness.

Cardinal on the Fly
You live your life on the fly. Now Cardinal-Online can flit with you wherever you go. We are proud to announce that Cardinal Property Management's website is available now on smart phones and tablets.

 

 

Cardinal on the Fly! is active now, just as you are.

Thank You, Valued Clients!
From our first client in April of 1981 to our most recent client in April of 2016, we have never taken for granted that our clients are the reason we are in business.

The same year MTV splashed onto the scene and became a cultural icon, Cardinal Property Management also debuted that month, and 35 years later both are still going strong.

Although both MTV and Cardinal have grown and changed with the times, we still operate every day on the foundation of our core values.

1. Service-we treat all our clients as if they are our only client.

2. Commitment-we dedicate our working lives to helping them improve the quality of life in their association.

3. Ethics-we operate with the utmost ethical and legal standards and help our clients do the same. 

We know it is because of our valued clients that we are still in business after 35 years, and for that we thank you!
Help Cardinal Fly Farther in 2016 and Receive a Discount for Your Association

Would you like your association to receive a $200 discount on its next monthly management fee? Cardinal has been dedicated to helping Boards and Directors throughout Orange County for 35 years. Our strategic plan for 2016 and beyond includes not only further spreading our wings in Orange County but also into the Inland Empire and Los Angeles County. We continue to be the only property management firm in California that has earned both the national certification (AAMC) and state designation (ACMF) to serve our clients.

 

We are offering our client associations $200 off their next monthly management fee for referring a new client who signs a contract with Cardinal. Refer your friends to our website so they can see who we are and how we can help their communities to enhance the quality of their community living experience.


Watch our website and newsletter for further information in the coming year.
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