Jane Adams is the President of Coral Gate Condominium Association, a 55+ garden style condo community with 468 units located in Margate, Florida. Jane is a registered nurse with a serious passion for helping people. She retired in 2005, after 30 years working as a Hospital Administrator in New Jersey, and quickly made the decision to move to the sunshine state to get away from the cold weather.
Jane became a part of the Coral Gate Board six years ago, when she volunteered to take the minutes at the board meetings. “We had a full board, but no one wanted to take the minutes, so I stepped in,” said Jane. Shortly after, she was voted on to the board and has held the position of President for the last four years.
But, Jane doesn’t stop there when it comes to her community involvement. Recently, she helped the Margate Association of Condominiums (MAC) re-write their bylaws and is now serving on the MAC Board as Second Vice President.
Jane is also the Convention Committee Chairman for Zonta International’s 62nd International Convention happening later this month in Orlando; she is expecting attendees from 66 countries! Zonta International is a global organization of executives and professionals that work together to advance the status of women worldwide through service and advocacy. Jane has been a Zonta member for over 40 years.
Her past accolades include being the President of the New Jersey State Nurses Association, being Chairman of the Board for Project Freedom, which builds and manages apartment complexes for the physically handicapped and being the Project Coordinator for a $55 million dollar hospital renovation and relocation project for St. Elizabeth Hospital in New Jersey.
This past week, I sat down with Jane to discuss her experiences working as the President of Coral Gate:
Ashley: What do you like most about being on the Board?
Jane: I love the ability I have to influence what happens in the community. For example, back in 2012, MAC was looking to recognize communities in Margate that beautified their landscaping. We had just completed a renovation of our grounds and implemented the principles of Florida-Friendly landscaping to save the association money and to do our part for the environment. We decided to apply for the MAC Beautification Award and won. It was a great feeling.
Ashley: What has been your proudest accomplishment during your time on the Board?
Jane: That would be when we amended our documents to include our 55+ community status. Prior to that we were seen as a 55+ community, but it was not officially in our documents. We really had to make sure the residents understood the reasoning behind that decision. I was also proud when we added the amendment that allows us to determine resident eligibility, giving us the option not to accept a new resident with cause.
Ashley: What piece of advice would you share with other Board Members?
Jane: Communication with the other Board Members and residents is the key to success. You need to be transparent with your decisions, especially when it comes to special assessments. We have always backed up and fully explained any decision we make to the residents. We have made sure that everyone feels as though they have been heard.
In her spare time, Jane teaches English as a second language in Boynton and enjoys swimming and reading.
Coral Gate has been managed by Irene Nadler of Campbell Property Management for the past 14 years.
“Jane has done a great job as President of our Board. She really knows her stuff, which has made working with her a true pleasure,” said Irene.
“Meet the Director” is an ongoing series where we recognize an outstanding Director from a community association in South Florida.
Serving on the Board of a Community Association is a challenging and often thankless job. There are thousands of dedicated volunteers in South Florida that have stepped up to lead their communities and we hope this series serves as a reminder to us all – to thank those that have invested their time and energy to make their communities a better place to live.
