How did Kellyanne Conway, President Trump’s former campaign manager and current Counsellor to the President (and proponent of “alternative facts”) make it to the White House? It was recently reported that Ms. Conway met President Trump a number of years ago, when she was a board member of Trump World condo, her “beautiful home in the sky”. As it turns out, Donald Trump attended some of the meetings. “Who’d expect Mr. Trump, very engaged, knowing all the facts and figures, would come to the meetings?” These initial meetings, long before President Trump entered politics, opened the door to Ms. Conway’s role in the White House.
Many condominium owners are reluctant to run for the board of directors of their condominiums, as being a board member can be a time-consuming and, at times, thankless task. Some condominiums have difficulty getting new members on the board and board positions are often filled by acclamation. While it is not likely that sitting on a condominium board will lead to meeting a future head of state, it will provide directors with valuable experience in collaboration, managing budgets, problem solving, resolving conflicts and governance. These are skills that will certainly be an asset in today’s business world.