Our Founder, Karen McDonald, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, RS
Karen McDonald, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, RS started in the community association industry in 2001. Prior to becoming a reserve study provider, she spent 15 years in the community management industry, with a portion of this time also managing rental properties. Her experience working with community associations is vast, with a strong background in bookkeeping, budgeting and building maintenance and administration. She founded Accurate Reserve Professionals, LLC to provide community associations with affordable, high quality reserve studies.
Due to her extensive management experience, Karen bridges the gap between community associations and their reserve studies and brings a reasonable, whole minded approach to the studies she prepares. As a former board member and President of her prior HOA, she understands the challenges that properly funding the reserve account can pose for some communities and works to find a solution which will assist the client in reaching their reserve funding goals. She has worked with both community associations and other entities (private clubs, water systems, etc.) throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana and has prepared over 1,000 studies in her career.
Karen holds a degree in Business Management from Western Washington University, with a concentration in small business entrepreneurship. She holds multiple management and reserve study provider credentials through Community Associations Institute, including the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA), Association Management Specialist (AMS), Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM) and Reserve Specialist (RS). She is dedicated to continuing education and regularly attends relevant classes and seminars.
Karen has been very active in the Washington State Chapter of Community Associations Institute (WSCAI), which is one of the largest chapters in the organization. She sat on the Chapter's Board of Directors from 2015 to 2020, and was honored to serve as the Chapter's President in 2019. She has been involved in Chapter committee work since 2011, having served on the Communications, Market Expansion, Membership and Social Committees. She was also the editor of the WSCAI Journal for several years during this time. Karen was honored to be awarded the WSCAI Volunteer of the Year Award in 2013, the Presidents Award in 2015 and the Volunteer of the Year Award again in 2018.
A knowledgeable resource for many things community association related, Karen is a frequent author and speaker at seminars, college classes, trade shows and at private events hosted by management companies for their staff and/or clientele.
Outside of the office, Karen resides on a 19 acre hobby farm with her husband, doggy side kick Zeke and a collection of farm animals.
Speaking Engagements:
WSCAI CA Day, September 2015
North Seattle College Guest Speaker, April 2016
North Seattle College Guest Speaker, October 2016
WSCAI Manager’s Only Meeting, March 2017
North Seattle College Guest Speaker, October 2017
Management Company Board Member Training Workshop, June 2018
North Seattle College Guest Speaker, July 2018
WSCAI CA Day, September 2018
WSCAI Tri Cities Educational Symposium, May 2019
Management Company Board Member Training Workshop, June 2019
WSCAI Made For Managers Day, June 2019
WSCAI Spokane Educational Symposium, July 2019
North Seattle College Guest Speaker, July 2019
WSCAI CA Day, September 2019
WSCAI Vancouver Educational Symposium, November 2019
WSCAI Annual Meeting & Gala, November 2019
WSCAI Chapter Luncheon, December 2019
Rental Housing Association of WA Webinar, December 2019
Reserve Study Company National Webinar, February 2020
WSCAI Bellingham Educational Symposium, July 2020
Rental Housing Association of WA Webinar, October 2020
WSCAI Made For Managers Day, June 2021
WSCAI Resource Recess, June 2021
Western Oregon CAI Chapter Luncheon, August 2021
WSCAI Managers Only Meeting, August 2021
WSCAI CA Day, October 2021
Banking Business Partner Webinar, November 2021
WSCAI Board Leadership Development Workshop, February 2022
WSCAI Chapter Webinar, March 2022
Management Company Board Member Training Workshop, March 2022
Western Oregon CAI CA Day, March 2022
WSCAI Board Leadership Development Workshop, April 2022
Management Company Board Member Training Workshop, April 2022
Management Company Board Member Training Workshop, June 2022
WSCAI Managers Only Meeting, August 2022
Management Company Board Member Training Workshop, September 2022
WSCAI CA Day, October 2022
WSCAI Webinar, March 2023
WSCAI Board Leadership Development Workshop, March 2023
WSCAI Board Leadership Development Workshop, May 2023
WSCAI Board of Directors
2015 – Treasurer
2016 – Treasurer
2017 – Vice President
2018 – President-elect
2019 – President
2020 – Immediate Past President
Community Associations Institute Education
M100 – The Essentials of Community Association Management
M201 – Facilities Management
M202 – Association Communications
M203 – Community Leadership
M204 – Community Governance
M205 – Risk Management
M206 – Financial Management
PCAM Case Study
M320 - High Rise Maintenance & Management
M360 – Leadership Practices in Building Community
2018 National Convention Attendee
2019 National Convention Attendee
