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Scott Burka
President at EJF Real EstateScott Burka is the President of EJF Real Estate and oversees all day-to-day operations of the EJF Community Association division comprising over 500 communities.
His professional experience spans over 30 years in the industry including running his own management company, serving on the DC legislative action committee (as co-chair & delegate), the DC CAI Board, a Board member of ACAM, and a member of CAI’s National Manager Council. He has been a volunteer course instructor for board members and managers and taught board training, financial statement understanding, and specialty topic courses at both the local and national level.
He holds multiple licenses and professional designations including the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) designation, the Association Management Specialist (AMS) designation and the Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM) designation. He is a licensed DC Real Estate Broker, VA Real Estate Salesperson, and holds a VA Common Interest Community Supervisory Employee license.
Scott obtained a B.A in Economics from Brandeis University, worked in the banking industry and then owned/managed Delbe Management for twenty-five years before joining EJF in early 2018.
Brett Herbert
Attorney/Partner at Gordon and Rees- Management Transitions: How Management Companies and Boards can Minimize Conflict During the Process
Brett C. Herbert is a partner at the law firm of Gordon & Rees. He focuses a significant portion of his practice on representing community associations (homeowners associations and condominium associations) and developers.
Brett serves as legal counsel to many homeowners and condominium associations throughout Virginia, representing associations ranging in size from large-scale resort-centered communities with significant facilities, to smaller neighborhood associations.
Brett assists community associations with their general legal needs, including document interpretation, document amendments (including amending and restating declarations of restrictive covenants), document enforcement, collections matters, contract review and drafting, and fair housing issues.
Brett is also a contributor to the Virginia Community Association Law Blog.
Additionally, Brett is involved with CAI (the “Community Associations Institute”), and frequently speaks at conferences and trade shows on legal issues affecting community associations.
LEGAL EXPERIENCE
Gordon & Rees, Williamsburg, Virginia, 2019 - Present
LeClairRyan, Williamsburg, Virginia, 2016 – 2019
EDUCATION
William and Mary School of Law, J.D., 2013, Business Law Review
University of Virginia, B.A., Government and History, 2010
EXTENDED INFORMATION
Honors and Awards
Received Best Lawyers in America® Ones to Watch distinction (2021-2024)
Selected as a "Rising Star" in Virginia Super Lawyers, (2023)
Recognized as a "Top Lawyer" by Coastal Virginia Magazine (2020-2024)
Recognized as a Virginia "Legal Elite" Young Lawyer by Virginia Business magazine (2016)
Professional Memberships
Community Associations Institute
Virginia State Bar; Real Property Section
Williamsburg Bar Association
Admissions
Virginia
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Hunter Matthews
Consulting Arborist at Arborscapes LLC.Hunter studied Natural Resource Conservation and Forestry at Virginia Tech. He began his career as arborist, working in the field and climbing trees, before transitioning to a consulting role. He is an ISA Certified Arborist, ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified, and VNLA Certified Horticulturalist. Hunter is dedicated to promoting proper scientific tree care to ensure the health and longevity of trees in urban environments.
Don Plank
VP of Acquisitions and Special Projects at EJF Real Estate ServicesDon joined EJF Real Estate Services in late 2023 and leads the acquisition and business development efforts for the company. Don has worked in the community association management industry since 2005, first as a community manager and then as VP of Association Banking at National Cooperative Bank where he led business development efforts throughout DC, Maryland and Virginia. He is active in multiple CAI chapters with various committee roles and is a proud holder of CAI’s PCAM® designation.
Chad Rinard
Partner at WhitefordMr. Rinard has been an attorney and counselor at law for property owners’ associations and condominiums in Virginia for more than 20 years. Given his preference, Chad emphasizes education and listening any time resolution of a legal issue is apparent. He has also litigated enough to, on one hand, try matters effectively for his client associations, and, on the other hand, avoid the costs and time to try matters whenever settlement is possible. Chad’s knowledge of the Virginia court system is distinct having appeared before the Supreme Court of Virginia and Virginia’s Circuit and General District Courts in the Northern Virginia, Fredericksburg, Richmond and Williamsburg areas.
Mr. Rinard understands that he best represents associations by explaining his role as an association’s attorney and then working with an association’s board of directors, presiding officer and members within his role to recommend actions consistent with the law or when the law is not precise on how a court may rule in his opinion. Chad has also written for managers, directors and members of associations several programs that have been accredited by Virginia’s Common Interest Community Board (the “CICB”) and/or the Community Association Managers International Certification Board. As the law is continually updated, Chad remains an avid reader of the treatises, journals and newsletters about property owners’ associations and condominiums in Virginia and elsewhere.
Mr. Rinard is a member of the Common Interest Community Subcommittee of the Real Estate Section of the Virginia State Bar, and a member of both Education Committees for the Washington Metropolitan and the Central Virginia Chapters of the Community Associations Institute. He is published annually, the titles of which are noted elsewhere. He has also been appointed by the CICB to the committee to review Virginia’s regulations for Virginia’s Common Interest Community Ombudsman. For leisure, Chad competes in triathlons and half-marathons throughout Virginia, and he has toured many historical sites in the Commonwealth too including the homes still standing of Virginia’s Signers of the Declaration.
Nasim Saeidi
Associate at WhitefordMs. Saeidi is an Associate with the firm’s Community Associations practice group. She represents condominium unit owner associations, homeowner associations, and housing cooperative entities. She also has experience with debt collections (pre and post judgment), landlord-tenant litigation, business formation, breach of contract litigation, property settlements and labor and employment.
Will Sleeth
Managing Partner at Gordon and Rees- Management Transitions: How Management Companies and Boards can Minimize Conflict During the Process
Will Sleeth is a partner at the law firm of Gordon & Rees, who serves as the leader of the firm’s Community Association Law Team. Based out of the firm’s Richmond and Williamsburg offices, he focuses a significant portion of his practice on representing community associations (homeowners associations and condominium associations) and developers.
Will serves as legal counsel to many homeowners and condominium associations throughout Virginia, representing associations ranging in size from large-scale communities with significant facilities, to smaller neighborhood associations. Will and his team represent over 100 associations all throughout Virginia.
Will assists community associations with their general legal needs, including document interpretation, document amendments (including amending and restating declarations of restrictive covenants), document enforcement, guiding associations through the process of transfer from developer-control, collections matters, contract review and drafting, fair housing issues, and regulatory compliance (including issues concerning the Common Interest Community Board).
Will has written and published extensively in the field of community association law, and his articles have been featured in some of the leading trade industry journals and legal publications (including, for example, The Fee Simple, Currents, Docket Call, and Consensus). He also serves as the editor of the Virginia Community Association Law Blog.
Additionally, Will is extensively involved with CAI (the “Community Associations Institute”), and frequently speaks at conferences and trade shows on legal issues affecting community associations. Will has also been quoted on community association legal issues by several national publications, including Common Ground and Virginia Lawyer’s Weekly.
Michael Sottolano
Shareholder at Chadwick WashingtonMichael A. Sottolano, Esq., is a shareholder with Chadwick, Washington, Moriarty, Elmore & Bunn, P.C. and an attorney in the firm’s Richmond (Glen Allen) office. He represents common interest community associations in Virginia and provides legal assistance to clients regarding all aspects of CIC association law, including advising board of directors in their day-to-day operations, reviewing and negotiating contracts, litigation and alternative methods of dispute resolution, drafting governing documents and amendments, reviewing and negotiating loan documents, as well as enforcement of covenant violations, addressing fair housing complaints and collection of unpaid assessments.
Michael is actively involved in several chapters of the Community Associations Institute (“CAI”), including serving on the Board of Directors for the Southwest Virginia Chapter of CAI. Previously, he served two terms on the Board of Directors for the Central Virginia Chapter of CAI (“CVCCAI”) and currently serves on the CVCCAI Community Associations Day Trade Show & Expo committee. He is also a frequent presenter at CAI events, including the 2016 CAI National Annual Conference and Exposition in Orlando, FL, the 2021, 2018, 2016, 2014 and 2012 CVCCAI Community Associations Day Trade Show & Expo, the 2016 Virginia Leadership Retreat and the 2016 Southwest Virginia Chapter of CAI Community Associations Day and Annual Tradeshow in Roanoke, VA. He has also authored several articles in CVCCAI’s Consensus, the Southeast Virginia Chapter of CAI’s blog, and the CWMEB Journal.
Mary Stokes
Consulting Arborist at Arborscapes LLC.Mary studied Natural Resource Conservation and Forestry at Virginia Tech. She began her career as arborist, working in the field and climbing trees, before transitioning to a consulting role. She is an ISA Certified Arborist, ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified, and VNLA Certified Horticulturalist. She is dedicated to promoting proper scientific tree care to ensure the health and longevity of trees in urban environments.
Thomas Willis
Association Bridge, LLCThomas L. Willis, PCAM, has nearly 40 years of community association experience starting his journey as a business partner and evolving into roles as on-site manager, portfolio manager, management company executive, and consultant. He has been a frequent author, speaker and instructor for CAI National and local chapters. He served the Washington Metro Chapter as a
committee chair, council chair, and board member. He currently serves as Chair of the Keystone Chapter Communications & Content Committee, on the Virginia Leadership Retreat Committee, and on CAI’s national faculty.
Tom founded Association Bridge LLC with a simple mission: to share all he’s learned in the trenches with as many as he can before he "croaks". His passion lies in serving volunteer leaders, self-managed communities, management companies, and individual managers with customized solutions to their unique challenges. Through education, mentoring, support, visioning, analysis, and application of time-tested tools and strategies, Tom partners with his clients to create practical and actionable plans that pave the way for sustainable and successful communities and companies. If you need to improve anything related to community association management, leadership, governance, or operations, Tom is there for you.
Tom will create a space for you to find solutions and inspiration, and maybe even share a chuckle or two. So, get your notepads and devices ready – you're in for a session packed with ideas and a whole lot of heart.