When Serving His Community, Benjamin Yu Thinks Outside the Box

Benjamin Yu has served on many community organizations and HOA boards in the past because he believes sustainable communities need residents who give more than they take from the neighborhood. Benjamin, who grew up in New York City, now lives in the Baker Ranch neighborhood in Lake Forest and has served on the board for one year. ​

As a board member, Benjamin works with others on the board to ensure all owners are heard, improve the quality of services, and protect the association’s finances. He and his fellow directors are currently working on many developments for the community, including a neighborhood watch program, bringing a new general manager on staff, and adding cultural events to the community programs calendar. Fluent in Mandarin, Benjamin personally assists Chinese immigrants in the community by providing translation services at board meetings and a better understanding of the HOA’s governing documents. 

When Benjamin first joined the Board, his top priority was to work with staff at Crummack Huseby to organize an online town hall meeting, which is an effective way of interacting with the audience and providing clarity for questions. Benjamin explained that the online town hall is “helpful for ESL owners as it combines the translation and Q&A in real-time. Orange County has a large foreign-born population, which is largely concentrated around the greater Irvine area. Homeowners associations exist to serve its owners, and property management is an owner-centric, service-orientated business. For both volunteer board members and management companies, it takes outside-the-box thinking to deliver a great experience.” 

Crummack Huseby appreciates Benjamin’s commitment to building a thriving and inclusive community at Baker Ranch!

Photo: Benjamin Yu and his wife Min Yu, daughter Caroline Yu and brown poodle Coco

Resources:

Are you ready to be an HOA Board Member? 

Ten ways to get up to speed when you join your HOA Board

ABOUT BAKER RANCH

Baker Ranch is an outdoor paradise promising a life of adventure with parks and open space around every corner. There are several pocket parks with children's play structures and sports activities, including basketball, racquetball and sand volleyball courts, shade structures, BBQs, and picnic tables. There is a 7.5 acre Baker Ranch Community Park that provides the perfect outdoor adventure, including softball, soccer, basketball, a tot lot, and more. The Grove, a pristine resort-style recreation center, offers the ideal place to meet up with neighbors and friends. Residents can relax by the quiet pool and spa or families can spend the day playing at the splash garden or enjoying the family pool.  Vista Swim Club overlooks the Borrego Trail and includes a Jr. Olympic pool that is ideal for lap swimmers, as well as an outdoor kitchen area for hosting small parties. The Arbors provides a 2,500 square foot pool with a wading pool and spa, kid's climbing structure as well as shaded areas, and open turf for BBQs and picnics. The Arbors also boasts two separate fireplaces for those cozy nights.

ABOUT CRUMMACK HUSEBY PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.

Orange County, California, based on Crummack Huseby Property Management, Inc., manages many diverse HOA’s and master-planned communities in Southern California. They have added value to communities by working with HOAs, homebuilders, and land developers through their collaborative and customized approach. Crummack Huseby’s personalized philosophy to community management has allowed them to successfully discover and develop one-of-a-kind programs for new and existing communities.  They offer professional business planning, governance, community management, financial only management, planning, and forecasting services for community associations. They also have been recognized as One of the Best Places to Work by the Orange County Business Journal in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Founders Sandy Huseby and Margo Crummack each have more than 30 years of experience in Common Interest Development (CDI) management. Crummack Huseby Property Management obtained an AAMC® Accreditation status, which highlights their focus and commitment to deliver total customer satisfaction.  If you would like to learn more about Crummack Huseby Property Management Inc., they look forward to learning about your community and understanding your needs and how they can best support your community.