Will Simons, RS, EBP joined the Association Reserves team in 2008 after spending time in the insurance and commercial real estate fields. Will served as a Project Manager for three years before establishing our Florida office in 2011. He has since completed or overseen more than 3,000 Reserve Studies and earned the Community Associations Institute (CAI) designation of Reserve Specialist (RS #190). He is also a Florida-licensed Continuing Education Provider (#0005433) for Community Association Managers. Will’s experience includes all types of condominium and homeowners’ associations throughout the southeastern United States. His clients have ranged from modern, luxury high-rises to homeowners’ associations representing thousands of homes. Will has also provided Reserve Studies for many timeshare/fractional properties, resorts, schools, marinas, country clubs, historic properties, and commercial developments. A frequent author and speaker on the subject of Reserve planning, he also served as the Treasurer and Vice President of his own HOA for six years, representing a community of over 600 homes with a budget exceeding $1 million. Will holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. 
Joshua Hardin, RS, EBP joined the Association Reserves team in 2019. Joshua earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University, after which he spent several years climbing the ranks in the manufacturing industry. Joshua has held multiple managerial roles in a Fortune 500 solutions-based company where he led process improvement, day-to-day operations, and customer satisfaction. He combines a technical mindset with thorough attention-to-detail and follow-through, focusing on client success as the first and final goal. Josh has earned the Reserve Specialist credential through CAI, and primarily services our clients in the Tri-County area of Florida and the Treasure Coast.
Abe El-Masri, P. Eng, RS, EBP joined the Association Reserves team in 2017. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from University of Calgary, Canada. After working with the Department of National Defence (Canada) in the Construction Engineering division, Abe worked at a reputable engineering firm in Canada before relocating to south Florida. Prior to joining our team, Abe worked as a Project Engineer for a local construction firm. In that role, he took on numerous responsibilities including assisting senior engineers in the construction field, monitoring project schedules, production, cost estimation and value engineering, just to name a few. Abe earned the Community Associations Institute (CAI) designation of Reserve Specialist (RS #368) and is a designated P. Eng, the Canadian equivalent of a Professional Engineer. Abe primarily services our clients in the Tri-County area of Florida. 
Matthew Straley, RS, EBP joined the Association Reserves team as a Project Manager in 2019. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. Prior to joining our firm, Matt worked in construction, manufacturing, and technical sales. In his prior project management roles, Matt oversaw construction for stucco, EIFS, drywall, and framing projects. As a Sales and Manufacturing Engineer, Matt was instrumental in designing and developing positive rapport with customers through excellent communication and customer service. He brings an analytical mindset and an empathetic outlook into his work. Matt has earned the Reserve Specialist credential through CAI, and primarily services our clients in the Tri-County area of Florida and the Florida Keys.
Shawn Conover, EIT, EBP joined the Association Reserves team as a Project Manager in 2022. Shawn earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Civil Engineering and a Structural Engineering Minor from Trine University. While attending Trine University Shawn was the president of Trine’s student chapter of ITE (Institute of Transportation Engineers) for two years, and also played on the school’s baseball team. Shawn earned his Reserve Specialist credential through CAI in 2024 and primarily services our clients in the greater Tampa Bay-Orlando corridor and along the Gulf Coast.
Jacob Conley, EBP joined the Association Reserves team as a Project Manager in 2022. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Trine University and an Associate in Science degree from Black Hawk College. At Trine University, Jake was the treasurer for the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), as well as captain of the school’s baseball team. Prior to joining our firm, Jake worked in the construction field for general contractors. In his prior project engineering roles, Jake oversaw construction for large commercial projects. Jake earned his Reserve Specialist credential through CAI in 2024 and primarily services our clients in the greater Tampa Bay-Orlando corridor and along the Gulf Coast.
Justin Fales, EBP joined the Association Reserves team in 2022. A native of Naples, Florida (and an Eagle Scout), Justin earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from St. Ambrose University, after which he worked as the Operations Manager at Modern Woodmen Park. In this role, Justin managed, oversaw and coordinated all operations-related work on site, served as point of contact for all maintenance and repair work, and was responsible for ballpark safety and security. From his studies in engineering and experience in operations, Justin brings with him an analytical mindset and the discipline needed to bring the best results to the client. Justin earned his Reserve Specialist credential through CAI in 2024 and primarily services our clients in southwest Florida/southern Gulf Coast region.
Olivia Schiappa, EBP joined the Association Reserves team in 2022. Olivia earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University, after which she worked in the aerospace manufacturing industry as a Production Engineer. In this role, Olivia worked under the production manager developing process time standards, leading continuous improvement projects, and engaging in all aspects of the production process. Through her experience, Olivia developed strong technical, analytical, and problem-solving skills. Olivia earned her Reserve Specialist credential through CAI in 2024 and primarily services our clients in the Tri-County areas of Florida.
Guillermo Estenoz joined the Association Reserves team in 2022. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Florida International University. After graduation, he began his career as a Building Envelope Consultant for an engineering consulting firm to make sure alterations and installations met the regulatory standards of safety, accessibility, sustainability, and design. Before joining our team, Guillermo worked as a Consultant and Senior Staff Engineer for the Discovery and Diagnostic Department. He was responsible for handling investigation and inspections of building structures to ensure compliance with industry regulations and discovering reasons for failure. Currently, he is pursuing his MBA degree at the University of Florida, ending July 2023. Guillermo earned his Reserve Specialist credential through CAI in 2024 and primarily services our clients in the Tri-County area.
Eric Scott, RS joined the Association Reserves team in 2024 as a Senior Project Manager. Eric earned his Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management from the University of Florida. Before joining our team, Eric spent the last five years preparing reserve studies as a project manager for a consulting company. During his time, he completed studies for a wide range of properties including condo associations, timeshare VOAs, HOA communities, commercial real estate, and international properties. Eric earned his Reserve Specialist credential (RS #511) through the Community Association Institute (CAI) in 2024. Eric is native to Florida but recently moved to Georgia where he will primarily service clients in the Atlanta metro area and throughout Georgia, as well as north Florida.Florida Senate Bill 154
Structural integrity reserve studies update
June 3, 2024
To Our Current and Prospective Valued Clients:
As of this date, Association Reserves acknowledges that the current law (Ch. 2023-203) requires all residential Florida condominium and cooperative associations with buildings three stories or higher in height to complete a structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) no later than December 31, 2024.
This is a significant change from the historically more casual approach to Reserve funding in Florida. The result is a SIRS demand that exceeds the capability of Florida’s Reserve Study providers (including Association Reserves) to rapidly expand to meet the demand. It seems inevitable that many associations that are otherwise legally required to complete a SIRS will not be able to do so by the 12/31/24 statutory deadline.
However, the current law also states (in part) that:
“If the directors or officers of an association willfully and knowingly fail to complete a structural integrity reserve study pursuant to this paragraph, such failure is a breach of an officer’s and director’s fiduciary relationship to the unit owners…”
To minimize any perception of noncompliance with Florida law due to “willful” failure, we recommend that the directors and officers of affected properties immediately obtain a proposal from Association Reserves (or another qualified provider) for a SIRS and launch an engagement with that provider, even though the completion of the ensuing SIRS may not be possible by 12/31/24 due to factors outside the control of both the association or the SIRS provider. Preferably, the proposal and ensuing engagement should include an estimated timetable for completion of the SIRS based on the provider’s best professional judgment.
In our opinion, this approach would provide a reasonable defense against any claims made against the directors and officers for your intentional failure to meet the deadline, demonstrating your best effort to comply with the spirt and intent of the law. Please note this is not legal advice, and we strongly recommend consulting with legal counsel to determine the best course of action for your association.
Warm regards,
Will Simons, RS
President