Building Community: The Foundations of Community Association Management (“Foundations”)
Tinnelly Law Group has developed a California-specific prerequisite course developed by California attorneys who specialize exclusively in HOA law. This program complies with state certification requirements and is approved by CAMICB as a prerequisite course for your CMCA® designation.
CAM University was designed with the manager in mind – blending real-world HOA legal expertise with practical industry knowledge. Led by a PCAM with 30 years of experience, this one-of-a-kind program delivers relevant, California-focused education to support your success in community association management.
About Our Foundations Course
Prerequisite Course
Provider
Use the Foundations course to meet CMCA exam eligibility requirements, and the Study Group to help you prepare. The Study Group is optional and not required for exam eligibility.
CAMICB
Approved
Provide state specific requirements, in-depth curriculum, examination and evaluation on topics like budgets, reserves, governance, legal issues, HR management, meetings, property maintenance, ethics and much more!
Alternative to M-100
CA Edition
Developed to meet both California’s certification requirements and CMCA prerequisite requirements, this course is an approved alternative to CAI’s M-100 California Edition.
Less Time &
Less Money
Receive California-based instruction for your CMCA in LESS time and money!
Upcoming Foundations Course Dates*
February 25 – 27, 2026
March 25 – 27, 2026
April 22 – 24, 2026
June 10 – 12, 2026
*Dates subject to change
Need Financial Aid? Apply for a CAM University Scholarship here.
What our clients are saying...
Thank you for the course material and everything I’ve learned over the past three days. Your expertise, patience, and professionalism made each lesson genuinely enjoyable. I’ve grown accustomed to our morning sessions and will miss your upbeat personality. […] Thank you for everything!
I took the M-100, don’t hate me, like three, three, four years ago. And quite personally, I like this one better. That one was very standardized, very like, don’t talk, just listen, shove this information down. But here we are, we’re real-life managers. We’re doing this day to day. We should be able to say, hey, random question since we’re going through it. So, in my opinion, this one’s way better.”
I’m genuinely excited about the possibility of having our associates experience your outstanding and MUCH MORE CAREER APPLICABLE course! What you’ve built is exceptional, Ramona… I’m thoroughly impressed. It’s an honor to be invited to contribute my perspective and I look forward to putting some of our future associates through Foundations!
First California
Edition
Tinnelly Law Group has developed the FIRST California edition of a prerequisite course that complies with state certification requirements AND is approved by CAMICB as a prerequisite course for your CMCA designation.
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Our Purpose
Create supportive relationships with our management company partners by leveraging our legal and community management expertise to provide a professional training and development program that takes the individual manager from the CMCA certification to the PCAM designation.
Our team
Ramona Acosta, PCAM is the Director of Business Development for Tinnelly Law Group and Vice President of CAM University. Ms. Acosta directs and manages the firm’s business development, marketing, public relations, and client relationship management efforts. She plays a vital role in assisting the firm’s continued growth and in ensuring the firm’s clients experience the level of quality, responsive and efficient service for which Tinnelly Law Group is known throughout the HOA industry.
Ms. Acosta has over 30 years of experience working in the HOA industry and with common interest developments throughout California. She maintains several prestigious designations from the Community Association’s Institute (CAI), including the CMCA, AMS, and PCAM. Her success as a community manager and management company executive, coupled with her extensive knowledge of the California laws pertaining to HOAs, provides significant value to our clients and the professionals who manage them. Her wealth of experience working directly with Boards of Directors, vendors, and community managers gives her unique insight into the issues affecting our clients and the ways in which our firm can best serve them.
She also serves as Vice President of CAM University, a professional training and development program to assist managers with obtaining and maintaining their CMCA designation throughout their career.
Ms. Acosta is very active in CAI and has served as a member of the National Faculty, the President of CAI’s Orange County Regional Chapter, Chair of the Education Committee, and as Delegate and P.R. Chair to CAI’s California Legislative Action Committee (CLAC)–an organization that champions the interests of California HOAs through lobbying and public relations efforts.
Prior to joining the HOA industry, Ms. Acosta worked in real estate and dealt with bank foreclosures, lenders and appraisals. She has a degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix.
