Naberhood.
ABOUT | THE WHY BEHIND THE WORK
I’m Darlene. I help HOA boards build real community.
You notice when something feels off. You stay after the meeting. You try again when nobody shows up.
You might not call it leading. But it is.
DARLENE'S STORY
I spent 30 years in the Army and retired as a Command Sergeant Major. In the military, connection isn't optional. It's mission-critical. I learned that a community's health is no accident. It's designed, or it isn't. And when it isn't, people feel it every day.
After I retired, I started a new civilian career and tackled some long-overdue home projects.
First up: I painted my house.
A week later, I received a violation letter. A month later, I was HOA president of a 234-home community.
I had plenty of leadership experience. But a neighborhood isn't a unit. Residents aren't soldiers. You can't order connection. You have to build it.
So I kept showing up. I sat in the combative meetings. I planned the events nobody came to. I watched trust erode over small decisions nobody explained.
So I started building connection, one small step at a time.. Small, practical moves that shifted the temperature of a room, a block, a relationship. Some failed. Most taught me something. A few changed everything.
Today, I lead community support programs for military families. The same approach still works.
That's where Naberhood came from. Not a theory. A lot of research and a notebook full of things that actually worked.
WHY NABERHOOD
Most board members are doing their best with very little.
Small budget, limited training, and no one acknowledging how much you're carrying.
Naberhood gives you something practical to try this week. Not a big program. Simple moves you can bring into the meetings, events, and shared spaces you already lead.