Meet the Team: Angela Middleton

Angela Middleton, daughter of a military family, was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1966. Afterwards her father was transferred Georgia where she lived until moving to Casselberry, Florida where she grew up and went to school.  Accounting has always been a passion in her life. She began her accounting career as a teenager when she worked as a bookkeeper for one of the major furniture stores in the area. She then moved on to work for a CPA, and later went to managing Contractor Associations. As a young adult she went into business with her mother. Together they sold and taught decorative art at their store locations in Kissimmee and Casselberry. This eventually led Angie to start teaching decorative art at the national level. She has published 3 “How to Books”, collaborated on 3 others and was featured in Better Homes and Gardens magazine. After her mother’s health failed they closed the stores and she went back to her career in accounting.  She is married with 4 children and has one grandchild.   Both she and her husband are very involved with raising funds for various charities and non-profit organizations and in 2012 coordinated an Annual Book Drive for the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranches.

Angie has been with Leland for over 11 years and says Leland is just an extension of her own family.

Mold vs. Mildew

“Mold” and “Mildew” are two words that are used interchangeably in our culture; however, they are not the same thing. Although both are forms of fungi that grow in moist, warm locations they differ in the surfaces on which they grow and in appearance. Mold often appears fuzzy or slimy depending on the type and comes in various colors. When seen in a home it may appear to be irregularly shaped spots of black or grey often in a cluster.  Mildew is most commonly found on plants or agricultural products such as fruits and potatoes. It is also commonly found in bathrooms where the moist conditions offer an ideal environment for growth.

Both come with serious health and property risks if left untreated. Headaches, asthma, coughing, and irritation of the eyes or throat may occur as a result of breathing in these toxins. Mold can also rot the surface on which it is growing if given enough time. Keeping areas dry and well ventilated are the most important preventative measure for eliminating mold and mildew. Any agricultural product that has traces of mold should be thrown away and repurchased. When treating mold/mildew the most common myth is that bleach will kill it. This is not true however most cases of mold can be treated with an industrial mold/mildew remover. If there is significant mold growth a professional may need to clean the space and repair any damage.

Leland Management is pleased to announce

Leland Management is pleased to announce that Gary van der Laan, Vice President, was named to the Florida Bar’s Unlicensed Practice of Law (UPL) committee. Gary, who has worked at Leland Management for over 7 years has been appointed to serve on the committee for a 2 year term beginning on July 1st. The Unlicensed Practice of Law (UPL) program was established by the Supreme Court of Florida to protect the public against harm caused by unlicensed individuals practicing law. Being named to the UPL committee is not only an honor for Gary, but a testament to his professionalism and his commitment to protect the public interest. Please join us in congratulating him on this most recent accomplishment. http://ow.ly/i/5hzAm

Christy Borden Named OBJ Business Executive of the Year

Leland Management is proud to announce that Christy Borden, Director of Management Development, has been named among the Orlando Business Journal’s Business Executives of the Year for 2014. Christy who has been in the management industry since 2001 was granted this honor based on her long list of business, community and personal accomplishments. At Leland, Christy is responsible for the training, managing and supervising of sixteen licensed association managers that oversee approximately seventy four associations located throughout Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties. Christy is thoroughly involved in client relations and retention, sales, marketing, presentations, and networking as well as being instrumental in lending her knowledge towards developing and implementing company process improvements. While she spends the majority of her time at the Leland main corporate office, she is also tasked as the Volusia Division Director. In this role she is responsible for the sales development, networking, operations and staff management for the entire Volusia Division. In her professional career Christy has obtained the CMCA, AMS and PCAM designations. She is also an active member in several local chamber of commerce and the CAI mid-Florida chapter.

We look forward to celebrating with her and ask you to join us in congratulating her on this accomplishment.

Spring Time & St. Augustine Sod

Spring time has arrived! This means that you will be spending more time outside surveying your surroundings and completing your annual yard maintenance. Unfortunately, even the most beautiful lawns suffer from sod damage during the winter months. Below are some helpful tips regarding St. Augustine sod.

St. Augustine grass is a fast growing, widely-adapted, warm season grass. It grows in a wide variety of soils and pH levels. It is also the most common turf grass grown and used throughout the state of Florida. A properly maintained St. Augustine lawn will produce a dense, lush carpet of medium to dark green/blue green color. It does best growing in rich, well-drained soil, in a warm humid climate. The advantages of this turf are the green, dark green or blue green color, it adapts to a wide variety of soils. It has an overall good salt tolerance, establishes quickly, can be started from sod, sprigs or plugs and can handle shade. However, it does require a lot of water, doesn’t work well with heavy foot traffic, turns brown once it is dormant in the winter, weed control can be difficult, and the worst- chinch bugs can cause serious damage. Here are some maintenance suggestions you may follow during the spring months.

Mowing

As spring arrive and your St. Augustine begins to turn green, it’s time to start mowing the grass. Start by mowing your grass often, at 2.5 to 4.0 inches, removing no more than 1/3” of the leaf blade. By mowing more often during the growing season, you will avoid build- up of grass clippings.

Fertilizing

Before applying fertilizer to your lawn, it is a good idea to get your lawn’s soil tested every 2-3 years. Apply lime if the soil test recommends it. Apply 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. Approximately 3 weeks after your grass begins to green up. Do not apply more than 3 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. per year.

Watering

During the spring season St. Augustine seldom needs irrigation due to the spring rains. However, if the lawn is established, apply irrigation on an “as-needed” basis. If leaf blades turn a blue-gray color, look wilted or curled, begin to fold over or show foot prints from walking in the grass —It is time for irrigation.

Don’t over water! Apply 3/4” to 1” of water per week if needed.

Disease Control

During the spring and fall months you may find brown grass, in circular patches called “brown patch” fungus. Brown patch usually happens during humid, warm weather and is fueled by excessive nitrogen. Fungicides may provide control. A better “method of control” is to reduce irrigation and nitrogen, improve drainage and air movement through the soil.

Insect Control

The number one insect pest for St. Augustine is the southern chinch bug. If you notice yellow spots or drought like symptoms in sunny locations — check for chinch bugs.

Checking for Chinch Bugs

Take a metal coffee can and remove the top and bottom. Push the can into the area you think may have chinch bugs. Fill the can with water. If chinch bugs are present they should float. Generally, it is recommended to hire a professional to treat your St. Augustine turf for chinch bug infestation.

Renovation

If your lawn is in need of some renovation, the spring time is the ideal time to re-sod the area.
And, of course, as always, if you don’t feel comfortable maintaining your sod and are not up for spending your money on guesses, hire a professional landscaping company to maintain and advise your of the best course of action.

Christy Borden, CMCA, AMS, PCAM

Meet the Team: David Vinnedge

David Vinnedge was born in Waukegan, IL in 1964. He graduated from Waukegan East High School in 1982 and moved to South California shortly thereafter. While working at Domino’s pizza as a delivery driver, David met his future wife Carrie. In 1989 He earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from San Diego State University. He began his career as a CPA in Palm Springs, CA and worked there for several years before moving to Atlanta in 1995. While working in Atlanta David discovered his passion for computers and moved to Kissimmee, FL in 2000 to form his own Information Technology consulting company. David has been nationally published in the Journal of Accountancy and was a national speaker for the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) for several years.

David and his wife Carrie have been married for nearly 28 years and have three children: Lindsey, Marlee, and Shaun. Lindsey is a graduate of the University of Central Florida and is currently a first grade teacher in Orlando, Marlee is pursuing her Doctorate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at the University of Central Florida and Shaun is considering pursuing a degree in information technology while he works here at Leland. When David is not in the office he enjoys playing sports, puzzles, camping and spending time with his family and dog Cooper. He went hang-gliding last year and would like to visit Ireland in the near future.

We look forward to sharing our team member’s stories with you. Please check back next week for the
next installment of Meet the Team.