Greenbelt Homes, Incorporated (GHI) is a housing cooperative located in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA. Comprised of 1600 homes, the planned community offers residents tree-lined streets, numerous trails, many recreational opportunities, and a sense of community.

The Challenge

As required by their bylaws, Greenbelt Homes, Incorporated (GHI) conducts an Annual Meeting to update owners on key matters, hold elections, and perform other various activities that are crucial to the overall success of the cooperative's operations. While traditionally conducted through a live, in-person event, the COVID-19 pandemic and corresponding health guidelines forced Greenbelt Homes Inc. to conduct their 2020 Annual Meeting in a hybrid format.

With COVID-19 related public health guidelines, such as social distancing mandates, still in effect and many residents feeling uncomfortable attending large in-person events, when it came time to begin planning their 2021 Annual Meeting, it was evidently clear to the GHI team that they would once again need to explore alternative ways of conducting their upcoming meeting if they were going to get the participation required to achieve quorum.

And after some internal discussions and reviewing their options, the GHI team determined that conducting their Annual Meeting in a hybrid format once again would be the best course of action.

The Solution

Shortly after determining they would conduct their 2021 Annual Meeting in a hybrid format, the team recognized that they required a solution to facilitate the virtual portion of their Annual Meeting.

Aware of how crucial selecting the right solution for their upcoming meeting would be, especially when considering the complexity of hybrid meetings, Neron Adams-Escalera, Director of Member Services at GHI, decided to reach out to GetQuorum.

Having worked with GetQuorum for the cooperative's 2020 Annual Meeting and pleased with the results, Neron was eager to see if working with GetQuorum would ensure that the success of their 2020 Annual Meeting would be replicated.

After conducting an initial discovery call and solution walkthrough with GetQuorum, the GHI team instantly knew that working with GetQuorum was once again integral to the success of their upcoming meeting.

On the product side, GetQuorum's hosted meeting solution was precisely what they were looking for; a secure and user-friendly platform that allowed residents who felt uncomfortable or were unable to attend in-person to participate in their Annual Meeting and corresponding elections virtually. In addition, GetQuorum would also handle preliminary meeting procedures, including the distribution of meetings notices and collection of electronic proxies, significantly streamlining the facilitation of the meeting for the GHI team. And while pleased with the platform's security, ease of use, and additional features, like the ability to record the meeting for those unable to attend, the responsiveness and customer-first attitude demonstrated by the GetQuorum team is what truly stood out to the Neron and the team.

From their initial discovery call, the GetQuorum team was professional and responsive. They clearly explained the solutions processes and answered any questions the GHI team had along the way. And while unable to be onsite to facilitate in-person components of the hybrid meeting, the GetQuorum team was eager to share their experiences, best practices and advice with the Greenbelt Homes Inc. team on how to facilitate the in-person portion of the meeting effectively.

The Result

Overall, the Annual Meeting couldn't have gone better.

The meeting ran smoothly, elections were conducted seamlessly, and all other items were executed efficiently, all while a majority of residents participated remotely through the GetQuorum platform.

The GHI team leveraged the advice and guidance received from the GetQuorum team to execute the in-person portion of the meeting seamlessly. And since they were returning customers, the GetQuorum team had a majority of the information required to facilitate their solution on hand, significantly streamlining the process for Neron and the GHI team.

The GHI team also saw additional benefits from conducting their Annual Meeting in a hybrid format, such as increased accessibility, which resulted in the cooperative seeing their highest meeting participation and voter turnout to date.

"Overall, a great and streamlined experience working with GetQuorum," said Neron Adams-Escalera, Director of Member Services, Greenbelt Homes, Incorporated. "Our membership is grateful to have their assistance to host the virtual portion of our annual meeting."

Looking ahead, the GHI team anticipates they will continue to use GetQuorum's services to ensure the success of their 2021 Annual Meeting is replicated in the cooperative's future meetings.

If you'd like to learn more about our Hosted Virtual Meeting solution or other services for your upcoming meeting, click here.