Hidden Gems: Meet Olivia Herrmann of The Summit HOA Management

Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Herrmann.

Hi Olivia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
How We Started and How We Got to Where We Are Today
The Summit was founded in 2024, by Olivia Herrmann, an industry veteran with more than ten years of experience in HOA management, who believed that strong communities are built through trust, continuity, and personal connection. After years in the field, Olivia saw a growing disconnect between management companies and the neighborhoods they served. As the HOA management industry consolidates through mergers, private equity investment, and franchising, service models increasingly prioritized scale over relationships.
At the same time, the HOA management industry in Colorado was no longer licensed by the state, and with that change came a decline in consistent standards and professionalism. Another challenge emerged alongside consolidation: CAM burnout and frequent manager turnover. Communities were often assigned a revolving door of managers, resulting in a loss of institutional knowledge—details about the neighborhood, its history, its residents, and what had worked or failed in the past.
The Summit was created as a response to these trends.
Founded as a woman-owned, boutique management company based along Colorado’s Front Range, The Summit focuses on single-family home communities in Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont, Johnstown, and the surrounding Northern Colorado area. From the beginning, the company was designed to remain local, accessible, and intentionally sized—so managers could build lasting relationships with the communities they serve.
Rather than growing rapidly, The Summit invested in sustainability and professionalism. All employees are required to hold CMCA (Certified Manager of Community Associations) certification, ensuring a shared foundation of knowledge and best practices. The company also developed internal processes aligned with SOC 2 standards for data security and COSO frameworks for financial integrity, protecting both community information and financial resources.
Today, The Summit is known for its continuity and local presence. Boards and homeowners work with consistent management teams who understand their community’s history, priorities, and culture. When someone calls The Summit, they speak directly with the people who manage their neighborhood—not a decentralized call center. That stability preserves institutional knowledge and strengthens trust over time.
The Summit’s growth has been shaped by a commitment to people—both the communities served and the professionals supporting them. By prioritizing manageable workloads, strong internal support, and clear standards, The Summit has built a model that benefits neighborhoods in a tangible, lasting way.
At its core, The Summit reflects a simple belief: communities thrive when they are supported by stable, knowledgeable teams who are truly invested in where they live and work.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Challenges Along the Way
One of the biggest challenges we faced early on was staffing in a way that truly aligned with our values and service model. Like many management companies, we initially sought out experienced Community Association Managers. While those professionals brought industry exposure, many also brought ingrained habits shaped by high-volume, reactive environments—approaches that didn’t always support the hands-on, relationship-driven service our communities deserved.
Rather than compromise our standards, we made a pivotal decision to build our own talent pipeline.
The Summit developed a formal Intern–Apprentice–Associate program designed to train managers from the ground up. The program combines professional certification, subject-matter education, and real-world experience, delivered through a mix of in-person instruction, online learning, and hands-on community work. Team members learn The Summit’s processes and policies from the start, and throughout their training they are continuously mentored by experienced professionals.
The result is a highly trained, well-supported management team that understands both the technical responsibilities of HOA management and the importance of continuity, communication, and neighborhood knowledge. This approach has also helped address CAM burnout by creating manageable workloads, clear expectations, and a strong support structure—benefiting both managers and the communities they serve.
Another challenge has come from success itself. As The Summit’s reputation has grown—largely through word of mouth within the communities we serve—demand for our services has begun to outpace our capacity. Rather than expand too quickly or dilute the level of care our communities expect, we’ve made the deliberate choice to remain selective about the new communities we take on.
That selectivity allows us to protect the quality of service we provide and ensure that every community receives the time, attention, and consistency they deserve. Growth at The Summit has never been about volume; it has been about building lasting partnerships and maintaining the trust that earned our reputation in the first place.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
A locally, woman owned boutique management company offers a clear advantage over a national firm because it provides direct access to dedicated managers, faster response times, and a deeper understanding of local laws, vendors, and community expectations. This hands-on, relationship-driven approach results in more personalized support, stronger communication, and better outcomes for volunteer board members and the communities they serve.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Our slogan is “Do all the little things right to get the BIG thing right” Our documented processes mean that we are disciplined in our execution. From the feedback we get from the Boards we serve, that is uncommon in this industry

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thesummitmgt.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-herrmann-cmca-9308732b2
• Email: info@thesummitmgt.com