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HOA President, Treasurer and Secretary: What Each Role Does

Short answer: In many associations, the president leads meetings and acts as the main contact, the secretary handles notices, minutes and records, and the treasurer watches the money. Those are common patterns, not a legal rule. Your bylaws define your officers, and state law adds a few duties that name officers or the people who handle funds. We describe the ones we verified in seven states, as of September 23, 2026.

Last checked: September 23, 2026. Covers: general information, plus officer-related rules we read in Florida, Texas, California, Georgia, Arizona, Colorado and Washington. Other states were not reviewed.

What is the difference between directors and officers?

Directors are the board members the owners elect. Officers are the roles, such as president, secretary and treasurer, that the board fills. In many associations the same people are both, and the directors choose the officers from among themselves. Some associations combine offices or use other titles.

For Colorado communities created on or after July 1, 1992, the statute says the bylaws must state the officer titles and how officers are elected and removed (C.R.S. § 38-33.3-306); that section is not on the list for older communities (C.R.S. § 38-33.3-117), and some small or limited-expense communities are exempt from most of the Act unless their declaration opts in (C.R.S. § 38-33.3-116). In Colorado, if the association is a nonprofit corporation, the board may remove any officer at any time, with or without cause, unless the bylaws say otherwise (C.R.S. § 7-128-303(4)).

What does the president do?

Common practice: The president usually presides at board and owner meetings, signs documents the board has approved, and is the main contact for the manager, attorney and owners. Ask whether your bylaws give the president any power to act between meetings. Many do not.

What we verified:

  • The president may call a special meeting of owners in Arizona, Colorado, Washington and Texas, alongside other people the statute names (A.R.S. § 33-1804(B); C.R.S. § 38-33.3-308(1); RCW 64.90.445(1)(b), the newer Washington act, which since January 1, 2026 also reaches older communities with limits (RCW 64.90.365); Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 22.155, for a Texas nonprofit corporation).
  • In California, under the standard process, an amendment to the declaration is certified in writing by the designated officer, or by the president if none is designated. The Act also lists alternative processes (Cal. Civ. Code § 4270).

What does the secretary do?

Common practice: The secretary usually sends meeting notices, records minutes, keeps the association’s official records and handles formal correspondence. In many associations these tasks are shared with a manager.

What we verified:

  • In Arizona, the secretary causes notice of member meetings to be hand delivered or mailed not fewer than 10 nor more than 50 days before the meeting, and provides the agenda for members’ meetings (A.R.S. § 33-1804).
  • In Washington, when owners with at least 20 percent of the votes (or a lower percentage set in the organizational documents) ask for a special meeting, the request goes to the secretary to call it (RCW 64.90.445(1)(b)).
  • In a Florida HOA, minutes of board and member meetings must be kept, and the minutes must record the vote or abstention of each director present on each matter voted on (Fla. Stat. § 720.303(3)).

What does the treasurer do?

Common practice: The treasurer usually oversees the association’s money. That often means reviewing bank statements and reports, helping prepare the budget and reporting to the board, often with an accountant or manager doing the day-to-day work.

What we verified:

  • California requires the board to review financial records monthly. That review may be done by all directors or by a subcommittee of the treasurer and at least one other director, with the review ratified at the board meeting after the review and noted in its minutes (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 5500, 5501).
  • Withdrawals from reserve accounts in California need two signatures: two directors, or one director and one officer who is not a director (Cal. Civ. Code § 5510). In Washington, reserve disbursements under the newer act need the signatures of at least two officers or directors, except for investments and transfers between the association’s own reserve accounts (RCW 64.90.535(3)). That section is not among those that reach older communities before 2028 (RCW 64.90.365(1)).
  • A Florida HOA must maintain insurance or a fidelity bond for all persons who control or disburse funds. That includes those who sign checks, the president, the secretary and the treasurer. Members may waive it each year by a majority of the voting interests present at a properly called meeting (Fla. Stat. § 720.3033(5)).
  • In Colorado, an association with 30 or more units, where an owner or employee controls or disburses funds, must obtain fidelity insurance “to the extent reasonably available” (C.R.S. § 38-33.3-313(10)). Section 313 is not among the sections the Act lists for communities created before July 1, 1992 (C.R.S. § 38-33.3-117).
  • A Florida HOA must prepare its annual financial report within 90 days after the fiscal year ends (or by the date in its bylaws). It must give each member the report, or a notice that it is available, within 21 days after completion and no later than 120 days after year end (Fla. Stat. § 720.303(7)).

Do officers owe the same duty as other directors?

Florida’s HOA statute says the officers and directors have a fiduciary relationship to the members (Fla. Stat. § 720.303(1)). In a Georgia nonprofit corporation, the same standard of ordinary prudent care applies to officers as to directors, as worded in the 2023 act we read (O.C.G.A. § 14-3-842). See what a board member does and liability and D&O insurance.

Florida’s conflict rules for HOAs also name officers. See whether board members get paid.

What to do next

  1. Read the officer sections of your bylaws. Note who may sign, who may call meetings and who keeps records.
  2. Ask who is covered by your fidelity bond or crime insurance, and what it covers.
  3. Write a one-page list of who does what, and share it with the board.
  4. Give the secretary and treasurer a shared place for minutes, notices and financial reports, so they pass to the next person.
  5. If your association is in one of the seven states above, check the current statute for the points listed here.

Common questions

What is the difference between HOA directors and officers? Directors are the elected board members. Officers hold roles the board fills. In many associations the same people do both.

Can the HOA president make decisions alone? That depends on your bylaws. In many associations the board decides together at a meeting, and the president carries out its decisions. Ask an attorney if your president is acting alone on something important.

Who signs the checks? Your bylaws or board policies usually say. California and Washington set two-signature rules for reserve accounts, and Florida requires insurance or a bond for people authorized to sign checks (see above).

Can an officer be removed? Colorado’s nonprofit rule lets the board remove an officer with or without cause unless the bylaws say otherwise. We did not research officer removal in the other states. See how to remove an HOA board member.

Sources

Checked September 23, 2026.

Important notice

Fycus is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Association law varies by state and by each community’s governing documents. Consult a licensed attorney for guidance specific to your association.

This page is general information, was written from official statute text as of September 23, 2026, and has not been reviewed by an attorney. Laws change; check the current text before you rely on it.

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