Community Association Attorney Julie McGhee Howard Receives 2026 Don Buck Lifetime Contribution Award

Community Associations Institute Recognizes Career-Long Leadership Shaping Governance, Advocacy, and the Future of Community Associations

FALLS CHURCH, VA, UNITED STATES, February 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Julie McGhee Howard, Esq., a nationally recognized community association attorney and longtime leader within Community Associations Institute, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Don Buck Lifetime Contribution Award by CAI’s College of Community Association Lawyers.

The award, named in honor of the late Gurdon “Don” Buck, a widely respected community association attorney and industry leader, is presented annually to attorneys whose careers have had a lasting impact on the community association housing model, which includes homeowners associations, condominium associations, and housing cooperatives serving millions of Americans.

“I am deeply honored and sincerely grateful for this recognition,” Howard says. “I am also mindful of the giants in our industry who are past recipients. It’s particularly meaningful and humbling to be one of only two women to receive the award.”

Howard is the cofounder and managing partner of NowackHoward in Atlanta and has practiced community association law for 30 years, advising boards and volunteer leaders on governance, legal compliance, and risk management. A Fellow of the College of Community Association Lawyers, she has served on the CCAL Board of Governors and is a past president of CCAL and the Community Associations Institute.

During her presidency of CAI, Howard led the Community Next: 2020 and Beyond initiative, an effort aimed at preparing community associations for long-term challenges related to governance, leadership development, and changing regulatory and economic conditions. Her work has helped shape national conversations around how associations operate and adapt in an evolving housing landscape.

Howard has also been deeply involved in state-level advocacy through the CAI Georgia Chapter and the Georgia Legislative Action Committee, working to ensure policymakers understand the role community associations play in maintaining housing quality, local infrastructure, and shared amenities.

To learn more about the College of Community Association Lawyers and its role in advancing excellence in community association law, visit caionline.org/ccal.

Blaine Tobin
Community Associations Institute
+1 703-970-9235
btobin@caionline.org

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