CKM Founding Story
A Letter to the Founder
 
Dear Susan,
 
Thank you so much for everything you have done for CKM and for our communities. CKM was founded by Susan Gonzales in 1995. Susan got her start in real estate with George Mitchell and his “The Woodlands” project. She was instrumental in helping the meticulously planned community go from the planning stage to full implementation. Susan was largely credited for breaking down barriers for women and minorities within The Woodlands Corporation. Early on, she was often the only woman invited to the off-site management meetings, but Susan helped change that.
 
Susan eventually broke away from The Woodland Corporation to start her own management company, CKM Property Management. She has grown the company from having one employee and one HOA, to now operating with 14 employees and 41 Associations. 
 
Susan’s Starfish Story has always been the CKM mantra. We will continue to work just as hard as Susan in order to persevere and grow CKM. 
 
Warmest regards,
 
 
Bruce & Brandi Deckard
Our Inspiration Story
 
"Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see.
 
The old man noticed a small boy approaching. As the boy walked closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea. The boy came closer and the man called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”
 
The young boy paused, looked up, and replied, “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves. They will die from the sun, unless I throw them back into the water.”
 
The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish here. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”
 
The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled, and said, “It made a difference to that one!”
 
At CKM, we "make a difference" in our communities and for associations each and every day. Our company was founded on this vision to make a difference, and we are determined to do just that.