Press Release – Hot Springs Village, AR, September 30, 2021
The search for a new Hot Springs Village General Manager moves into high gear with the hiring of an independent recruiting firm to conduct the search. At the completion of an RFP process that began in August, a contract was finalized this past week with Cameron Smith Associates (csarecruiters.com), located in Rogers, AR. CSA’s list of clients spans a variety of industries and organizations: City of Ft. Smith, AR., OZARK, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Hospitality Industry, Chambers of Commerce, Non-Profits, Walmart, and others in the Consumer Goods industry.
The HSV POA Board of Directors had carefully considered the benefits and obstacles of using Village talent for the recruiting effort and determined that hiring an outside firm would better serve the needs of the Village. With their extensive database of active potential candidates and excellent references, CSA became the obvious choice. The Board believes the hiring of a well-qualified General Manger is critically important and must be handled in the most professional, business-like manner possible.
Two weeks ago, as required by the POA Employee Handbook, applications were accepted only from active POA employees interested in the General Manager position. Those applicants will be interviewed in mid-October. October 1 began the broader search when CSA started identifying potential candidates from within its database of 20,000 executives and its own outreach efforts.
Anyone interested in applying for the GM position should visit hsvgm.com, where they will find the job description as well as the link to CSA for submitting resumes.
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Hot Springs Village POA General Manager Job Description
GM-Job-Description-9-29-21* * *
CSA Testimonials Gathered by HR Director Kim Massey
CSA-Testimonials-Gathered-by-HR-Director-Kim-Massey(Here is a link to Cameron Smith Associates [CSA].)
* * *
Thank you for reading. If you like, please comment below. We love to hear your opinion, but civil discourse is important. Comments must be made using your first and last real name, or they will not be accepted. Be sure to bookmark this website. Click here to visit the Hot Springs Village People Facebook Group.
David Perry
09/29/2021 — 7:30 pm
Where you at tommy boy Blakeman. I’m sure you have something to say about how this is wrong
HSVP C
09/29/2021 — 8:06 pm
David, we have asked for comments to be polite. Your comment seems to be an attack on Tom Blakeman, which is hateful and completely off-topic on this post.
David Perry
09/29/2021 — 8:12 pm
Cheryl I understand, but Blakeman is a total a** all the time. Instead of him being a bully all the time. I’m gonna bully him. He is very tough behind the keyboard. I didn’t see him at the board questionnaire yesterday.
HSVP J
09/29/2021 — 8:25 pm
Perry, Tom was at the meeting via the HSV Voice live-stream and commented frequently on the FB live stream. Seriously, Imo, bullying people who disagree with your political views is a serious character flaw. It seems you can’t debate the issues, so you resort to bullying. Saul Alinsky 101. I now have zero respect for your opinion.
HSVP C
09/29/2021 — 8:27 pm
I am sorry you are so negative. We don’t want any bullying on this website, but you persist. It is ridiculous to say, “I didn’t see him at the board questionnaire yesterday.”
Do you not understand COVID? The POA should record and also live stream all of their meetings because of COVID. We did not attend yesterday’s meeting. Does this mean we were not interested? Of course not. This is ludicrous for you to state that someone who didn’t attend the meeting is not interested. Your stance is beyond ridiculous. Keep making your comments. Everyone can see through them.
Jama Lopez
10/15/2021 — 12:09 am
Cheryl,
That’s not David Perry. It’s a poser, probably using a bogus email address. The words are brave when using someone else’s name!
Tom Blakeman
09/30/2021 — 7:15 am
Childish.
Lloyd Sherman
09/30/2021 — 8:57 am
So instead of hearing people’s OPINIONS on the current process and having a civil discussion/debate, it is situations like this that cause discussions to be hijacked. This is supposed to be a friendly community, but personal attacks can only result in stifling input. The far left engages in this on a regular basis and as a community are we not better than this?
Susan Posner
10/02/2021 — 1:54 pm
We need to do better, attacking personal sure isn’t helpful. Civility requires TALK.LISTEN.RESPECT. HSV should be about our community which is comprised of people with different ideals, preferences and values. No one is perfect.
Andy Kramek
09/30/2021 — 12:38 pm
Why would anyone choose an agency who, on their own website state unequivocally that they specialize in the Consumer & Packaged Goods (CPG) industry, to recruit a General Manager for HSV? The following quotes are from their website:
[1] “For more than 25 years, Cameron Smith & Associates’ team of dedicated, experienced consumer packaged goods recruiters have devoted every day to finding and placing the best talent.”
[2] “For years, we have been providing solutions and delivering results in all major markets supporting mass retailer, grocery, and drug channel accounts. ”
[3] “Based in the Bentonville / Rogers area just 3 miles from the Walmart Home Office, CSA has deep ties to the Bentonville community and a finger on the pulse of other CPG hubs surrounding retailer corporate headquarters in cities including Chicago, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, and Seattle.”
[4] “We recruit talented, high performers across categories, including food and beverage, general merchandise softlines, apparel, accessories, entertainment, home, seasonal, hardlines, consumables, and health and wellness.”
Read the “testimonials”, they are great but they are not from Cities, Municipalities or even POA/HOA who have used this firm to recruit general managers. They are from Walmart, Acosta (Sales and Marketing for Consumer Packaged Goods) and Daisy Outdoor Products (Manufacturers of BB and Air guns).
The Board has, apparently, decided that “With their extensive database of active potential candidates and excellent references, CSA became the obvious choice.” Call me suspicious if you must but it seems that this firm, who I am sure are at the top of the game for their declared industry, do not seem to be the obvious choice for finding a general manager for Hot Springs Village. After all, wouldn’t their database be of candidates for the consumer packaged goods sector? That IS what they do, isn’t it?
I wonder if anyone thought to contact Management Partners (https://www.managementpartners.com/services/executive-recruitment/) whose web site states that:
“Management Partners was founded in 1994. Our associates include leaders and managers in all local government operations, including about two dozen former city/county managers and many others who have led departments and agencies. We have helped more than 900 clients in 42 states with more than 1,700 improvement projects.
As a local government consulting firm, our client list includes many large cities and counties, small cities, counties, villages, towns and townships throughout the United States. We assist special districts of all types as well as public schools and community colleges.”
Doesn’t that sound more like the people we should be looking for?
Susan Posner
10/02/2021 — 12:17 pm
Agree and seems suspicious, so is the job description.(BA but in what? not specific) Odd recruiting outfit Bentonville is NWA and a whole different region with whole different demographics than central Arkansas. Did board ask Hot Springs how they recruit city manager and inquire into their city manager job description and qualifications. Or a community developer who has hired GMs for their developing communities. Last I checked HSV is a residential neighborhood association, not a corporation like Walmart. On the non profits it’s hiring a Director of Non profits. Guess knowledge doesn’t guarantee common sense.
Susan Posner
10/02/2021 — 5:58 pm
General manager isn’t what manages a community property association unless they have community property managing credentialing or experience. Bella Vista’s has credentialing, that is verified below.
https://www.caionline.org/LearningCenter/credentials/Pages/default.aspx
> Scroll down page to heading “Hire the Right Professional” then click blue highlighted “Directory of Credentialed Professionals” then on right under states click AR for Arkansas and Bella Vista credentialed community association manager is listed. <
*A GM definitely isn't a community manager, look up the descriptions of both, totally different worlds. GM(general manager non specific) is business for profit professional managing non credentialed, the other is a PCAM (professional community association manager specific) as in community property managing that should get or already have preferred credentialing. Both do managing and budgeting, but for different expertise, business managing is different from property management. It's not just about managing money,(CPA is for) nor is it about managing widgets(GM is for) There needs to be a knowledge of all aspects of community works, for what good is it if there is none? Why good community property managers have backgrounds in real estate!
Michael R Shannon
10/03/2021 — 7:55 am
The board is dead set on hiring a corporatist when a city manager is what HSV needs.
I think it has something to do with ego.
Rubbing shoulders with a very expensive CEO type has more prestige than associating with a lowly town manager with a salary that reflects the wage scale for managing a city (HSV) of our population.
The board has never explained why the salary should be so much higher for the HSV GM than for a city manager. We should be able to attract suitable candidates for the same salary paid the Hot Springs city manager: $74,655. After all, the cost of living is so much lower here…
Karen Bump
10/03/2021 — 3:03 pm
Mr. Shannon,
I must correct you. I know you googled the information you presented as it is the first result that pops up, however it is out of date. The HS City Manager, Bill Burroughs, makes considerably more according to this press release from Dec 20, 2020:
HOT SPRINGS — Keeping large capital projects on track and initiating innovative programs amid a pandemic warranted the $42,494 in extra compensation the Hot Springs Board of Directors gave the city manager last week, the city’s mayor said.
The incentive pay is 25% of Bill Burrough’s $169,977 base salary for 2020, the city’s human resources department said. The board also awarded City Attorney Brian Albright $29,465 in extra compensation, which is 20% of his $147,326 base salary. They received 10% bonuses at the end of last year. Albright was awarded a $5,000 bonus at the end of 2018.
Also, the current search for a HS Deputy City Manager is considerably more than what you quoted:
Compensation & Benefits
• The City of Hot Springs offers a highly competitive compensation and benefits
package.
• The salary range for this position is
between $105,000-$115,000 annually,
including medical, dental, vision, and group
life insurance programs. Paid time off and
holiday leave are also given.
• The City of Hot Springs participates in the
Arkansas Public Employees Retirement
System (APERS).
I interviewed a previous HS Deputy City Manager for the HSV GM role last year and at the time, an important criteria for the search was someone who could grow and market the village. He had an electric utility executive background and was not a fit for the marketing aspect, nor were other City Managers that were interviewed. Perhaps with the new, more vague job description they would fit now. But looking at sites like Zip Recruiter and Indeed.com will not give accurate or current salary information.
I agree with most of Mr. Kramek’s thoughts regarding the Consumer Products search firm. From the board meeting, it sounded like the HR Manager was the one to select the search firm, not the board. I believe Mr. Chris Jones asked why she did not select the other firms, 2 of which were related to HSV as golf community search firms but I did not hear her response. To me, that would have been a good choice, as there are many golf communities where the largest asset/expense being multiple courses and residential neighborhoods. In some cases not the streets and utilities though, but some GM’s are very much involved in that aspect of building or expanding their community. It takes a lot of work and interviews to find the right mix and I do not believe 2 months will be enough time. But we shall see. I wish the best.
Michael R Shannon
10/03/2021 — 6:50 pm
You make my point for me.
Even at the higher, more accurate figures, the city of Hot Springs – with more than double our population – is still paying less than the potential compensation quoted by the board for the HSV GM.
Second, it’s possible you haven’t noticed, but HSV doesn’t currently have a marketing problem. It has an infrastructure problem, which is why the board wants POA members to vote an assessment blank check for the next few years.
Third, Hot Springs and every other large to medium-sized city in Arkansas has a marketing department or partnership of some variety that the city manager has control over. Neither the HSV GM nor the city manager is going to be writing the ads. ‘Marketing’ is just a buzzword the board uses to justify overpaying for a GM.
Ray Lehman
10/04/2021 — 6:21 pm
Interesting comments about the search and hiring process. Question, are any of you reaching out to the BOD for answers?
Mrs. Katherine Miller
10/04/2021 — 10:31 pm
While searching for an answer to Andy’s question, here is what I found…
https://csarecruiters.com/cpg-companies-are-placing-a-high-value-on-quality-of-life-in-bentonville-ar/
“As the top consumer packaged goods executive recruiters, we deliver top talent to Walmart and other nationwide retail suppliers.”
“People in Consumer Goods spend their time in Chicago working on the Walgreens account or in Cincinnati supporting Kroger, then they get promoted to the Walmart account. Some people have never heard of Bentonville, Arkansas. They come to Bentonville kicking and screaming, thinking they will put in their time and rotate out. They don’t want to move to a small town in Arkansas. But, how quickly their mind changes when they realize the quality of life Bentonville has to offer. … We encouraged companies to allow people to stay on the Walmart account for longer stints and create opportunities regionally for them in Northwest Arkansas, thus creating a better environment for them to stay with their employer. More companies are hearing these concerns and allowing them to stay in Bentonville, Rogers and the surrounding area.”
“Some examples of outstanding benefits companies are offering their employees to improve their quality of life: Adoption expenses, Pet Insurance, Dog-friendly workplace, Executive Chef lunches, Sabbatical, Childcare, Unlimited vacation, Flexible work schedule, On-Site Laundry service, Weekly lunches, Paid time for volunteering.”
I found all of that on the CSA website.
Walter Chance
10/06/2021 — 5:12 pm
Can’t imagine the BODs hiring anyone worse than King. But I could be wrong. I hope the Board will do several interviews and extensive background on the short list of candidates. It would take a strong GM to actually turn things around financially. Again, I know we need an assessment increase but the word ‘infrastructure’ is now a word subject to interpretation. Until the BODs is transparent about how much of the increase is earmarked toward actual physical infrastructure like road repaving I’m still a no on the increase. And unless I am mistaken, I thought the Assessment was not going to be voted on until we had a new GM in place.
steve bylow
10/10/2021 — 8:24 pm
I was hoping the Board would want to hire someone with relevant expertise. Unfortunately the minimum qualifications in the job description would allow any non-degreed candidate with seven years of “executive level” experience in any type of organization to be hired.
Not a real high bar but maybe that was intentional.