From: Tom Blakeman, June 11, 2020
To: HSVPOA Board Members
Subject: New GM Position
“Yesterday’s discussion session meeting was the best yet. You are all to be congratulated. Thank you for all you have done and are doing.
“However, I’m concerned with the apparent race to fill the GM slot. Six weeks? 20 days? What’s the rush? Maybe I’m the only one thinking this, but I see no need for an immediate “fill” of the position. Nor do I see a need to do this on the cheap either, qualified human resources professionals available in the Village notwithstanding.
“In addition, and to my knowledge, there has been no release of either a job description, salary range, type of experience expected, or desired credentials for the position other than hearing about “turn around,” a nebulous concept at best. And then there is the question of whether or not a “contract” will be granted to any new hire.
“So, I’m requesting to be provided a copy of all those criteria just noted. I believe it would also behoove the board to make the same available publicly. With already 300 applicants, one would think this information is already agreed upon by the board and out there somewhere. Property Owners are entitled to know too.”
Sincerely,
Tom Blakeman
***
Below is the reply.
***
From: Chair Diana Podawiltz, June 14, 2020
To: Tom Blakeman
“It’s expected Tom that you like many property owners would not see an immediate need to find a new General Manager. As I’ve said before when you’re a property owner you see things from about 40K feet, when you get involved by attending (today it’s watching because of Covid19) board and committee meetings; you get to about 14K feet. When you get on the board you are at SEE level.
“We need to get a general manager in here ASAP.
“Thanks
“Regards,
“Diana Podawiltz, HSVPOA Board Chair
“Creating a culture of teamwork between staff, committees and board members to increase the effectiveness of our HSVPOA governance and operations.“
George
06/14/2020 — 6:09 pm
I am ok with pursuing the filling of the position ASAP. I do want to see the job description and wording of the contract. Not because of the salary, that is determined by the scope of the job, experience and skills of the new hire, I want to know this is not another liability for us to overcome.
Only fair to publish both documents for viewing.
Valerie Phillis
06/18/2020 — 10:26 pm
I feel the same way….then I realize we elected the BOD to handle such matters on our behalf. I believe they are consulting with our legal counsel regarding a contract for future GM. I still feel anxious after what we have been through.
steve bylow
06/14/2020 — 6:29 pm
Tom – not sure where you derive your logic that it is not a good idea to have a sense of urgency in hiring a qualified GM ASAP.
Having been involved with multiple turnarounds, I think the Board is spot on with getting the new qualified GM in ASAP to start establishing the culture and change desired by the new Board.
In regard to the GM search, I saw the job on “linkedin” and “indeed”. I think you’ll see some of the information you asked about.
In regard to doomsday posters who believe history will repeat itself and an unqualified GM will be hired; I voted for LTD because they have the business experience to keep that from happening – I’ll be shocked if they let it happen.
Steve
Tom Blakeman
06/14/2020 — 7:38 pm
Steve,
Urgency is appropriate when your having a heart attack. Our new board has done the appropriate preventative measures such as removing Nalley, CMP and PC’s. All good procedures – what they were elected for. Kind of like placing stents or taking blood thinners.
But we as property owners still don’t have the full story on where we really are financially. Or, you could say our true medical condition. How sick are we really? We really don’t know yet whether or not our heart is actually failing and if we do need a quadruple bypass – immediately. I simply don’t believe we are in cardiac arrest – quite yet.
In the past 10 years our prior boards have installed three sub-par people into our leadership. While I personally helped get elected LTD+D and I believe them to want to do the right things, I surely don’t want them to rush to another mistake. We don’t need emergency surgery in my view.
We’ve also had two “executives “ quit, presumably because of the Nalley termination. Does that not seem suspicious? And we have a few more seriously overpaid and apparently under performing. Or at least it sure looks that way. How is hiring a new emergency GM magically going to fix all this?
And, what I might see on websites just is nothing close to the transparency we have been promised. Contract? Salary range? Real Credentials required? The job listing right next to the one for a McDonald’s GM? Really?
This idea that only when on the BOD you can “SEE” is simply crap. (Sorry Diana) If they are seeing something we also need to “SEE” it and they need to show us. Again, that’s why we elected them. Transparency. What’s with ASAP?
steve bylow
06/15/2020 — 7:47 pm
Tom –
No problem, looks like we can agree to disagree on the need to hire a qualified GM “as soon as possible” and also the definition of what is considered the appropriate degree of Board transparency.
I think most folks are going to judge the new Board on their results and not waste time on conspiracy theories or second guessing tactics.
Steve
George Mc.
06/14/2020 — 7:32 pm
Speaking of General Managers, I just got a notice that Mr. Twiggs is going to be the GM of Sun City in Surprise, Arizona.
Maybe we should draft an email to the their Association let them know how much of a “Surprise” they should be expecting! Maybe give them a chronological list of disasters that all sourced from day zero of Mr. Twiggs’ arrival in HSV.
Or we could just let them find out for themselves how much of a mistake they’ve made hiring him!
I say, as good neighbors, we should let them know.
You can read all about it here:
https://www.suncitygrand.com/association/community-administration-staff/general-manager-administration
Anonymous
06/16/2020 — 4:37 pm
Can’t ignore that Mr. Twiggs negotiated one of the best partnerships that exists in the Village, Mt. Carmel. They came into the Village, paying all infrastructure costs themselves, agreeing to doing any and all maintenance on their property themselves, and we collect a monthly assessment fee the same as all other Owners pay, with the exception of their long-term care units, which pay no assessments. No arrangement ever done with CCI is so favorable to the Association. As a direct contrast is Good Sams Retirement Center. The POA paid much of the infrastructure cost, and since they only have two water meters, they only pay two monthly assessment fees for all the units in their facility. I would say that whoever negotiated that deal, could have learned something from Mr. Twiggs. It’s unfortunate that in our Village, we nullify the good work done by our leaders because we determine we don’t like the person.
Georgene Gwyther
06/14/2020 — 7:57 pm
I hope we don’t see “The Good Ole Boy” system go into place.
George
06/14/2020 — 8:36 pm
Disappointed in this…Degree in what? Experience with what? Professional certification in what?
You get what you ask for. Need to be more specific. Now understand why they have 300 applicants.
Who is on this committee with Garrison that has all this hiring experience?
City Manager/General Manager
Hot Springs Village, AR
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Hot Springs Village Arkansas is the largest gated community in the US with 26,000 pristine forested acres within our gates. We have 14000 residents who enjoy the peaceful, easy going outdoor lifestyle where they can play golf at any of our nine golf courses or enjoy the water at our eleven lakes and indoor and outdoor pools, play tennis at one of our 13 courts or pickleball at our newly expanded recreation center. We blend this with the cultural arts at our Woodlands Performance Center where national theatrical shows, ballets and symphonies perform. We have 200 civic and hobby clubs with one of the largest bridge clubs in the country. Our General Manager is the most senior executive in the community and all departments heads report to this person. The General Manager reports to the Board of Directors for the POA and is responsible for implementing the priorities and goals from the board’s direction. Functional departments include the typical functions in a city including everything from water and waste water plants, lakes management, golf management, food and beverage operations to human resources, finance and marketing. The General Manager must be financially savvy and have strong business acumen. A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree plus seven years’ experience is needed. Professional related certifications would be a plus. Most important are effective interpersonal skills, strong ethics and ability to manage and maintain operations within tight budgets. A work ethic that includes a sense of urgency coupled with effective problem-solving skills in collaboration with the board and community is a must. Hot Springs Village is an equal opportunity employer. We do not tolerate discrimination in any form
Jim
06/15/2020 — 12:25 am
I get a real kick out of reading all these high-minded opinions from those who somehow see themselves as “stake holders” (whatever that is), who continue to think that “WE” actually have something to say about how this PRIVATELY OWNED, CLOSELY HELD, NOT FOR PROFIT, ARKANSAS CHARTERED CORPORATION is run.
Nearly twenty-five years ago there was another group of well intended (but far better informed) property owners (well over 200 members) who got together under the name of the Village Good Government League – the VGGL.
Early on we learned that at that time, CCI had set up what was something almost akin to a benevolent dictatorship. Every entity (excepting our own personal lots), seemed to be controlled by a separate autonomous (mysterious?) corporation.
All the Townhouse Associations, each of the golf courses, each individual food service pavilion, all the lakes, all the “public” buildings, Cooper Land Sales, Cooper Land Re-sales, Cooper Builders, Cooper Building Supplies, Cooper Time Shares, all the “reserved lands”, and even the HSV-POA, were owned and controlled by an unnamed group of investors whose names could not be divulged under the incorporation terms of being “PRIVATELY OWNED” and “CLOSELY HELD”
At that time we were told that “Privately Owned” meant that there were no shares of the corporation offered for public sale. Further, that “Closely Held” meant that there were fewer than six share holders of the corporation, and that under the terms of incorporation the State of Arkansas absolutely could not divulge the names of the actual share holders.
I asked one of the then BOD members, just how many actual shareholders there were? His reply was “you have no idea how few, but you might be able to count them on less than two fingers”.
For those of you “old timers” out there, you might recall the reasons behind the start-up of the initial “VILLAGE VOICE” by a fine gentleman named Mel Fluhart and his fantastic staff of REAL investigative reporters from the old school. Man,,, what a group of knowledgeable journalists, people of admirable integrity, we had before the last 2 or 3 owners of The Voice!
I have usually been chastised by those folks ‘more in the know’, who tell me they know they are “share holders” in the POA simply because they bought property here, so there!
I sometimes ask them what kind of car they drive? The usual retort is “what’s that got to do with anything?” I simply ask if when they bought that Buick, (or Chevy or Pontiac), how many shares of the General Motors Corporation they were granted, and are now allowed to vote on company management matters? For some odd reason I never got an intelligible answer to that.
So I ask all you folks, how many shares of the HSV-POA Corporation do you hold – I mean ACTUAL Shares? And if you truly do not own the shares, do you really delude yourself into thinking you have some actual standing in determining how this Corporation conducts its business?
REALLY?
Walter
06/15/2020 — 8:50 am
I like the measured approach Dick Garrison is following. First using qualified screeners to advance to him the resumes that are close to a fit. 300 resumes came in. He said he is first looking for a turn a round type manager to reorganize the corporate structure. This to me is a smart approach. Whomever he narrows it down to there will be a minimum of 5 candidates which the board will interview. And it is the majority of the board that will vote on the new manager. I have full confidence in this board. They will not trap themselves in a long term contract. Salary plus identified milestones of progress is how the contract should read. Yes. We need a manager ASAP because of the mess we have. The interim manager is just that. Keeping the daily operations going. John is not the the change agent we need. The ship is sinking. Hire a bilge pump. Not a bailer.
Julie
06/15/2020 — 10:07 am
Amen
Gene Garner
06/16/2020 — 8:46 am
Jim (whoever you are) as you know an Arkansas nonprofit corporation cannot issue “shares” of stock, that’s one of the distinctions of a nonprofit corporation in AR. But all property owners “own” the HSV POA and “have standing in determining how this Corporation conducts it’s business”.
That’s the covenant we make with the POA when we buy property in the Village. You can read this in our Declaration. When you buy a product from GM you are not buying stock in the company, only a car, I would hope you’d know the difference.
All property owners have a voice in the governing of HSV, the previous BOD & CEO forgot that and paid the price. There are still property owners that think a corporation is like a dictatorship or the military where individuals are not important and can be ignored–but that’s not true.
If you don’t believe it, take a look at the Nov. 30, 2018 “Amendment Vote” or the 2020 BOD vote. The owners took back control of HSV and made their “standing” known.–Gene
Erwin Hoeft
06/25/2020 — 12:20 pm
Tom Blakeman,
Regarding your June 11, 2020 “HSV POA GM Position” question. The new GM decision was made on May 19, 2020.