Board Announcement on Podawiltz Resignation
Today, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, the Hot Springs Village Board of Directors accepted the resignation of Diana Podawiltz from the Board. Vice-Chair, Lloyd Sherman, will serve as Acting Chair until the Board elects a new Chairperson.
The Board recognizes the many hours of service Diana put into her position as Board of Directors Chairperson. Under Diana’s tenure, the Board took bold steps to move the Village toward a positive, fiscally responsible future and for that, the Village can be very appreciative.
The Board appreciates and thanks Diana for her service to the community.
At 2:22 p.m. today (8-13) Diana sent the following statement to Hot Springs Village People :
- “I tried, I gave it my all. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the skill set to finish the job.
- “This was going to be a big part of my closing comments in next week’s board meeting. [Please see the link below.]
- “Regards,
- “Diana Podawiltz”
Click here to read a note from an HSVPOA employee to Diana. This is what Diana was going to share at the Regular Board Meeting on August 19, 2020.
We thank Diana for her service to the Village and wish her best wishes in her future pursuits.
By Cheryl Dowden, August 13, 2020
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Erin Voletta Chavis
08/13/2020 — 6:11 pm
Thank you, Diana, for your difficult task of defending our village when you asked all those questions at the BOD meetings that Nalley tried to suppress. You kept on asking questions even though Nalley kept trying to shut you up. I was so thrilled that you and only you of all the former BOD members had the courage to defend the villagers. I will always appreciate your part in reclaiming our village. You are our heroine.
kilroy
08/13/2020 — 7:24 pm
Erin Voletta Chavis. I agree.
Nobody, but NOBODY would ever question Diana’s work ethic. She put every little modicum of energy into the successful changes this board has achieved. Give her the respectful parting blessing she deserves. Please.
You can’t repair the crap she inherited and stay right there like a rock, right there in the middle of all of it, never blinking, all of this, without stepping on some toes. Too bad. She still has my respect big time. She gave and gave. Gave her all for over 2 successful years. Thank you, Diana.
I’m buying your dinner next time I see you with your hubby out and about. He is cool too for allowing this disruption in his life.
God bless you both. Much respect.
Elizabeth H Berry
08/13/2020 — 6:49 pm
Thank you Diana, for all your work to put the village back in a good place. You were also the only one on the last board that stuck with the task of fighting the things the majority disliked with the actions of the ceo and that board.
You were and are appreciated. Thank you again.
Patricia
08/13/2020 — 7:21 pm
Diana, since I heard you announce you we’re running for the board, I knew you was what the employees and property owners were needing. Not only someone who understood business and numbers, but someone who cared about the true boots on the ground. You have worked with and seen enough sycophants to understand what needed to be done. You did it with strength, compassion and never forgetting Our Lord and Savior. My prayer forward is that Charles King, the new GM has 1/10th of that and will continue on.
You told my husband and I that HSV was a slice of heaven, well, your friendship and service on the board showed you walk the walk, it just complain and write letters, you tried and DID make a difference. Thank you, and now enjoy this slice of heaven as I am now.
Thank you for your service and friendship.
Scott
08/13/2020 — 8:00 pm
I feel sorry for Diana. No person wants to have to accept rejection from some of her fellow Board Members.
The Chair position is a tough job. It requires a strong leader that earns the respect property owners, administration, and her fellow Board members.
Obviously, the majority of the Board felt a change was appropriate.
Life goes on.
steve bylow
08/13/2020 — 9:16 pm
Diana – thanks for the great job in getting HSV on a great start through a much needed transition. I always enjoyed reading your spot on observations in Board Meetings this past year. You have been a key “Change Agent” for the Village getting back on track.
Thanks
Steve
Mike honcho
08/13/2020 — 9:41 pm
She was asked to step down for a reason. She is Egotistical and does not care for employees. All she did was switch the good ol boy system to her side. She literally is killing the morale and the board saw that. The next one that needs to step down is Sherman. He is a joke just like her. They should be ashamed of bringing that bag of bones John Paul in. He sucked when he was here before and guess what he still sucks. Now all you have is a bunch of chiefs trying to nose around in areas that they have no idea about. By the end of this you are going to lose a lot of valuable employees. Within 2 years you will turn in the GM and will be in the same boat. This place is a vicious cycle
Patricia
08/14/2020 — 11:35 am
MH, the POA Employees loved Diana and how she stood up for them! They/we finally had someone looking out for us and the BS we had to put up with from the Upper Management.
Don’t know where you got your information but it is wrong!
Max Ball
08/14/2020 — 8:17 am
Diana, We moved to the Village only last December. We did not expect all the bitterness and dissension we witnessed from both camps. It did not take us long to realize where our loyalties and support would align. As this is my first post, We want to express our sincere appreciation for being that strong
fearless person who withstood all the bitterness from the other camp. Your strengths may have worked against you. You deserve a restful break to enjoy your legion of friends and your/our slice of heaven which you protected for us all.
Respectfully,
Max and Monte Ball
Andy Kramek
08/14/2020 — 10:02 am
Thank you for Diana for all that you have done. I am sorry that you felt you had to quit the Board – you were an excellent Director and champion for us all when Nalley reigned supreme. Chairing a Board is a difficult and thankless job at the best of times and we are quite sure that you gave it your best shot. That you feel that your skills lie in other areas in no way invalidates the worth of the work that you put in, or the contributions you made. Enjoy a period away from it all and maybe you will feel ready to return to the Board in the future.
Thank you.
Ray Duke
08/14/2020 — 10:51 am
Diana, thanks for all the hard work to get the POA back to including the property owners feelings in their decisions on Village operations.
I hope you and Jim can now have some quality time together away from all the constant pressure.
Jean T
08/14/2020 — 1:29 pm
Diana you were the best person that represented the people and did what you promised you would do. Our village would not have lasted much longer. Thank you for all the time you spent for us to keep our paradise!
Karen Bump
08/14/2020 — 5:16 pm
Thank you Diana for your strong, direct and focused leadership. You never took your eye off the ball for what the villagers told you they wanted. Very proud of how you stood up to Nalley and Erickson and their constant badgering of you. You stood your ground with grace and dignity. I hope the chairman who comes after you can live up to those standards of representing the villagers. God Bless You!
Walter
08/14/2020 — 9:13 pm
There would be no new GM like Mr King without Diana. Period.
Bernard McIntyre
08/16/2020 — 6:35 pm
Walter, what is King Like? You seem to have a clue. The rest of us do not for he does not seem to understand his responsibilities, such as showing up for Board Meetings (interviewing a prospective hire, what’s that all about)?
King is a General Manger, he is NOT, as was Lally attempted to be, the ‘King of the Hill’. He works for the Board and the Board represents the members of the Community. He is an employee and he best know that.
Listen Mr. King, if you want to stay here for any length of time, you need to make an appearance and also present some ideas for Village growth. If you cannot perform those simple functions, you best start sending out your resumes.
I give you six months to ‘prove yourself’ if no proof of competence is shown, you will soon be ‘outta here’.
bernard
Walter
08/16/2020 — 8:39 pm
He explained his absence if you watched the last meeting. He started August 1st and yes I saw his experience. Can you imagine trying to get your head around the management or lack there of in two weeks. Let’s give him a chance. I know how the vetting was done. Dick did a thorough job and narrowed to 4 candidates that the board interviewed. I do think he has the tools in his toolbox to reorganize and straighten out and turn around this wonderful place.
Bernard McIntyre
08/17/2020 — 2:35 pm
Walter,
Yes, I did watch the Board video, I did hear Lloyd read Kings letter and I did not find his explanation acceptable. One does not schedule an insignificant event, such as interviewing a prospective employee and that should not have taken more than an hour.
I know it will take some time for him to ‘develop’ and agenda for Village operations, etc. However, he should be at each Board meeting in order the Board, and the Community might become familiar with him.
As it is, today, the Community has zero faith in Mr. Kings abilities for they do not know him, many have never even seen him, let him get out there so folks can see him. I want to see and hear how he speaks, understand how he thinks, and through that process, I will understand whether or not he is capable of operating as G.M.
Yes, I will give him opportunity to ‘prove himself’ he needs to do so ASAP. No more Lallies, thank you.
Susan
08/16/2020 — 7:28 pm
I think the entire board vetted King and then voted to hire King as our new gm. Diana was just one of seven board members who made this happen.
Walter
08/16/2020 — 8:15 pm
My point was the vote was 6-1. If One more vote went the other way we may have Nalley still. Diana never wavered. I just find the timing, Mr King has been here two weeks and the optics of having the chair removed now, after the last board was finally removed, troubling. After one year, yes a change. But after only 4 meetings we are pushing out the chair. We need some kind of team effort and that means sometimes agreeing to disagree. 4 openings now next Spring could flip the board again. I hope this was well thought out. I am supporting the new board. Just hope they will address her removal from chair. I understand she resigned.
Susan
08/16/2020 — 8:49 pm
Walter, four board members felt it was necessary to remove Diana as chair to move this village forward. I respect their decision. I don’t have all the details. Diana decided to resign from the board if she could not be the chair, that is the definition of wavering. It was her decision. I agree Diana never wavered in the past, but she resigned from her elected position as a board member. Diana was a powerful person that helped to implement many changes in the governance of our village. Yet she chose to resign as a board member.
Needing explanation
08/14/2020 — 9:41 pm
I believe the membership needs a better explanation of what happened here.
Diana got the most votes, we voted for change, she was hard working and got results.
How can appointed board members be allowed to vote on this. Sounds very political and could lead to some very shady dealings. Bad precedent.
Way too petty if she ruffled a few feathers. That was the problem with Nalley, too thin skinned. Are the new board members just as thin skinned?
We recently had a board chair and vice chair who had very few ideas/results not to mention being “in the pocket” of the ceo. We don’t need more of that.
We ask that a reconciliation between Diana and the board be made. She needs to be on the board again ASAP.
Lois Oswald
08/15/2020 — 8:29 am
I totally agree! Now these 4 elected members are just placing people on the board. When the first person left, I expected the last person on the ballot to be placed, but no. This is very worrisome!!
HSVP C
08/15/2020 — 9:35 am
Lois, this is what our Bylaws say in Article VII, Section 7. Vacancies. If a Director, for any reason, does not complete a term of office, the Board may elect, by majority vote of the remaining Directors, any member in good standing, as an interim director until the next succeeding election at which time the pendency of the vacant term (if any) shall be filled by a vote of the membership.
You should not be worried that the Board followed the correct Bylaw procedure. Thank you.
Need explanation
08/15/2020 — 6:03 pm
I have read the bylaws. Very broad.
I am sure this was not intended to hand pick 3 strangers in one year.
Petty grievances are not Justification for removal.
We need a thorough investigation by a non biased group into why the board chairman was voted out and who voted her out. The reasons to even bring up the vote need to be serious and documented for all members to understand. The appointed board members should not be allowed to participate in this vote. It goes against any common sense. Strong personality is not a reason to dismiss a hard working, results oriented, intelligent person.
Many are asking these questions.
Pat killmon
08/15/2020 — 5:01 pm
I agree
Pat killmon
08/15/2020 — 4:57 pm
Very sorry to see her go. She was the fighter that we needed she worked hard. Appreciate her and her work. Nobody who is a volunteer and puts in long hours plus her heart and soul can long withstand the drain on her trying to buck the system. Thanks for what you accomplished.
Shorty
08/15/2020 — 10:33 pm
They can get thier agenda put in now without a bump in the road, throw and pick another bobblehead