SUN CITY – At a town meeting in Drendel Ballroom on March 12, about 75 residents discussed a series of personnel moves and a newly emerging staff internal structure.
Board Vice President Linda Davis and Executive Director Lauren Lee presided. The meeting quickly turned into a presentation about a productivity study that began in 2012, followed by a lively question-and-answer session about the most extensive personnel and organizational changes in the community since opening over than 14 years ago.
“The staff, board, and residents have responded in a very positive manner,” Lee said, regarding feedback to the changes. “I’m very proud of the staff. In communications, I believe we are improving.”
Below is a list of actions taken by Lee and the board in this restructuring project:
The positions of Building Services Director and Customer Service Manager in the Lifestyles Department, filled respectively by Larry Mann and Joan Grant, were eliminated.
Dave Osborn chose not to continue in the role of Facilities Manager as the position now requires, Lee said. Osborn served as interim executive director for several months last year before Lee was hired as executive director by FirstService Residential in November. Osborn joined the Del Webb staff in 1999, shortly after Sun City opened its home sales.
Top levels of the 80-member FSR staff have been reorganized, most department head titles have been changed from “director” to “manager,” and some departments have been consolidated to increase productivity, improve communications, and end duplication and overlapping of efforts, according to Davis and Lee.
Bruce Carr’s former title of finance director was changed to controller. Chris Lueck, landscape services supervisor, retains the same title and is providing interim facilities management functions. The Facilities Manager position is vacant and will be filled by FSR as soon as possible, Lee said.
Cynthia O’Connor retains her title as Lifestyles Director. Jackie Shireman is now called the Fitness Manager. Debby Seger becomes the Administration and Human Resources Manager. Beth Fudala is the Governance and Standards Manager.
Job descriptions in all departments have been extensively revised and updated.
“All departments have been streamlined to end duplication and overlapping, and we have saved money through the elimination of two positions,” Lee said.
Lee said she, FSR, and the Board of Directors form the top management team at Sun City.
“FSR hires the staff members, including me, and the Board and I share responsibility for making final decisions regarding how the staff and volunteer committees are organized and deployed,” she said. “Each of these three parts have input into everything. There will be no changes or drops in services to the residents in this process.
Lee also said recent “rumors” about outsourcing janitorial services at the lodges are untrue.
Several residents praised the moves, but some criticized the ways in which the information was communicated.
“All of these moves are positive things, but the communication about them caused unnecessary problems,” Jim Darow, N.5 said at the meeting. “It’s like Facebook, there are too many rumors. Announcements at the Charter Club President meeting and at the Neighborhood Advisory Council should not have been made. They should be done at this meeting, as you are doing today.”
“I understand the frustrations of some residents,” Lee said in response. “At all community associations where I have worked, communication is the biggest issue. But I believe we need to take advantage of every opportunity to disseminate information. We will use organization meetings, the Lifestyles magazine, our website, town meetings, regular board meetings, and email blasts to all members who register for them on our website.”
Board member James Van Fleet, who has been a policy-maker and served on advisory committees for several years, made a plea for patience.
“This process began in 2012, and one of the first things that was done was to terminate the contract of Bill Pennock, the former executive director,” he said. “FSR and the board reviewed the resumes of dozens of candidates for a replacement, some coming from Hawaii and Texas, in a truly national search. Lauren Lee stood head and shoulders above all of them, and we have an excellent executive director now.”
“Give this project a chance, it will work,” he continued. “In a process like this, I have found that I have to forget my own opinions and focus on the thoughts of the team. I am concerned about a frequent resident attitude of lack of trust. I hope this process will change that.”
