Board Brief July 2023
President’s Report: Greg Moss
- The September Board Meeting will be switched to Thursday, September 28, 2023 at 4:30 PM
- A new agenda format will be used going forward
- Two articles were attached regarding Club Managers managing the club, highlighting that the BOD should function in an advisory capacity, allowing the GM to effectively manage the club. We have 120 days ahead of us to discover best practices on how to achieve a working balance to this end.
Minutes from The July 26, 2023 BOD Meeting were approved.
The Consent Agenda was accepted.
- Appointment of Adam Zubek as Assistant Secretary
- Membership Stats
- House Committee Minutes: August 2, 2023
- Finance Committee Minutes: August 16, 2023/ July 2023 Finance Results
- Green Committee Minutes: August 10, 2023
Update on Member Communication: Greg Moss and Adam Zubek
- Past President’s Meeting went well
- Greg and Alan will attend up-coming Committee Meetings to share their presentation
- Adam wants all Member Classifications to be informed and is creating a strategy to be brought to the BOD first, then out to membership.
Bridge Bond Update: Alan Harden
- Waiting for legal documents to be drafted
- This topic will also be addressed during Committee presentations
Nominating Committee Update: Russ Werner
- According to the By-Laws, Nominating Committee members shall be appointed by the BOD at least sixty (60) days prior to the Annual Meeting.
- Russ has done extensive work to improve the process of selecting potential candidates both for the BOD positions and as Committee Members.. On or before fifty (50) days prior to the Annual Meeting, the Nominating Committee will present a slate of nominees to the Board, and at least forty (40) days prior to the Annual Meeting the Nominating Committee will present the final slate to the Secretary.
General Manager’s Report: Adam Zubek
Adam’s objectives:
- Create organizational clarity among staff
- Finding best practices for Club wide communication
- Reformatting weekly email
- Website needs tweaking
- New member orientation improvements
- Create an in-staff communication process
- Working with a 3rd party to update the Club App, which integrates with North Star and other Apps (Brooke is working on this project)
- For the Club to be recognized as an “Employer of Choice”, enticing and retaining employees
- Advancing a partnership among leadership and membership
Long Range Planning Update: Greg Moss
- The McMahon Group to attend September BOD Meeting
Membership Survey: Jim Buttimer
- Club Benchmarking to assist in creating a Membership Survey as a follow up to the one done last Fall.
- The intent is to perform these surveys annually
- In process of finalizing a draft early September
Membership: Jim Buttimer ( Motion attached)
To approve the following applicants for membership:
- Ben & Edith Hyatt- Social Tennis
- Evan & Russell Berger- Social Tennis
Dear Members, Thank you to all who attended the recent Town Hall and Golf Course Project update meetings. Your participation and thoughtful engagement are essential as the board, management, and our committees strive to better understand how we plan for the future of La Cumbre. Over the next 45 days, the Board, Club Management, and the Finance Committee will be developing financial models that reflect the full scope of our campus-wide capital needs. These models will help inform project timing, prioritization, and funding strategies—including potential borrowing. As a reminder, any borrowing the Board recommends which exceeds $500,000 will require a member vote. In late June, the Board will hold a two-day planning retreat to review these options and map out a clear, disciplined path forward. We are committed to keeping members informed and equipped to make thoughtful decisions. We anticipate holding additional member forums to provide the needed context on these matters later this summer. If you were unable to attend the Town Hall, a recording is available HERE . We also encourage members to explore the Governance section of the member website, where you’ll find meeting minutes from all Board and committee meetings. Click the image below or HERE to view our Q1 2025 Update. Please continue to reach out with your questions, comments, and ideas. We deeply value your feedback as we work together to steward the long-term health and vitality of the Club. Warm regards, Tracy Jenkins President, Board of Directors La Cumbre Country Club
Dear Members, As we prepare for the upcoming Town Hall on Thursday, April 24th, at 4:30 PM, I want to take a moment to reaffirm our Board’s commitment to transparency, thoughtful stewardship, and open dialogue. This will be the first Town Hall at La Cumbre focused specifically on sharing financial results, membership survey feedback, and our strategic direction, and I’m proud that it reflects one of the core values I’ve emphasized during my time as Board President: creating a more transparent and inclusive relationship between the Board and the membership. We’ve already received requests from members who wish to review information in advance of the Town Hall. I want to share how we’re approaching that: The 2024 Membership Satisfaction Survey results and summary were shared in our weekly email. If you missed the update, please view these HERE on the member side of our website under "Latest Updates." Additional materials—including the 2024 financials, capital account details, and the 2025 Board-approved budgets—are in final preparation. The Board will meet on Tuesday, April 22nd, to review and provide input on these items. Please recognize that what we present will not be audited and final. Once the Board completes its review of the materials and they are updated, we will promptly distribute the full set of materials to the membership to allow ample time for review ahead of the Town Hall. We are looking forward to your feedback and questions and request that once you've had a chance to review the materials, please feel free to click HERE and submit any questions you may have to Ali, Adam, or me. We will collect them until 2 p.m. on Thursday the 24th. We will also be taking questions at the Town Hall in a written format, so feel free to have one prepared so that it can be collected, read, and answered during the meeting. In addition, I’m pleased to announce that the Board has appointed Sven Klein to fill the one-year Board vacancy. Sven will serve as Treasurer for the remainder of the 2025 term. Sven Klein is an experienced entrepreneur who has founded and led several companies throughout his career. Most recently, he was the founding CEO of Lull Ventures, LLC, a direct-to-consumer mattress and bedding company headquartered here in Santa Barbara. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board. Originally from Freiburg, Germany, Sven moved to Santa Barbara in 1985. He is a proud graduate of La Colina Junior High, San Marcos High School, and the University of California, Santa Barbara (’94). He met his wife, Jennifer, at La Colina, and together, they have two children: Avery, currently attending Cal Poly, and Alden, who will graduate from San Marcos this June. The Klein family has been part of the La Cumbre Country Club community since 2003, holding Associate, Social Tennis, and Equity memberships. We are thrilled to welcome Sven to the Board and look forward to the expertise, professionalism, and commitment he brings to this leadership role. We know that informed members are engaged members, and we look forward to a productive, honest, and future-focused discussion on the 24th. Thank you for being such thoughtful stewards of this exceptional club. Tracy Jenkins President, Board of Directors La Cumbre Country Club
Dear Members, We would like to thank everyone who participated in the 2024 Member Satisfaction Survey. With 633 responses—representing 44% of our 1,431 members (830 primary plus spouses)—your feedback provides us with critical insights into what’s working well and where we can do better. The Good News : Several amenities are seeing improved satisfaction. The pool complex continues to shine, with strong scores in cleanliness, lifeguard service, and restroom upkeep—all performing above the industry average. Likewise, the fitness center remains one of our most used and appreciated facilities, with improvements in group class offerings, professional staff, and overall cleanliness. Tennis also showed notable year-over-year improvements. Court conditions, programming, and staff performance are now ranked among our strongest areas. These gains reflect both the hard work of our team and the investments made in these areas over the past year. Food & Beverage received mixed but directionally positive feedback. Members noted improvements in the quality and variety of offerings but also expressed concerns about service consistency, ambiance, limited hours, and the availability of healthier menu options. We recognize the importance of dining to the overall member experience and are actively addressing these areas. We are sensitive to the financial implications of a broad dining offering and are constantly balancing service hours, quality, and conditions. Golf Operations and Course Conditions remained stable, with strong marks for the professionalism of the Golf Shop team and the quality of service at bag drop and check-in. However, feedback on course conditions was more divided. While many noted ongoing improvements and praised maintenance during high play periods, others cited concerns with bunker quality, green speeds, and cart path conditions. At the same time, the survey highlighted important challenges. This was the first year we asked for feedback on Pickleball, and the results were clear: the program received the lowest satisfaction scores across all amenities. We recognize this is a growing area of interest for many members. However, due to limitations in our physical plant, sound restrictions, and other constraints, it may remain a difficult area to address fully in the near term. The most sobering results came in the categories of Club Governance and Financial Oversight . The strongest dissatisfaction came in areas of financial transparency, operational communication, and overall responsiveness. These concerns are taken seriously and reflect a core tension many of you noted in your comments: the challenge of investing in the Club’s future while managing rising costs.
