News from the Club President 5/12/25
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.
Dear Members, It has been nearly a month since my last update, and while I was sidelined for a couple of weeks with a tough bout of COVID, the Board and management team have continued to make significant progress on key initiatives. Over the past 90 days, the Board, alongside Adam and his team, has been diligently advancing the four strategic pillars adopted in January: Member Experience People & Culture Financial Responsibility Governance, Sustainability & the Environment The full Strategic Plan is available for review on our website HERE : Member Engagement, Gratitude & Community One of the things that makes La Cumbre so special is the dedication of both our members and staff in making this club a true second home. Whether it’s through volunteering on committees, participating in club events, or simply supporting one another, your contributions make all the difference. I also want to take a moment to further recognize and thank our incredible staff. Their hard work—often behind the scenes—ensures that La Cumbre remains the welcoming, vibrant, and a well-run club that we all love. From our golf, fitness, and tennis professionals to our hospitality teams and groundskeepers, their commitment is at the heart of everything we do. We recently conducted a member survey, receiving feedback from over 550 members—a remarkable level of engagement. Your insights are shaping our priorities, and we expect to share the results in early April. Additionally, our all-committee orientation provided our committee volunteers with a deeper understanding of how our staff leaders are driving the Club’s success. Seeing their dedication and expertise firsthand was inspiring. Click HERE to see the updated committee areas on the website. To further strengthen our sense of community, Adam and his team hosted a Member-Staff Meet & Greet on March 14. While inclement weather impacted attendance, those who participated had valuable conversations with our team. More of these events will be scheduled throughout the year. Financial Responsibility, Planning & Capital Investments On March 19, the Board reviewed the first draft of the 2024 year-end financials, and we will see the next draft at our monthly Board meeting today. The finance team has been diligently working to ensure accuracy. In fact, since our meeting on the 19th, additional errors were identified and corrected—an example of why this process takes time and must be done right. Thanks to Homer Allbritton’s expertise, we are unwinding prior recording errors, reconciling bank account changes, and implementing safeguards to ensure accuracy and accountability moving forward. These efforts are critical to establishing a consistent, transparent financial reporting structure that will better support management and the Board’s decision-making. We appreciate your patience and invite you to review the final 2024 financial report at our Town Hall on April 24, 2025. Invitations to attend in person or via Zoom will be sent soon. Capital Planning Sub-Group The Capital Planning team has been hard at work developing a dynamic 10-year capital plan, which the Board is refining to align with the Club’s long-term financial health. We are awaiting an updated Capital Reserve Study from Club Benchmarking before sharing the draft plan. The Goal of the long-term Capital funding plan is to allow the following to be accomplished: A financial repayment strategy for a $16 million member bridge bond for Golf Course work scheduled to take place in 2026 The introduction of Capital Dues to fund capital maintenance and replacement A Clubhouse renovation schedule aligned with course improvements, ensuring a fully refreshed campus in 2027 A long-term strategy for replacement of Capital Assets The Board expects to receive member input on these elements and adjust as needed while still affording the Club the opportunity to make the necessary investments across the campus. Governance & Leadership Updates We recognize the importance of strong financial leadership and expect to announce our 2025 Board Treasurer soon. Filling this role has been particularly challenging due to the difficulties the Board faced in 2024 along with the lack of staff financial leadership, until recently when Homer joined the team. While I had hoped to make an announcement of this vital appointment by the end of March, it has not happened, but we continue to make progress. I am happy to report that, in the interim, I have asked Paul Portney to establish the finance committee and audit subcommittee. These committees will begin their vital work of outlining and documenting accounting procedures, ensuring La Cumbre is meeting its reporting and auditing responsibilities. The Finance and Audit committees will begin meeting in early April. Governance Updates: Meanwhile, the Governance Committee is advancing several initiatives, including: GM/COO Evaluation Process An inclusive, transparent Director nominations process By-law Review The By-law Review and Nominations Subcommittees will present recommendations by late summer or early fall. As a reminder, our proposed by-law amendment to strengthen and align with best practices the roles of Board Chair and Treasurer, was presented at the 2024 annual meeting. The amendments fell just short of receiving the required 2/3 majority to pass. We remain committed to engaging members through communications and Town Halls to provide data and context supporting these changes. To ensure transparency and member input, Town Hall sessions will be held in late summer and early fall, allowing members to review proposals and prepare for voting at the Annual Meeting in December 2025. A Club Built by Its Members As we continue making improvements and investments in La Cumbre, it is important to remember that this club belongs to all of us. The member experience we enjoy today is the result of the stewardship, generosity, and commitment of those who came before us, just as our efforts today will shape the Club for future generations. We have a shared responsibility to preserve, enhance, and invest in La Cumbre—not just financially, but through our participation, engagement, and support for one another. I look forward to seeing you at upcoming meetings and events and am grateful to each of you for your role in making La Cumbre such a special place. Tracy Jenkins President, La Cumbre Country Club
