President's Annual Report 2023
Happy New Year, La Cumbre Members!
It has been a quick start to the New Year, and I am honored to have been appointed President of La Cumbre Country Club. I feel a great responsibility to lead effectively and thank you all for your support!
First Impressions:
We are very fortunate to have such a beautiful setting to live and play in. It truly brings me, and I know many of you, joy daily. With real optimism, I look out and see many incremental opportunities for operational improvement. We are already taking steps that will immediately enhance our member's experience, our employees' satisfaction, and personal growth. I know our existing team of leaders are thoughtfully working and moving us in a positive direction.
Disciplined Financial Processes:
Our board committee leaders, members, and professional staff are in a solid place to execute everything in front of us. Whether it is general operations, clubhouse and facilities renovations, or golf course capital maintenance, we have skilled participants managing thoughtfully.
In addition, we have moved our banking affiliation and are enjoying the new relationship with American Riviera Bank. Effective January 1, 2023, A.R.B. assists us with better terms and conditions and the appropriate safeguards for our accounts and banking processes.
Quick Update: Around the Club
Membership:
December 2022 membership sales beat December 2021! Since the assessment, there continues to be strong demand, and in fact, the final quarter of 2022 was the second best on record, with five equity memberships, four non-resident, seven social clubhouse, and one social tennis sold, only beaten by the extraordinary quarter and year that was 2021. We ended strong, with December being our best month on record, with three equity memberships, one non-resident, and one social membership transacted. Welcome to our new members!
Member Survey:
Our recent member survey was completed by approximately 300 of our members. The general perspective of our members who participated in the survey was that we have a lovely club with meaningful room for improvement in a few areas. High marks were provided for our professional staff in fitness and tennis, Wayne Mills and his team, and the quality of our golf course. Areas for potential improvement leaned toward our physical facilities, our tennis courts, golf practice facilities, clubhouse, and targeted areas of food & beverage and service delivery. Action steps are currently being implemented to enhance all areas of our Club.
Search for our New General Manager:
I am very thankful that Mike Nicolais has agreed to lead the search committee that is currently forming and will hire our new General Manager. Mike will work diligently with the selection committee, then broaden the engagement to include many members and employees.
Upcoming projects:
Patio Bar & Grill:
Plans for the Patio Bar & Grill addition are currently underway and will add about 200 SF to the kitchen space and enclose the new pizza prep and oven area. This new space will allow increased food preparation and pizza output going forward, which has been popular since the pandemic's start. We are also exploring plans to increase the size of the bar to accommodate more members comfortably. The County and Hope Ranch Design Council have approved this project, and we are now waiting for our building permit from Building & Safety. We expect this to be issued in April or early May. The result will be a more functional space that will better cater to the needs of our members, particularly once the clubhouse remodel begins.
Clubhouse:
The clubhouse remodel is currently being designed by Anacapa Architecture in conjunction with our Renovation Committee. Their conceptual designs for the spaces included in the "deferred maintenance" scope are underway and will be ready for review by the membership in the coming months. We expect to submit for our County permit in June of this year, allowing construction to begin in the summer of 2024. The proposed modifications will open the clubhouse to more light, increase ceiling heights, resolve current maintenance issues, and provide refreshed finishes and design that will make the Club a desirable place for decades to come.
Golf Course:
Our golf course architect Todd Eckenrode and his firm are working on preliminary scope and plans. Todd, Wayne Mills, and our Green Committee will partner with membership as the work product is being developed. As usual, Wayne and his team will continue to maintain and enhance our property as the months go along.
Tennis Courts:
Before our capital campaign was passed, our general manager presented a modest renovation short-term plan, which touched on the immediate needs of court #3, but did not consider our courts' long-term weaknesses. Consistent with our capital plan, we are now in the process of exploring a more long-lasting solution to the issues of our tennis facility. This process is in concert with Matt Berry, our Renovation Committee, and the Tynan Group. We hope to share more with all of you shortly.
Moving forward:
Board of Directors, Committee Members, Bryan Bahman, and Others:
We are very fortunate to have the active involvement of many talented members and staff and the generous support of Bryan Bahman, our past general manager, who is actively assisting in our Club's leadership. Bryan will be providing his judgment and support on a variable, part-time as needed basis. Please reach out to Bryan and say hello.
Board of Directors:
We have an outstanding new and experienced roster of board members: John Blair – Green Committee; Alan Harden – Finance Committee; Chris Portney – Pool Tennis and Fitness. In addition, returning to our board is Henning Thorsen - V.P. and Golf Committee; Annetta Patrick - Secretary and House Committee, Jim Buttimer - Membership Committee, Rod Brown - Special Projects; Ron Busch - Renovation Committee; Steven Pinsker – Board Advisor.
Special thanks to our Past President, Russ Werner - Long Range Planning, for his leadership, friendship, and support. Russ has set us up for success!
Again, thank you for the opportunity to serve.
We wish you all the very best in the New Year!
-Greg Moss
2023 La Cumbre Country Club President
