CLUB TIMES - Wexford Plantation
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CLUB TIMES VOLUME XXX, ISSUE 9 •NOVEMBER 2016 SPECIAL EDITION: HURRICANE MATTHEW UPDATE & 2017 BOARD CANDIDATES 111 Wexford Club Drive | Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 | (843) 686-8810 | www.wexfordplantation.com
C H R ON IC LE O F H U RRI C A NE M A TTH E W Dear Wexford Property Owners: W The Return e began preparing team relocated at an off is- for Hurricane Mat- land base camp. thew on October Residents were urged The HOA was given a total of 5 3. We have a comprehen- to follow the guidance of first responder passes, allowing early sive (20+ page) Hurricane the Governor and Beaufort re-entry on Sunday, October 9, and Preparedness Plan, which County Emergency Man- 6 second responder passes, allowing includes evacuation respon- agement Department. Fri- re-entry on Monday, October 10. On sibilities and procedures for day morning, Fire & Rescue Sunday, we had 4 officers onsite work- every department. personnel and equipment ing 12 hour shifts, and Mark Weedal On October 4, we made Susan Fishel were evacuated from HHI. and Jaime Matthews, Supervisors the decision to cancel the General Manager/COO Those residents who had from the Greens and Grounds staff Men’s Member Guest, in not evacuated were warned were working to clear one lane on all addition to lowering our harbour and that they would be on their own for Wexford roads, with assistance from lagoons, ordering a rental pump and an indefinite period of time and that two on site contractors. On Tuesday securing our outdoor furniture. power, water and normal emergency morning, Deb Perlozzo was onsite South Carolina Governor Nikki services would probably not be avail- assessing homes, Mark Dryden and Haley, ordered an evacuation for able for days. Warren Holland were onsite assessing all coastal Carolina, including Hil- Tropical storm conditions began boats and we had additional grounds ton Head and Bluffton, effective on Friday, and Hurricane Matthew crews working to clear the roads. Wednesday, October 5 at 3 pm. Be- came within miles of Hilton Head Mark reports that only 5 boats out ginning October 5, all Wexford op- Island Saturday morning, October 8. of 128 were severely damaged in the erations were suspended, including Estimated sustained winds were 75 storm! Our initial assessment after Security operations. The County miles per hour with gusts reaching performing visual home assessments Sheriff’s Office was responsible for over 80. The Island was hit hard; judg- indicated that 88 had some sort of patrolling our community. ing by the tree damage, parts of the damage – primarily trees on roofs. We On Thursday, Hilton Head Hos- Island including Wexford Plantation later learned that additional homes pital ceased operations, including the may have been hit with tornadoes. It sustained flooding, primarily in under Emergency Room. Tom Dunn, Hil- is estimated that the storm surge was home areas. ton Head Island Fire & Rescue Emer- approximately 9 feet. We sustained The evacuation order was lifted for gency Management Coordinator sent approximately 20 inches of rainfall. the general public on Tuesday, Octo- his last Situation Report at 7:25 pm. ber 11 at 3 pm. Later that day, pow- He reported that the Emergency er was restored to some parts of Operations Management (EOC) was Wexford and the water remained closing and that it would be the last non-potable. Most staff returned report prior to the Hurricane. The to work on Wednesday, October The Club Times • 2
C H R ON IC LE O F H U RRI C A NE M A TTH E W 12. The Food & Beverage kitchen and agement Agency (FEMA) for service, the Golf Staff and the Greens consideration. Gated community and Grounds staff worked side-by-side roads are considered private, and picking up debris. The residents who are not eligible for FEMA funds returned home were without power directly under the Stafford Act. and potable water for several days. Due to an agreement with FEMA the insurance adjusters’ information and the Town of Hilton Head Island, back, we will know what will be cov- Clean-up Efforts the Town applied for FEMA assistance ered and will be in a more informed The heavy removal of tree debris, on behalf of the gated communities. position to know what expenses will caused by the effects of the Hurricane, As of Wednesday evening, October need funding. At that time we will commenced on Monday, October 17. 26, Governor Haley announced that discuss the options with the Finance As of this writing, we have spent 6 days FEMA has approved the Town of Committee and Board of Directors. removing tremendous amounts of de- Hilton Head Island’s request for de- The staff and I plan every year for bris from the right-of-ways. Dan Og- bris removal from the private roads events such as this catastrophic event. den, Project Manager is directing the and right-of-ways, with some condi- We had to implement our procedures clean-up of the right-of-ways. Chris tions. We will keep you informed as during Hermine, and then again dur- Neff and his staff have been working we obtain more information regarding ing Hurricane Matthew. In the fol- on clean-up of the golf course. We’ve FEMA cleanup and reimbursement. lowing months, we will work with the had up to 5 teams of tree companies Town, County and Board to assess working on the golf course and in the Communications our standard operating procedures in common area in order to fell leaning Daily communications have been order to make improvements for any trees posing danger to member homes. sent since October 4, notifying you of future events. In addition, we have contacted with a closures, evacuation procedures and I sincerely thank you for your sup- golf course company specializing in re- cleanup efforts upon return. port thus far in our recovery efforts. covery, and approved by our insurance Your sense of community has been carrier, to work on the golf course. Financial Implications uplifting! And the staff has worked in- We have received many questions credibly long hours as a strong team. FEMA regarding the cost and payment for We have a long road ahead and I con- Wexford Plantation, along with our cleanup efforts. We are still clean- tinue to ask you for your patience as 3 • The Club Times the other 8 gated communities on ing up, clearing debris, removing lean- we work together to clean up and re- Hilton Head Island, provided needed ing/hanging trees and assessing the store our beautiful community. documentation to the Town of Hilton damages at this time. We are waiting Head officials that was packaged and on our last insurance adjuster to access Best Regards, sent to the Federal Emergency Man- damages. Once we are able to get all Susan
LET T ER FR OM TH E B O ARD P RE S I D E NT Hurricane Matthew Update Hello Friends and Neighbors, together to overcome the damage, and clear driveways and I roads. Many of you have shared your story about spending time am writing today, 8 days after the Mandatory Evacuation together in faraway places during the mandatory evacuation Order was lifted and the evacuees were welcomed back to awaiting the chance to come home and evaluate the impact the Island by a plywood billboard sign. of Matthew. The stress of this situation is very challenging It was a multi-faceted challenge for all of and having a smiling face say hello and a helping hand can us to deal with the uncertainty, tragedy and sometimes allow us to manage the stress and stay focused on damages caused by Hurricane Matthew. the task of recovery. I’m sure we all hope this is the last one for a The employees of Wexford also deserve a smile and long, long time. helping hand. Each of you, as do Karen and I, live here The recovery will take longer than we based on the excellent service and exclusive amenities. Our think and the extraordinary efforts will by staff had to deal with the storm impact at home and at work accompanied by an unexpected cost. simultaneously. From past experience with the early days of The Board of Directors, General Paul Klasing hurricane recovery I’ve seen the toll it takes on people who Manager and CFO of Wexford, along with President are overwhelmed with work and personal challenges. My the Finance Committee, is working through the due diligence motto has always been — take care of home base first!! The to determine the best course to a solid budget to support our employees are working extra, extra hard to manage through expectations for 2017, as well as determine a prudent source of this extraordinary event so I’m asking for your support to help funds to pay for the cleanup efforts. them where you can. We plan to have a final budget and cleanup funding Our patience and tone in communication is critical. You recommendation for you to vote on when the 2017 ballot is never know who is fighting with a stubborn insurance company distributed. Our normal timeline has been thrown out the to put their home back together. A smile and thank you can go window, so bear with us as we work through the process of a long way in that scenario. culling expenses where prudent, deferring capital expenses, and We all hope and anticipate the full recovery for our common reprioritizing the use of funds and creating acceptable balances areas, golf course and waterways. But until that day arrives I we have in our reserve accounts. hope you agree, Susan and her team deserve our appreciation 5 • The Club Times That is the business update. Now the more important part for the work accomplished in the last 8 long days since most of — the People update. us returned home. I have been overwhelmed with the compassion within the Please drive slowly while we recover. Wexford community. I’ve heard some of the stories about Take care, Neighbors (who may have never spoken before) working Paul
MESS A G E FR OM T H E NO M I NATI NG C O M M I TTE E Dear Wexford Homeowners: the value of our corporation (homes and Blast and Wexford Club Times ran our common area) is approximately $750 mil- solicitation. We also had a continuous Your Nominating Committee is de- lion. Members of the Board are responsi- solicitation feed on the TV scroll in the lighted to present to you our three en- ble for oversight of our corporation; high Clubhouse foyer. dorsed candidates for the 2017 Board caliber individuals are a must to success- In 2016 our solicitation process yield- of Directors: fully achieve this. ed no interest by anyone in Wexford to run Lesley Green Your Nominating Committee looks for the Board. Paul Klasing for individuals who have had experience Our filtering process resulted in 34 George Volanakis in this type of environment. We also pre- candidates for consideration in 2016. We Three candidates may appear as a de- fer individuals who have served on Wex- prioritized the list and spoke to 18 candi- parture from previous years when four or ford Committees to ensure, to the extent dates. 15 declined and three agreed. more candidates were brought forth for possible, new Board Members “hit the consideration. Our process was exactly ground running,” spending as little time Trends and Realities the same; it is a matter of circumstances as possible learning the ropes. And, we (Previous Experience) arising in 2016. look deeply at qualifications. Once a Over the past 10 years Wexford has We feel it crucial that we share with candidate gets past the experience and had about eight volunteers for 30 Board you all the factors leading up to and con- qualification stage, they are invited for an positions; it’s incumbent on the Nomi- tributing to our decision this year and interview with our Committee. This can nating Committee to find candidates. outline everything for you below. last anywhere from 1 to 2 hours. Candidly, Wexford has a history of own- er apathy when it comes to serving on Nominating Committee 2016 Process our Board. Background Wexford has many capable potential We spoke to the Chair people of pre- As with most Corporate Nominating candidates with a tremendous breadth of vious Nominating Committees to get an Committees, we operate independently experience. We started 2016 considering idea of trends and issues they encoun- of the Board. We are self-perpetuating every owner as a potential Board Mem- tered. There were (and still are) four: and self-sustaining, i.e. existing Com- ber. We thought it advisable to eliminate 1) Candidates who lost elections mittee members choose new Members. part-time owners (missing Board Meet- were usually reticent to run again. That Our strongest criterion for membership ings is bad). Our history of recruiting means that several qualified candi- is a deep commitment to Wexford. We actively working individuals has been dates — who were successful in getting try to have ex-Wexford Board mem- challenging (too many other priori- through the Nominating Committee bers and members with current or prior ties). There were many individuals who process in previous years — wouldn’t Board experience (preferably who have had no desire to serve on the Board and agree to be added to our list (reason; served on both for and not-for profit those who felt they had served and done very difficult to lose in front of your Boards). Wexford Committee experi- their fair share. And there was a group of peers who are your neighbors). ence is a must. And ideally we want owners who simply did not have the ex- Virtually all for profit and not-for- members who know a lot of people in perience we were seeking or were other- profit boards have Nominating Com- our community. wise not qualified to serve on the Board mittees. Those committees are required Our charter provides that the Presi- (There was also a group of extremely to find qualified candidates. Once vetted dent of the Wexford Board is our liai- qualified owners with no Wexford Com- by the Committee, they are proposed to son to the Board. We strive to keep the mittee experience. We ensured that the the current Board and are [usually] elect- President fully apprised of our progress President of the Association and appro- ed Board members. The members (or — while not divulging to (or with) whom priate Committee heads were notified shareholders) of the organization rely on we are speaking. of these potential Committee members the Committee and the Board to do the to position them for consideration of necessary work to vet the candidates and Candidate Experience Board candidacy down the road). approve them. The Club Times • 8 and Qualifications In addition to our internal process, we Historically at Wexford Nominating Wexford is a corporation. Along with publicly solicited everyone in Wexford to Committee vets candidates (we have a “the usual” corporate budgets, employ- consider running for the Board. Over a ees, reserves and Board of Directors; period of two months every Monday E- Continued on next page
MESS A G E FR OM T H E NO M I NATI NG C O M M I TTE E good feel about who the best candidates Nominating Committee to four or five at this juncture would have are). We then “hand over” to Wexford meant putting forth marginally qualified owners the responsibility of final vetting Final Decision candidates; we simply would not com- and election of Board members. Even after receiving our first set of promise our standards — we wanted the 2) We found several candidates who rejections your 2016 Nominating Com- best available candidates to run. felt the current voting system arbitrary mittee had every intention of putting The end result is three tremendously and therefore chose not to participate in forth four to five candidates. However, experienced and qualified candidates. We this process. after getting about 10 no responses — are delighted that each of them is willing √ 3) Our “Meet the Candidates” night and zero interest from our formal solicitation to serve. turned off several candidates. — we began to seriously consider putting forth three experienced and qualified Sincerely, 4) A lot of good candidates won’t/ don’t run (reasons 1, 2 and 3 above). candidates. Increasing the candidate pool 2016 Nominating Committee Meet the Candidates Lesley N. Green I very much appreciate that the Nominating Committee has placed their faith in my abilities to serve on the Wexford Board of Directors. When my late husband, Neil, and My involvement in the Wexford Plantation community I saw Wexford Plantation for the first has included serving on the House and Social Committee, time, it was love at first sight. While Clubhouse Renovation Committee, ETC National Com- we loved our Nashville home of 35 mittee, and the Architectural Standards Committee. I also years, we felt Wexford Plantation was chaired or co-chaired the Spouse Program for the Men’s the perfect place for our retirement. Member Guest Golf Tournament for three years. We purchased our home in 2003. Neil and I met in graduate school. Goals and Objectives for Wexford I had recently graduated from UConn My goals as a member of your Board of Directors would as a premed major (microbiology/ parasitology) and was a be to use my organizational talents, marketing skills and Teachers’ Assistant, teaching anatomy to premed, nursing, problem solving ability to enhance the existing amenities and physical therapy students. Neil was one of my students. and quality of life in Wexford Plantation, while also being a He later continued to medical school and I ultimately be- good steward of our limited resources. came a full-time mother to two children and a volunteer. A devastating hurricane has struck a blow to our beauti- My volunteer background includes having served as ful island. The next few weeks and months will be a chal- President of many groups, among which are the Nashville lenging time for us as we work to cut the trees, remove the Symphony, Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum of debris and repair the damage to our homes. We will be faced Art and the Friends of the Children’s Hospital. Addition- with unexpected expenses from Hurricane Matthew. My ex- ally, I have chaired large national events for the American perience as a fundraising event planner for non-profits has Association of Orthopedic Surgeons and local charitable taught me to squeeze value from each dollar spent. 9 • The Club Times functions such as the Italian Street Fair to raise funds for I believe transparency and open communication is very the Nashville Symphony, the Heart Gala for the American important to the cohesiveness of our community. To en- Heart Association and The Antiques & Garden Show, which raised $750,000 for 20 local charities in Nashville. Continued on next page
Meet the Candidates √ courage friendships, I would love to see a photograph next kind-hearted which makes this a very special place to reside to each person’s contact information in the directory. It (and relax!). would be so nice to be able to associate a name with the Wexford Experience — Board Member Wexford Planta- person whom you recently met at the Club! tion 2013-current; Vice President in 2015 and I’ve been hon- Wexford people are the smartest, strongest and most ored to hold the title of President of the Board for 2016. I innovative people I have ever met. We will work side by worked with the management team as Secretary of the Wex- side to help our neighbors and restore our Plantation to ford Yacht Club (2014) and Long Range Planning (2014), as its former beauty. Together we can accomplish anything well as the Golf Committee (2015). I’ve been active in the and everything! budgeting and financial forecasting process for 3 years and believe we are on solid financial footing with the usual chal- Paul Klasing lenge of where and how much to invest in the infrastructure and services while maintaining adequate reserves. So I’ll try to answer the question many you will be ask- First of all let me thank the Nomi- ing me: “Why do you want to be on the board for another 3 nating Committee for their endorse- years?” Answer: Why not? ment as a candidate for the 2017-2019 We all know (I hope) that the only way we sustain our Board position. Their task has been wonderful community is pitching in and helping out. Many, extremely difficult this year which is many people on the committees understand this as well. So something that will need to be dis- with your endorsement I’ll continue to do what I have done cussed and addressed in the future. for the last 3 years. Help to balance the needs/desires of A little background for your refer- all members (families, part-time residents, retirees, various ence; I met my beautiful and lovely wife Karen in California sport and hobbies) with the limits we have on maintaining 35+ years ago while I was in the Navy. We have one talented costs levels that are competitive and prudent. and brilliant daughter Paige who resides in Columbia, SC, I will continue to work hard to make sure all owners have with her husband Christopher. a voice and hold management accountable to drive efficien- After graduating from the University of San Francisco cy and productivity while providing us all with the quality of with a BS in Human Development and Organizational Be- service and amenities we desire. havior, we moved to Phoenix, AZ, to begin the first of two We have experienced a very serious shock to the com- phases of my business career. I spent 25+ years in automo- munity due to the impact of the Hurricane. This will require tive retail for three organizations. In the latter years of this patience and a reprioritization of existing reserves and a re- phase of my career, I was responsible for logistics, marketing evaluation of NPOIF projections and funding of the recov- and store operations for a $5.0 billion public company, with ery. I will be an advocate for not sacrificing the mid and long the privilege of leading 25,000+ employees. term goals of our community while we pay for this extraor- In my second career I was President and COO for a dinary clean-up effort. family-owned $4.0 billion U.S. Division of a multi-national I wish you Peace and happiness in this challenging and electrical distribution business. This was a very unique ex- stressful time. perience as the controlling families started the business in France and has expanded to 38 countries to date. I joined them in 2008 and fought hard to weather the economic crisis while ensuring we could capture market share as the George Volanakis construction and manufacturing business cycles went thru It’s been over 12 years since Rutie the recovery. and I, in search of an east coast safe The Club Times • 10 I officially retired in 2013 and now live full-time in Hil- harbor for our sailboat and eventual ton Head for several reasons. Karen and I love the island and retirement, came to Wexford for the all the exclusive amenities of Wexford. The folks we have first time. We knew that Wexford was met here and spend time with are talented, fun-loving, and going to be our first choice as soon as
Meet the Candidates √ we entered the front gate, and we purchased a lot and a slip rums and philanthropic ventures for the benefit of children shortly thereafter. We have been fulltime residents since Au- in America. gust 2006. Goals and Objectives for Wexford Through the past 10 years we have thoroughly enjoyed all that Wexford has to offer including the great amenities, As Wexford property owners, we should all be secure its beauty and most of all the friendly community we all in knowing that our Board of Directors has been operat- share together. During my time at Wexford I have tried to ing on sound business practices and oversight for a number give back to the community by volunteering to participate of years. Both the strategic planning process and manage- on the following committees: ment’s goals and objectives have aligned to make Wexford a Board of Directors (2010-2013) well-run organization. Infrastructure (2009-2016) Chair for 2 years We have the best management team assembled to carry Finance (Present) out these strategies. It is my intention to monitor and sug- Golf (2014) gest modification of strategies as needed with specific refer- Tennis (2011-2012) ence to: Harbour (2008-2010) Infrastructure — Our community is over 30 years old, and Because of this participation I have had firsthand involve- in places seen and unseen we have investments that need ment and/or financial oversight on four of our major infra- to be made on an ongoing basis to protect and improve structure improvements including: the Clubhouse, Golf the Wexford community. Having been involved in Wex- Course, boardwalk and bridge repairs. ford’s infrastructure for the past 7 years, I will endeavor The knowledge acquired through these projects, both to spend our money wisely on necessary projects that en- positive and negative, has been invaluable in the decision hance the beauty of our community, its value and safety. making on other major issues for our community that are Management — As stated, the Wexford community op- ongoing and in future planning. erates extremely well due to our excellent management My career work experience in the toy Industry has pro- team and the disciplines that have been enacted by our vided me with the managerial, creative, and entrepreneurial General Manager. It is not the Board’s duty to micro- skills that has in the past and will be of value in the future as manage Wexford’s operation. It is their duty however a member of the Wexford Board. Out of college as an eco- to ensure that the best people are hired and properly nomics major, and during a 40-year career in this fast paced incentivized at the management level to continue these industry I have held the following key positions: best practices. Having witnessed firsthand what happens Hasbro, Inc.-Executive Vice-President and COO to an organization at Wexford when hiring disciplines President Hasbro International are ignored, I will work to ensure that we hire the best The Ertl Company-President and CEO talent for Wexford and give them the tools to perform Mattel Inc.-Senior Vice-President of Marketing their functions. Matchbox Toys-President and CEO Finance — The financial status at Wexford is very sound, Playskool Inc.-President and COO again due to excellent Board and management oversight. During much of my career, the toy industry went through A major financial test of our community is the ability to many consolidations, divestitures and IPO’s. Being involved respond to unexpected major expenses without special as- in all of these activities has provided me with a broad busi- sessments or major borrowing. I have seen that building ness background, the ability to respond favorably in a board our reserves is essential to meet most financial surprises. I environment and building consensus with my peers on ma- will endeavor to ensure our reserves remain strong while jor decisions. working in the infrastructure environment to keep our 11 • The Club Times Further, I have served on two public/one private com- community in good repair. pany boards and two hospital boards. In 1995, I was elected I would like to thank the Nominating Committee for to Chairman of the Toy Industry of America and The Toy their invitation to run for the Board at Wexford. I believe I Industry Foundation representing the industry in public fo- can bring an experienced perspective to this group.
ASC News As a result of Hurricane Matthew: 1. ASC Meeting Schedule has changed – there are 2 remaining ASC Meet- ings this year; November 15th and December 13th. If you have any major structural changes to the exterior of your home, renovations or new construc- Deb Perlozzo tion plans, they must be submitted to the ASC. If you are installing a new roof, please notify the ASC. The Review Fee for Hurricane related submis- sions will be waived and quick approvals are a priority. ASC Administrator 2. The Palm Tree Trimming Program has been cancelled. All residents dperlozzo@ whose palm trees were trimmed prior to the hurricane have been billed wexfordplantation.com through their member account. 3. Tree inspections – beginning Monday, November 7th, normal tree re- (843) 686-8820 moval protocol will be in effect. Upcoming Events Trunk-or-Treat Saturday, Oct. 29 from 5 - 6 pm The Wexford Clubhouse would like to host a Trunk-or- Treat in the parking lot at the Club on Saturday, October 29th, from 5:00-6:00 PM but we need your help! We are looking for volunteers to decorate their car trunks OR golf carts and pass out candy to the kids in our commu- nity – lots of it! If you are interested in participating, please call Stephanie Keene at (843) 686-8810 or email skeene@wexford- plantation.com. Halloween Spooktacular Children can enjoy all the goodies while the adults can enjoy Saturday, Oct. 29 beginning at 6 pm cocktails at the bar! Our annual Spooktacular is still ON! Join us for a frightful buffet and wear your best costume because we will continue the Please join us to make this a fun Halloween for our kids! tradition with a costume contest and DJ Alan’s entertainment! Wine Tasting Clubhouse Closure Wednesday, Nov. 2 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm The Clubhouse will be closed for Dinner Service on Friday, Complimentary wine tasting, all features will be available November 4, for the Wexford Foundation Gala. The Club- for purchase. house will reopen for Lunch Service on Saturday, November 5. By Land and Sea Book Signing Thursday, Nov. 3 & Saturday, Nov. 5 from 5:30 - 7:45 pm Friday, Nov. 11 from 3-6 pm at the Clubhouse Join us for a special Surf & Turf ala carte dinner menu! The You’re invited to a book signing for your neighbor and friend, a la carte menu will feature soups and salads, prime rib, Rob McPherson. As a first time author; he will feature his book, roasted local fish or grilled chicken pasta with a selection of “White Collar Biker.” There will also be a guest speaker, pro- The Club Times • 12 desserts available. viding a lecture on Stroke. (The lecture will begin at 4 pm). Appetizers will be available with a cash bar. Call or email Jennifer for reservations (jarnold@wexfordplan- Watch the eBlasts for upcoming golf and tennis events tation.com). Pre-orders can be made by calling Anne McPher- — and stay tuned for our November/December issue! son at (703) 203-7331. All proceeds will benefit Young Stroke.
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