A MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER
Growth and Change Continues
I
always enjoy this time of year, especially when looking forward to the adventures that the New Year will bring to the Association. We have accomplished a lot, but there is always more to achieve. I would like to reflect on our accomplishments over the past year and embrace the changes ahead of us. First, I would like to congratulate Brian Viola on his reelection and Samarendra (Sam) Nandi on his election to the BCA Board of Directors. I look forward to working with them and the rest of the Board in 2019 to achieve the vision and goals of the Association. I would also like to thank Ram Venkatachalam for his involvement and support over the last three years while serving in his position as a Director. There are countless highlights from the past year that I would like to touch on, but I don’t have the space to include them all. From the Association’s financial perspective, one great achievement in 2018 was lowering our delinquency rate. The current delinquency rate for our community is at an all-time low of 1.39%; a typical acceptable delinquency rate is between 3-5%. BCA also completed an update to its Reserve Study, is operating within 1.5% of its projected 2018 Budget, and is seeing significant increases on investment income. Financially, the Association couldn’t be in a better position. Another Association accomplishment is the creation and distribution of our Quarterly Magazine. Since its inception, BCA has relied on electronic communications to share information with residents. We were ahead of the curve when BCA was founded, but with inboxes overflowing with emails, it was time for us to put our message in print and mail it to all of our residents. Our magazine has been well-received by residents and advertisers who completely cover publishing and mailing costs. I would like to thank Paul Gentine, Communications Coordinator, for his tireless efforts in constructing the magazine. Without his
talent and patience, our vision for the magazine would not have been achieved. The Operations Department was reorganized in 2018 to provide improved customer service. A dedicated department administrator has provided timely responses to incoming questions and concerns, coordinated daily jobs, overseen purchasing, and performed other related tasks. A new work order and scheduling program was also implemented to help track all of the operational tasks for maintaining a 2,500 acre property, hosting numerous events, and tracking Developer-related concerns. There are also plans to hire a new field maintenance technician in 2019. The continued growth of the Operations Department is necessary to keep up with the demand and growth of our community. The Community Standards Department has been busy approving exterior changes, performing comprehensive inspections, and following up on violations that impact our community. They have also been focused on reviewing and updating the Design Standards to address new materials, desired projects, and various other changes that impact our growing and aging community. Community Standards Manager Andrea Martin has made great strides in keeping up with our community’s needs, and the department will add a new position in 2019 to provide further assistance. I would like to recognize the entire Community Standards staff – Nikki Jessup, Sam Bourdelais, and Mirtha Robles – for performing their oftenthankless jobs in a professional and upbeat manner. Without their efforts, Brambleton would not be the beautiful place that it is today. The Lifestyles Department continues to look for ways to improve the events and programs offered to Brambleton residents. As the community grows, so does the demand for use of our community buildings, and our event venues continue to shrink as well. We constantly consider new and creative ideas in order to account for these changes and
demands. A Programming Survey was sent earlier this year and received over 600 responses, and the input from this survey is already being implemented in order to shape program offerings in 2019. A similar Events Survey will also be sent in the near future in order to receive feedback on how we can grow or modify Brambleton’s events. Change is constant; change is good. These are two themes that I have experienced in Brambleton since I became General Manager in 2006. It is important that we embrace and manage change. Staff can do this on a limited level by participating in training and education, observing best practices, and performing daily interactions. We rely on the Board as well as residents to be open to and accept change. The Board needs to make decisions and set policies that incorporate change, and residents need to provide feedback to staff, committees, and the Board. I would like to recognize and thank the Board and our residents for accepting change over the years. Without everyone’s commitment to change, Brambleton would not be the community that we see before us. Sincerely, Rick Stone, PCAM, LSM
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