LEADERSHIP
Mike Cahill, Board President Patty Ashbrook, General Manager / COO Happy Fall! As we begin to focus our attention on winding down the golfing season here in the High Country and gearing up for the short winter days ahead, it is important to appreciate the beauty of the change in the seasons this month. It seems that Mother Nature is taking a deep breath in October as the rush of summer activities now slows but the days are still warm enough to spend time outdoors just a little longer! A month ago we were eagerly anticipating the Labor Day holiday and by all accounts it was a tremendous success with the BBQ on Sunday setting another new attendance record with 1,031 attendees (including 260 kids) and perfect weather. Rainy weather returned for a few days and then cooperated by providing 3 spectacular days just in time for the Men’s Highlander Member-Guest. Congratulations to Overall Champions Tim Lanier & Jeff Goettsche! A well-deserved thank you to the hardworking staff in the Golf, Greens, and F&B departments for creating such a memorable event as feedback was overwhelmingly positive from the participants. We are nearing the conclusion of the annual Board of Directors election. Although we have 4 candidates for the 4 open positions, our Bylaws require a majority of members to vote (50% + 1) for a valid election. As of this writing, we are still a few votes short of reaching the minimum 434 votes necessary. If we do not receive enough votes by the October 15 deadline, we will have to start the voting over again so it is very important that all eligible members cast a ballot! Bob Scott deserves a tremendous thank you and appreciation for his willingness to step in and assist in filling one of the 2 vacant Board positions this year and for his leadership in chairing the Golf Committee. As per the Bylaws, Bob will be replaced by the candidate that receives the 4th number of votes on October 15 and that person will complete the final year of the vacant position. Thank You Bob! Krystan Lauher, who has been in charge of the communications & marketing functions for the Club for the past 11 years decided to leave Forest Highlands to pursue other adventures. She was a valued team member and contributed significantly in enhancing the quality and professionalism of our communications during her tenure. We wish her much happiness and success in her future pursuits!
Julie Sterner has been hired as the new Communications & Marketing Director and began with us on September 22. Julie was selected from a pool of highly qualified candidates and has been working most recently at NAU as their graphic design and marketing specialist since 2019. She has extensive experience in marketing, graphic design and event promotions and worked for a large resort and casino in California for 10 years prior to moving to Northern Arizona. She lives in Williams and has family in the Flagstaff area. Welcome Julie! As mentioned by Mike Cahill last month, we will begin a number of important capital projects immediately following the end of the golf season. Please be aware that due to construction activity in the following locations access may be restricted: Canyon Covered Bridge Park restroom pavilion; Meadow Clubhouse snack bar patio; Tennis Shop and restroom; Sales Office parking lot and facility. We will continue to keep you updated as construction proceeds throughout the winter months with estimated timelines for completion in late Spring. The leadership team is in the final stages of preparing the operating and capital budgets for 2023. First drafts are due by Monday, October 3. Kim Rushing, CFO & I will meet with each director individually to review their budget drafts over a 3 day period with revised drafts submitted to the Finance Committee for review at their meeting on Friday, November 4. Once the Finance Committee reviews and recommends the final budget, it will be forwarded to the Board for review with final approval at the November 21 Board meeting. As we continue to experience cost increases in several key areas of the operation we are continually looking for ways to mitigate having to pass these increases on to the membership. However it is important that all members understand the reality of our situation for 2023. The City of Flagstaff announced that the minimum wage will increase by 8.4% effective 1-1-2023 to $16.80 hour. Our primary labor pool comes directly from the Flagstaff labor market and as we must compete with Flagstaff businesses to attract and retain both our seasonal and year round staff, this increase in the minimum wage will result in a significant increase in the overall salary and hourly wages for 2023. As communicated each year in the Treasurer Reports at the Annual Member meetings and the Town Hall meetings, total personnel costs (wages, taxes &
VOICE IN THE PINES | OCTOBER 2022 2
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