THE RESORT: NEVER BETTER

A MESSAGE FROM RHONDA…

We’re all set for a terrific new season. Never better. Safe travels, and when you arrive, come see me and say hello.

Speaking of “never better,” we’ve improved our Resort team – more on that later in this issue and next month’s – and I’m also delighted to report that…

• The streets are being refreshed as I write this. The work is underway on the main traffic areas and other streets will follow.

• The internet is getting done. Our new contractor, ECU (Electrical Communications Unlimited), is speeding up the final stages of work. If you have an issue, come to the Office and fill out a form and it will get taken care of. We now have full transparency – I have on my computer full updates on everything going on with the internet work. I’m pleased to say that we now have real teamwork and the collaboration we need for seamless communication.

• Expect the park to look great: Flowers and the winter grass will be going in during October and our new landscape crew (see below) is making continual upgrades to the appearance of the park.

See you soon,

Park GM, Rhonda Ciacco

Introducing Baby Felix

Tara, massage therapist at The Resort for more than a decade, welcomed a new son in September. He’s Felix, and that’s his big sister, Ada.

Welcome to the Next Set of New but Familiar Faces

By Dale Dauten

GM Rhonda Ciacco recently told us her secret for building a great team:

“When you see me out in the parks, following up on the work being done, I’m not just checking out the work; I’m checking out the people doing it. I’m looking for talent to recruit for our team.”

That was true for Tim Furlong, the head of Maintenance, and it’s true for the two newest team members working for Rhonda and Tim, the new fun-loving landscaping crew, Alfredo Coon and Isaac Moran …

Let’s start with Isaac, on the right in the photo above. He says, “I have people comment on how positive I am. I love my work.”Isaac grew up in Tucson, his mom an RN and his dad a plumber. He says, “My dad used to take me with him and most of his work was outside. I love working outdoors.”

As for Alfredo, “I grew up in New Jersey till I was 11. That’s when my family moved to Mesa. My mom is Italian and is a restaurant manager – she worked her way up from server to bartender to manager – and my dad, who’s Latino, is a cook. So I started out working as a cook, then I tried retail, but I discovered that working outside is my favorite. People see me and they can tell that I’m happy to be at work.”

Both of the new team members came from a large landscaping company and both welcome the change. As Isaac told us, “What I hated was constantly being pulled off a job before I could get it finished. Now we have the time to do it right.”

And both commented on the friendliness of the park residents. “Everyone waves and says hello,” Alfredo says, “and the residents aren’t shy – they introduce themselves.”

The work starts early, at 5 AM, beginning with the pools and doing rounds, making sure the parks are looking good. Mondays and Wednesday they do trimming; Tuesdays and Thursdays are grass days, and Friday is left open for catching up, special projects and equipment maintenance. Because they start so early, their work day usually ends in the early afternoon.

That gives them freedom to do side jobs. Isaac dreams of owning his own landscape company and Alfredo has a 5-year old son to support, so they welcome the work. This includes trimming and other landscaping jobs, but also pavers, irrigation, cleanup and even non-landscaping projects like furniture moving. They’re happy to provide free cost estimates.

(Rhonda also tells us that she welcomes inquiries from residents about projects at their units – she can make suggestions as to who has the best skills and experience for the work.)

AND ONCE AGAIN LET’S END WITH SOME PHOTOS TO REMIND YOU OF WHAT’S WAITING FOR YOU…