Do you know the members of your new HOA Board of Directors? You should, because these are the folks you go to with questions and complaints about our neighborhood, and the ones you should tell when you have a good idea for making Stephens Grove an even better place to live.
They are:
- President – Steve Keane, MS
Vice President – Cory Neal
Treasurer – Jason Ehrlich
Secretary – Bob Brethen
Committee Liaison – Alexandra Cresci
We caught up with President Steve Keane the other day. Steve has lived in Stephens Grove about five years. He joined the board because “I wanted to make sure I was involved in my community.”
Steve is originally from Boston. He’s a veteran of the Navy, a form of service he chose for a classic reason: to see the world. It took him to Saudi Arabia, Greece, Spain, Portugal and other countries. Steve has over twenty years experience as a Project Manager.
Now, he’s a residential Realtor, and that makes him particularly conscious of the importance of a good homeowner association. While not everyone understands the value they provide, he says, “Homes are worth more in an HOA community.”
He sees Stephens Grove as “a little hidden gem.” He and his fellow board members want to “make sure that it stays that.”
He considers it important to provide as much value to residents as possible without raising fees. For instance, “We try to do a lot in house – pressure washing, painting, and so forth,” to avoid expensive vendor fees. Also, we want to make sure our standards are above and beyond. This is important should a homeowner want to sell their property down the road. We definitely do our part to make sure our residents homes are positioned to gain maximum market value.
He says the board includes two members who are “financial gurus in industry,” and the board strives to make sure any reserve funds are properly invested for maximum interest. “The safety of our reserves is key,” he says, and “We have healthy reserves. That supports having a healthy neighborhood, one that can deal with unforeseen emergencies.” Other board members bring over twenty years experience in HOA experience, business management, government education and regulation.
So what’s on the agenda?
The board recently installed a Fob system to let people into the pool area by just holding a security fob up to a sensor. This helps both when there is a lifeguard on duty and when there is not. It greatly simplifies the process of making sure everyone around the pool is supposed to be there. That’s helpful in a community with 300 homes — no one is likely to know everyone.
Looking ahead, the neighborhood has grown and changed with the rest of the world, and “A lot of our rules were written 20 years ago.” Steve says the board will be considering changes as needed.
“The benefit of the board is, we all live in the community, we love the community, we have a lot of parents in the community” and younger folks as well. The board wants to make sure there’s something here for everyone.
If you have something to share or just want to see your board in action, it meets on the fourth Monday of every month at 7 p.m. in the Stephens Grove Clubhouse. Learn more about the board here, where you can also find the minutes of recent meetings.
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