In Conversation With Board Director Mark Quinton

I had the rare opportunity to engage in a one-on-one dialogue with Hot Springs Village POA Board Member Mark Quinton. It’s important to note that individual board members do not speak for the board, and their opinions as individuals may not necessarily reflect those of other board members or the board’s stance as a whole.

During our conversation, Mark offered sage advice for the new general manager. We also delved into various topics, including developing strategic goals for the general manager and Mark’s involvement in key projects.

Goals for the New General Manager

Mark shared that the current board is taking a new approach continuing the same approach. “We want to ensure that the goals for the new General Manager are clearly defined.”

He explained. “In the past few years, there was so much focus on infrastructure and procedures that some other areas may have been neglected. We believe we have a solid handle on infrastructure now and are on the right course. Our next focus needs to be on subsidies for amenities and determining how we can address that with a solid marketing plan featuring SMART* goals.”

Mark mentioned that the board has taken on the task of developing these SMART goals for the new GM. Quinton is responsible for the marketing aspect of the board’s plan. “I’ve worked with employees and directors who oversee marketing—Kevin Sexton, [Director of Business Development, Land, and Community Affairs], and Mindy Maxwell, [Business Development and Client Relations Manager]—to set goals based on their vision” he said.

“With the GM’s permission, we sat down with Kevin and Mindy to establish goals for the upcoming year. We want to be very clear about what we aim to achieve. Similarly, someone else is working on the same approach with golf, which is an area where we need to focus on reducing the subsidy.”

Marketing Golf

Mark emphasized the need to generate more rounds of golf internally. He suggested one effective approach is to re-engage those who have stopped playing and attract new players through clinics and golf lessons.

“As a Board, and with the GM’s support, we have decided to focus more on the marketing side of golf to try to reduce the subsidy,” Mark explained. This strategy will involve both internal and external marketing efforts. Staff will aim to increase the number of ‘Stay and Play’ packages over the next year. However, one challenge is that the POA currently lacks a dedicated place to house guests. “Having a quality place to stay that matches the golf experience is crucial,” Mark noted. He mentioned the possibility of partnering with Renaissance Homes and utilizing the new casitas they are building.

When asked about golf and involving area children, Mark highlighted the success of Hot Springs Village’s Junior Golf Program. He proudly mentioned that over 6,000 children have participated over the program’s lifespan, making it a significant and impactful initiative for the community.

Key Projects

Mark said that his work for the community began before he was elected to the Board of Directors when he was a member of the Recreation Committee and the AD HOC Cooper Land Evaluation Committee. The AD HOC Cooper Land Evaluation Committee was developed to research and review all Cooper Land offered for sale in Hot Springs Village and make recommendations to the Board on what land parcels should be pursued for purchase by the POA. Mark said the AD HOC team was very strong, worked together well, and presented professional findings to the Board of Directors.

Mark was also intimately involved in internalizing the management of the Urban Deer Hunt. He feels the Hot Springs Village Urban Deer Hunt is working well. For the past two years, a profit has been made on this endeavor, which has been used to upgrade the Archery Range infrastructure. Also, $10,000 has been donated to Hunters Feeding the Hungry.

The Archery Range was Mark’s pet project, and its development began under his watchful eye when he was on the Recreation Committee. Mark was the perfect candidate for this task as he has a background as a professional archer. “It was a difficult time because we weren’t spending much money on developing new amenities, but we didn’t spend much. Now, the range is doing really well. Without the addition of the Archery Range, we could not have internalized the management of the Urban Deer Hunt.”

Because of his six-year stint managing fitness clubs, Mark had the experience needed to help reorganize the center’s structure. At that time, the Coronado Fitness Center was losing around half a million dollars a year. “That subsidy is gone. Now it pays for itself, except for repairs.”

Mark said he taught the fitness center crew how to treat the clients, and they took it and ran with it. Mark also rewrote the staff’s job descriptions to realign staff towards reducing the bottom line.

POA Staff Development and Goal Setting

Mark said he is very impressed with the way General Manager Kelly Hale has developed his department directors and also made a succession plan. “It’s impressive! I’ve worked with people on his level before who worked for me and had to develop their staff, and I have never seen anyone do it as well as Kelly Hale has.”

Mark believes in department directors setting their own goals because they know more about their job than anyone else does, although he admitted it can be hard to set measurable goals.

Advice for the Incoming General Manager

“It’s stay the course. We have another three years to finish the job of getting the infrastructure back to square one and we need to stay the course to do that. Focus on infrastructure but let’s look at where there are leaks in generating new income.”

The Driving Force Behind a Board Director’s Commitment

Mark posed the thought-provoking question, “What brought us here to be a Board Director? Why are we here?”

He shared an insightful interaction with his neighbor, who initially misunderstood the motivation of a Board Director. The neighbor admitted, “I thought it was just an ego trip, or you just wanted to go in there and be noticed.”

Mark candidly explained, “This Board we have right now, there is none of that. They are on the Board because they want to make a difference. They want to change things in general to make them better. And we all have expertise and knowledge that we bring to the POA for free. The POA doesn’t have to pay a dime for people who were very, very successful in their careers.”

Governance is the Board’s Responsibility

“The Board is governance. We don’t necessarily have hands-on involvement in everything. The GM is our only employee. Do we have a relationship and association with the staff directors? Yes, we do. But we must go through the GM to meet with staff. When I met with Kevin and Mindy, the first thing I did was drop a line to Kelly.”

“While we can’t get involved in every detail, we can have some influence.”

*What are SMART Goals?

SMART goals are a powerful framework for setting clear and attainable objectives. They help ensure that your goals are well-defined and practical. Here’s a quick breakdown of each element:

“Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve. For example, a sales number or product rollout goal.”

“Measurable: Have an objective way to measure your progress, such as a deadline, number, or percent change.” 

“Relevant: Ensure your goal matters to you and aligns with your other goals.” 

“Time-bound: Set a deadline for completion.”

“Achievable: Make sure your goal is challenging but achievable. You should believe you can achieve it.”

Continuing the Momentum

Mark has already completed two one-year terms as a board director and is now seeking a third term in the upcoming election. His motivation is to help maintain and further the board’s current direction on deferred infrastructure, in addition to seeking a reduction or even elimination of amenity subsidies.

By Cheryl Dowden