One of my goals as a Resident Advocate is to create a knowledgeable group of diverse, skilled candidates for resident boards and committees who understand The Villages Governance Process from all perspectives, are resident-focused, and are committed to raising the level of professionalism of elected boards and committees in The Villages.

There is currently no resident forum like this in The Villages.

I have advocated for years to support residents against the occasional yet growing agenda, such as opposing the proposed four-story apartments resulting from the Hacienda Hills demolition, and I succeeded in negotiating for 25 villas.

For the past 18 months, I have extensively researched the Villages’ Governance process. I authored a comprehensive paper and provided presentations at residents’ requests. The primary focus has been on the ongoing issues with the Amenity Authority Committee (AAC), which should be a resident-focused Board of Directors. The AAC Board of Directors is positively developing as the skills of Board members and the resident-focused ethos improve. Progress has been made in this area; however, much work still needs to be done.

As a recent CDD1 Board Supervisor (I resigned to become a full-time Advocate), I understand the various competencies and skills that benefit residents in this role. Currently, there are no specific profiles or selection criteria, which I hope will change to strengthen the CDD Board’s professionalism and capacity to make informed fiduciary decisions on behalf of residents.

The role, based on the work of CDD Supervisors, benefits from the following skill sets: municipal management, civil engineering, construction, contract management, accounting, law, public speaking, research, project management, and, of course, extensive reading and comprehension.

Since acquiring all these skill sets in one or two individuals is impossible, boards benefit from having five members. However, without a competency or skill set portfolio, there isn’t a way to manage specific skill set losses. Hopefully, this will change.

The next criterion is a need for resident-focused individuals willing to protect our lifestyle when the Developer’s agenda threatens to modify, reduce, or remove a promised amenity feature. To many, this statement may not make sense or seem unfair; however, our unique Village Governance process sometimes prioritizes the Developer’s agenda over that of residents. Since the District staff are indirectly hired by the Developer, we need resident-focused board members who understand the process, can manage the very technical Board Supervisor requirements, and recognize when the agenda shifts, which isn’t always obvious.

The Villages lifestyle is marketed as a promise to make your dreams come true. What isn’t transparent in the marketing is that the Villages lifestyle consists of different lifestyle owners who own, manage, and control the lifestyle amenities.

Developer-owned amenities include the squares, championship golf courses, country clubs with priority pools, and various performing arts venues, excluding the Savannah Center, managed by the AAC. Residents, CDD boards, or committees have no say in developer-owned amenities. North of 466, residents own their amenities, such as executive golf courses, recreational centers, and pools. They have the AAC, which holds the fiduciary and operational authority to manage these amenities. Unfortunately, in the southern area of 466, the amenities are owned and managed by the expanding commercial districts, like the Sumter Landing Community Development District (SLCDD), with guidance from the Project Wide Advisory Committee, which lacks authority.

CDD 1 is a highly functional, positive board led by an excellent chair in Rocky Hyder. Due to my resignation, there is currently a vacancy on the board, and I hope it will be filled swiftly by a highly qualified replacement with legal and CPA skills.

Based on the current CDD 1 Board composition, the next anticipated skill gap, in my opinion, is in construction and civil engineering. So, those are the strengths I am currently highlighting for this specific recruitment.

I anticipate that the next vacancy at CDD 1 will result in a loss of essential technical skills in construction and civil engineering. It may seem inappropriate to discuss this before a board supervisor resigns; however, doing so has led to an application process driven by the District Staff, which currently lacks the ability to seek specific skill sets. This is why and how we end up with boards that are unprepared to adequately represent us.

If you live in CDD 1 and have even a small curiosity about serving as a CDD1 board member or as a potential AAC candidate for CDD1, please feel free to contact me.

While CDD 1 is my current focus, if you’re interested in pursuing a future position in another CDD or on a CDD Committee, such as the AAC, I encourage you to get involved and reach out to me, Patsy Oburn. I can provide insights on the governance process, the application procedure, and what to expect next.

My efforts are not intended to replace the excellent Villages resident educational offerings by The Villages, such as the Resident Academy, which offers a downloadable manual that introduces you to the Villages. But to enhance your understanding of The Rest of the Story, The Villages do not address that. I recommend that all residents pursue as many venues of education and information as possible to help with understanding and so that you may make informed retirement lifestyle decisions. This includes membership with the Property Owners Association, which is resident-focused, and the Villages Homeowners Advocates, which is more developer-leaning. Both offer helpful information and interesting programs.

I am building a team, and we aim to enhance our knowledge and understanding of The Villages’ governance process while addressing a resident lifestyle knowledge gap and ensuring that we recruit and develop future board and committee candidates.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION: I thought I would revive the Villages Promise Preservation Watch (V2PW) banner; however, I want to brand something that speaks more to a community helping advocacy, so I’m testing this name and concept: Community Outreach and Mentoring, Promoting Advocacy, Support and Strategies (COMPASS). We help neighbors navigate how to ensure an affordable lifetime LIFESTYLE through education, mentoring, and common-sense yet creative problem-solving strategies. I’m interested in your thoughts, please email me.

Kindly share this invitation/request with anyone you believe would be suitable and/or interested. Furthermore, if you would like to join my mailing list, please email me your details, including your Village.

Patsy Oburn is a resident of Hacienda North and can be reached at [email protected]