Big changes, bigger praise during executive director’s inaugural year

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

by Ruth Osborn

rutho@lwsb.com

GRF Executive Director Jessica Sedgwick came to Leisure World on June 22, 2022, which happened to be Leisure World’s 60th anniversary. It is fitting that she is the first woman to assume the top post here, and she is also one of the most accomplished GRF executive directors of any gender in LW history.

Under pressure to quickly acclimate to the unusual HOA-hybrid that is Leisure World, she has galvanized staff to look beyond the “what is” to the amazing possibilities of “what if?”

In 12 short months, she has earned the respect of GRF board members, community leaders and staff.

“Jessica is really a big change for our community,” said GRF President Marsha Gerber. “When I first met her, she reminded me of a young Katie Couric. She is very intelligent and self-assured. And she should be. We will be talking about an upcoming project, and I will say, ‘Why don’t we look at some research on the options?’ and she will push a few buttons on her phone and say, ‘I just sent it to your computer.’ She is a whiz at tech matters. Due to her extraordinary knowledge and skills, she has brought this community up to the 21st century.

“What I like about her the most is she has a great sense of humor. I love to hear her laugh down the hall. Humor is a sign of intelligence, and she can be very funny. Also an important part of Jessica is that she is balanced. She has a home life and is able to step outside of her executive director role and relax. One more thing—Jessica doesn’t just say things like ‘let’s try’ to do it next month or next week. She does things now,” Gerber said.

That may be why dozens of foundational changes are simultaneously underway. She’s a go-getter with a can-do spirit.

GRF Vice President William Thompson from Mutual 5 agrees: “When the board was interviewing for the community’s executive director, we wanted new ideas. Ms. Sedgwick has delivered exactly that. The number of innovations she has introduced in a single year— from technology changes to administrative procedures—has been breathtaking and is already helping improve the Foundation’s management decisions.”

Added GRF Director Janet Isom representing Mutual 17: “I admire Jessica’s willingness to consider and analyze new ideas and concepts without pre-judging their merits. She and her management team are revolutionizing the way GRF does business to include more timely support to shareholders, deed holders and other residents.”

The breadth of her accomplishments is sweeping. She has added new property management systems and gate access programs, office remodels to foster efficiency, a courtesy call center for residents, networking equipment, heightened cybersecurity measures and a new company organization structure, to name a few of her innovations.

Specifically:

• CINC Solutions: Sedgwick and staff searched for, and found, a proven property management and accounting system that has replaced three outmoded programs. In less than six months, she identified needed specifications and scope of applications. Today, the GRF has CINC, a corporate-wide software solution that will dramatically alter how it conducts business.

The new software will automate antiquated budgeting and business systems that cost the company money and bogged down staff with redundant workflows. It has improved transparency and will simplify accounting for boards, members and GRF staff.

CINC offers a host of other benefits, including passwordprotected GRF and Mutual business portals and a GRF staff portal to provide a secure channel for information and crucial interface among all departments, especially Service Maintenance, Purchasing, Finance and Recreation.

CINC will also pave the way for Stock Transfer to begin using Homewise Docs, a program that provides a simpler process for resale and lender documents as well as condo and HOA closing documentation. This will yield a new revenue stream as privately held escrow companies and real estate firms will soon be charged for transactions that GRF was giving away for free.

Keeping member assessments as low as possible is a priority of hers.

It’s been a fast-paced few months to transfer the decadesold database to the new CINC platform that will save money and time across the board.

Most residents have already registered for CINC’s new community portal that gives them a customized app to submit payments, access governing documents, sign up for trips and communicate with staff.

• New Gate Access: A more tangible accomplishment is the new Gate Access system featuring license reader cameras that will help Security authenticate vehicles, aid police investigations and help Mutuals monitor occupancy violations.

Plus, all LW entrances will soon be open to all traffic, including visitors, which will ease congestion at the Main Gate.

The infrastructure is being laid, RFD tags are ordered, cameras are installed, and barrier arms are coming.

The new system is expected to be fully operational by the end of the year.

• Courtesy Call Center: The new call center will provide onestop information to frequently asked questions related to GRF departments, services and facilities. No longer will residents be transferred from department to department seeking answers and assistance.

• Networking Equipment: New IT solutions have automated workflows, centralized accounting tasks and made digital vendor work orders possible so GRF staff can spend more time providing the customer service LWers expect.

• Cybersecurity Measures: Since Sedgwick’s arrival, stricter access controls to data and systems have been implemented. For example, robust firewalls have been installed to protect GRF data.

Firewalls are security devices that monitor traffic to and from networks to allow or block traffic based on a defined set of security rules. Programs are updated regularly, and GRF security software now continually monitors for outside intrusion.

• Cost Savings: Cost savings is a core goal for Sedgwick. The innovations she is implementing are designed to improve how the GRF works with residents and lessen the costs of providing services.

To that end, the company is shifting away from expensive third-party vendors to in-house personnel across all departments, including Security.

Sedwick has reorganized departmental operations to foster company collaboration and maximize efficiency in both internal and external interactions.

• New Company Organization Structure: GRF departments have been organized into four divisions to be more effective in their internal and external interactions. Most LW residents will not notice the internal change, which is designed to broaden resident access to staff expertise and foster teamwork among departments.

Externally, members will see a more dynamic company response as departments work together to solve problems, and institute new projects and solutions to move Leisure World forward as a premier retirement community.

“This change is intended to build collaboration among departments, which will result in more proactive member services and a more streamlined approach to conducting daily business,” Sedgwick said.

Senior directors now manage four divisions—Facilities, Member Services, Human Resources and Internal Operations. All current GRF departments have been categorized within these divisions.

Marrying departments with similar core missions will promote team culture and collaboration, both of which are essential to company growth and development.

Many of these changes are happening behind the scenes, and transitions are still underway, but residents will soon notice that day-to-day interactions with the GRF are easier and less time-consuming.

In addition to being the first woman to lead the GRF, she is also one of the most accomplished.

She was most recently at the helm of Ontario Ranch, which is ranked No. 1 in the Inland Empire for master-planned communities and No. 7 in the nation. Ontario Ranch is the largest master-planned community in Southern California.

Sedgwick holds the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMC) professional designation from Community Association Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB) and the Association Management Specialist (AMS) professional designation from California Associations Institute (CAI).

She has qualified to sit for the exam to obtain the Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM) designation from CAI, considered the most prestigious designation in the HOA industry.

She is a recent recipient of the Professional Community Management Leadership Award as well as the CAI-Greater Inland Empire Chapter’s 2018 Committee of the Year and 2019 On-Site Manager of the Year awards.

She was a former co-chair to the CAI-GRIE Education Committee and is a current sitting member.

“I admire Jessica’s commitment to pursuing continuous education and professional credentials, as evidenced by her dedication to complete the CAI certification programs while working full-time,” Isom said. “She takes advantage of other educational opportunities (including classes, seminars/ webinars, conferences, etc.), as well as encouraging staff, and now Mutual board members, to do so as well.”

The transformation is still a work in progress.

But under Sedgwick’s leadership, the GRF is shedding an outmoded business model and completely reforming the way the company supports shareholders and residents.

“I know that change sometimes feels like chaos,” acknowledged Sedgwick. “But once these new solutions are fully in place, they will positively impact residents as they interact with the GRF in their daily lives.”

She has garnered much support during her inaugural year and is looking forward to shaping Leisure World into a solid, secure haven for the next 60 years.