Property Owners’ Association fires Village GM

HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — Scott Randall, who was selected as general manager of the Hot Springs Village Property Owners’ Association in December 2010, was fired this week by the POA board of directors.

An email was issued Wednesday morning announcing that Randall had been “terminated under the terms of his employment agreement by a vote of the board of directors, effective immediately.”

POA Board President Jerry Kosoglow, a retired business executive who served as interim general

manager two years ago before Randall was hired, said in the statement that “details of this termination, as with all personnel matters, will not be shared publicly.”

POA communications specialist Lisa Watson told the Tri-Lakes Edition that the POA was limiting the information about the firing to the short announcement. She could not confirm that the POA vote took place on Tuesday night, or if the vote had been during a regular meeting or a called meeting of the Hot Springs Village governing board.

In the email, Kosoglow also told Village residents that operations of the nation’s largest gated community would not be affected because of the changes being made.

“Rest assured that Hot Springs Village is in a very strong financial position and anxious to continue its efforts to maintain amenities and services at the highest quality level in order to best serve our existing residents and property owners,” Kosoglow said.

Linda Mayhood, the assistant to the general manager, who has worked for the POA for 34 years, will be interim general manager until a replacement is found.

“She has experience in all areas of the association, and with many of the special-action committees,” the emailed statement read. “The board of directors is confident she can effectively coordinate necessary day-to-day activities while working with the staff directors.”

Before being named interim general manager, Mayhood reported directly to the general manager, with responsibilities over purchasing, risk management and public relations.

On Wednesday, Mayhood told The Sentinel-Record in Hot Springs that there will be a restructuring of duties in the purchasing department while she sits in the general manager’s chair, but added that no additional personnel will be hired.

“I have a very good staff in purchasing, and since all departments have to funnel their expenses through there, they are very capable,” she said. “We will all just have to do extra duty for a while until the board can make a new selection.”

On Thursday, Mayhood said she would return to her regular job with the POA administration after a new general manager is named.

“I had originally planned to retire at age 62, but changed my mind and work until I was 65,” she said. “This will give the board plenty of time finding a new general manager over the next four to six months.”

General manager office staff said Maygood was still several years away from her planned retirement.

Randall, 57, came to Hot Springs Village from Superior, Colo. He has held other administrative positions in Illinois, Missouri and Michigan.

The POA board will hire an executive recruiting firm to conduct a national search for a new general manager. Randall was hired only three months after Dave Johnson resigned as general manager of the Village POA in September 2010, having served with the Village management association for 15 years.

Staff writer Wayne Bryan can be reached at (501) 244-4460 or wbryan@arkansasonline. com.