Job Profile The Sea Ranch Association DIRECTOR OF SAFETY, SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT The Community The Sea Ranch is a California Not-for-Profit Common Interest Development, or simply, a Homeowners Association. It is also referred to as TSRA or The Association. It is a large scale, planned community consisting of about 2240 lots, 1850 of which are developed into mostly single family homes. The Sea Ranch occupies about 5,200 acres (most of which are wild-land commons) on the northern coast of Sonoma County. It is a rugged and isolated community where the weather can be unpredictable and sometimes challenging. The nearest commercial community is Gualala, a coastal community in Mendocino County immediately across the Gualala River from The Sea Ranch. The nearest metropolitan area is Santa Rosa, which is about 1 hour and 45 minutes by car. While some basic services exist on the coast, major shopping, medical, educational and governmental services are largely in Santa Rosa. The San Francisco Bay Area can be accessed in about 3 hours via US 101, and Sacramento area is also about 3 hours east via I-80. The Sea Ranch was founded in the mid-1960 s by a group of architects and designers dedicated to the idea that the fragile coastal environment could be developed in a manner that promoted environmental stewardship. Today, The Sea Ranch remains a product of its geography, geology, design, philosophy, environmental values and participatory governance. It is an intentional community with intense architectural and design integrity and a strong commitment to the natural surroundings. The Sea Ranch was originally intended as a recreational community under the notion that homes would be for vacation and weekend recreational purposes. However, it was not long before the community became a desirable place to live for longer periods of time, and in many cases year around. Today more than 400 people call The Sea Ranch a permanent home, and many more commute frequently from other homes in the San Francisco Bay area. The community owns and maintains about 47 miles of private roads which are access pass restricted but not gate-controlled, three recreational centers with swimming, tennis, shower and locker facilities, and indoor meeting and conferencing space. The Association also has two outdoor picnic areas, and about 50 miles of maintained trails. Additional amenities include a daylight only airstrip (private), restored barn which is used for community events, and an equestrian center. Many property owners are retired and without children at home. That said, they tend to be highly engaged in local affairs and there is a strong public dialogue within the community. Volunteerism and participatory decision making weave through almost every community issue. The community also seems to be growing younger which is changing the community conversation. Urban professionals and families with children are devising ways to spend more time at the Sea Ranch. Efforts to improve medical and telecommunications services on the coast are also encouraging new interest in The Sea Ranch.
Families considering residence at The Sea Ranch need to carefully consider the isolation and limitations on available local services, limited opportunities for employment, separation from family and friends, and potentially higher cost of living. The Sea Ranch has no business or commercial district, though a number of small businesses surround the community The Organization The Association operates on a budget of about $5.8 million. The Fiscal Year runs from May 1 st through April 30 th. It is governed by a popularly elected Board of Directors serving three year staggered terms. Just as the community functions much like a municipality, the Board functions much like a city council. The Association has a professional staff of about 45 which is supplemented by a number of part-time paid positions and many volunteers and committees. There is a fulltime resident Community Manager who reports to the Board of Directors. Legal counsel is supplied by contract. Departments include: Administrative Services (member relations, IT, and communications) Finance (budget management, account services, and human resources) Safety and Security (security patrol, facility monitors, access control, rules enforcement and emergency preparedness) Facilities and Resources (landscape management, facility maintenance, and fleet management) Design Compliance and Environmental Management (design review, permitting and building) The Sea Ranch also owns and operates its own Water Company with six employees. The Department The Safety and Security Services Department has 11 fulltime equivalent employees performing a variety of tasks as uniformed security patrol and facility staffing. The current director is retiring and plans to remain on The Sea Ranch as a fulltime resident. Over the years, the department has increased its role in emergency and disaster preparedness and works closely with other local emergency service providers as well as neighborhood teams of Sea Ranch volunteers. There is Security Committee in place within the membership to provide advice and assistance to the Director on an as needed basis. The committee will also be active in the recruitment process for a new Director. Although crime is not a major problem on The Sea Ranch, community security is a primary concern for the membership. The department also works closely in areas such as fire management, earthquake and tsunami preparedness, emergency notifications, radio system maintenance, airstrip security, and grant writing for vegetation management funding. While a background in law enforcement may be helpful, the position requires a much more general approach to safety, security, and emergency preparedness.
The Director reports to the Community Manager and is expected to be an integral part of the management team for the community. The Director is expected to have a strong public presence both within the community and within the greater region. The department has a core group of experienced officers who are largely assigned to patrol. Most facility monitors are also well experienced. The department is well equipped and has accumulated many resources and supplies for use in emergencies. Several of the Association s facilities are equipped to serve as shelters. The Director is often on call and expected to respond to emergency situations or to provide assistance when necessary. Current Issues There are few major issues among the staff, but good leadership, strong communications and progressive thinking should be high priorities. Other issues include: The recruitment and training of new volunteers for the Disaster Response Team. Over the years, team members have moved away or developed other interests. New members have moved in and can be recruited to support Sea Ranch Disaster Operations. Assisting the staff and TSRA committees in the balancing act between maintaining a private community while embracing a number of public events. Understanding the changing demographics of The Sea Ranch and preparing new residents for the unusual conditions associated with life on The Sea Ranch. The Ideal Candidate The new Director will be replacing a retiring Director who is well known and well respected in the community and within the department. The ideal candidate should have a strong educational background as well as significant experience in public safety services, private security, emergency management and public administration. Candidates interested in this position should be willing to make a strong personal and professional commitment to the organization and the community. While residency with the Association is not required, it is highly desirable and strongly suggested. Candidates will be required to live sufficiently close to the community to respond expeditiously to emergency situations. Personal and professional integrity will be strongly emphasized. The importance of maintaining a high level of service delivery in a friendly, calm, but firm manner cannot be overstated. The ideal candidate will understand the importance of creative problem-solving, promoting a positive relationship with members and guests, understanding problems associated with an older population, and respecting the privacy of the community and its membership. The ideal candidate will also be expected to enthusiastically embrace a team environment among staff in day to day operations. That approach will also be expected in the department s
use of volunteers and committees, particularly in the area of emergency preparedness, as well as regional cooperation. Other highly desirable skills include the ability to incorporate technical applications and efficiencies to the work product, an awareness of crime reduction strategies, demonstrated experience in regional cooperation and problem solving, and strong communications skills both verbally and in writing. Being a private community, day to day work with the media is somewhat limited. However, the ideal candidate will have familiarity with media practices and maintain a positive relationship with the local media. Compensation and Benefits The Sea Ranch Association provides a package of compensation and benefits that is considered highly competitive in our rural, coastal area. Salary ranges are determined by formal salary survey and are reconsidered during the annual budget process if necessary. The beginning exempt, salaried wage for the director s position is $76,336 annually, with a maximum annual salary of $93,000. Merit increases are considered during the performance evaluation process annually. As well, a self-directed 401(k) retirement program is offered after 12 months of employment with a 3% safe-harbor contribution from the Association and potential 2% additional matching contribution that vests within 3 years. In addition to direct pay and retirement the Association offers medical, dental, and vision insurance for fulltime employees and their families with a 5% employee premium contribution and a 10% premium contribution for dependents. Life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, and long-term disability are provided for the employee only and paid by the Association at 100%. All household members are covered for membership in helicopter ambulance insurance programs with the two major providers in the area, subject to health insurance policy limitations. Please note that the cost of living in the isolated coastal environment of The Sea Ranch can be higher than one might expect. Transportation and utility costs can be high, and discount stores for major shopping are somewhat distant. How to Apply, Recruitment Schedule and Process Submittals should include: 1) A Sea Ranch Application for Employment 2) Resume (with references) and Letter of Interest 3) Completed Supplemental Questionnaire (see below) The current recruitment schedule is as follows, please plan accordingly: Applications close on Monday February 17; Preliminary Screening and Initial Telephonic Interviews completed by February 24 th ; Finalist in-person interviews will be held on Friday and/or Saturday March 7 th and 8 th ; Reference and background checks performed thereafter; Offer submitted no later than Friday March 14 th ; It is expected that the new Director report for work no later than Monday April 14 th.
Application materials should be directed by mail to: Ellen Buechner Director of Human Resources The Sea Ranch Association PO Box 16 The Sea Ranch, CA 95497 Or electronically to: ebuechner@tsra.org Please note: The Sea Ranch will not reimburse costs related to the application process; Some expenses related to onsite interviews may be paid or reimbursed for finalists; TSRA may negotiate reimbursements and certain relocation expenses with the selected candidate. For further information please see www.tsra.org Please note that this website is largely private, but the public side has information that may be valuable to those considering this position. Finalists for the position will be provided temporary access to the private side of the website. SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE 1) Describe your greatest professional success and why it was important to your community. 2) As the new Director, how would you approach your first 90 days on the job? What would you do to learn about your new job and the community? What changes would you make? How would you approach the staff? How would you approach the community? 3) Part 1 - The Community Manager has asked that you reduce your budget by 10%, how would you approach that challenge? Part 2 - Conversely, the recent budget process has revealed a surplus. Your department is receiving $50,000 not originally in the budget. How would you spend that windfall?