RANCHO SANTA FE — As William “Bill” Overton settles into his new position as manager of the RSF Association, he’s looking forward to the tasks at hand and those on the administrative horizon.
Overton took the reins as manager officially on Jan. 28. He’s also quick to point out that he’s excited to represent the community and its volunteers because the Ranch is such a “beautiful, historical place.”
“We have so many great projects to keep Rancho Santa Fe historic, but also modernize it and bring it into the 21st century,” Overton said. “I’m excited to help them be a part of that.”
Overton said he was intrigued with the position after meeting with the Association’s board of directors. He found their current and future projects sensational.
“It’s hard not to be energized trying to improve such an incredible, historic community. And when I say improve, I mean add to the already beautiful historic Rancho Santa Fe,” he said.
These additions Overton is referring to have to do with working together to improve broadband, high speed Internet, cell phone service, and more.
While Rancho Santa Fe is known for its dedicated volunteers, Overton would like to see that number increase, too.
While a new position affords its own set of goals and missions, Overton said his goals are indeed the goals of the board.
“Taking on a job this large and complex, one of my goals obviously is to learn and I have a great staff here led by Ivan Holler who’s been here seven years and he has been the interim acting manager,” he said. Overton continued, “And he and I are off to a good start together and he’s teaching me a lot.”
Another important facet as manager is his strong view on process, teamwork, and collaboration. According to Overton, these things are already in place but he wants to build on top of this foundation. For Overton, it’s all about making Rancho Santa Fe even better.
“I view the community manager’s role sort of as a conduit to just keep everything moving forward collaboratively, and diplomacy, being that conduit to help people come together is a constant job,” Overton said. “You see it in city government, national government and even at a grassroots level in homeowners’ associations.”
Overton said his job is to diligently work with everybody, because each person is a customer. He wants residents to know that he wants to continue to improve the Association as a service organization.
Overton admits both he and his wife have thoroughly appreciated how the board, committee, volunteers and residents have been incredibly gracious.
Currently, Overton and his family are renting a downtown home in the Ranch so living in the area will give him a deeper perspective and appreciation about the community.
“We’ve been welcomed with open arms. So I just want to say thank you and I can’t wait to get to know everybody, learn about any issues and help,” he said.