Strong Leadership Shapes Strong Communities
Leadership defines the culture, spirit, and future of any club. At Santaluz, where pride in community and high standards have always been the foundation, members expect strong, thoughtful guidance — not just in words, but in action.
A Poll That Sent a Clear Message
To better understand the current sentiment regarding General Manager Russell Sylte, a membership poll was conducted asking:
“Should Russell Sylte, the General Manager, step down or be terminated for the good of the Club?”
The answer from members? An overwhelming and nearly unanimous YES.
Voting integrity was carefully protected through technology footprints, browser cookies, and IP verification, ensuring only one vote per device. All participating IP addresses were unique, providing a reliable and verifiable data set.
While a small number of non-members may have voted, it is unlikely they moved the results in any meaningful way. Few outside the Santaluz community would have had the interest or context to participate, and the overwhelming margin leaves little doubt about where the membership stands.
84.95% Vote for a Change
Out of 505 validated votes, 84.95% (429 votes) supported the idea that it may be time for a leadership change. Only 15.05% (76 votes) expressed confidence in continuing along the current path.
No poll is ever perfect. But when margins are this wide, they speak louder than any single voice.
Ignoring This Would Be a Risk
The role of General Manager demands trust, vision, and an instinct for moving in alignment with the membership’s priorities. The results suggest that many members are questioning whether those expectations are still being met.
While the Club could continue forward without addressing these concerns, doing so would come at a clear cost. When trust erodes this visibly, momentum, unity, and long-term stability are inevitably put at risk.
The Platform’s Success Reflects the Community’s Strength
This poll also highlighted something else: the platform connecting residents and members is working — and working well.
We are now averaging over 1,100 visits per weekday and about 750 visits on Saturdays and Sundays, with pageviews consistently four times higher than visits.
The level of engagement has far exceeded expectations, proving that Santaluz members and residents are paying attention, getting involved, and making their voices heard.
Thank you to everyone who participated. Your engagement is shaping not just a conversation, but the future of Santaluz.
And don’t forget, whether you are a member or a resident, we invite you to share your thoughts. Suggest a future poll, highlight an area where you’d love to see improvement, or simply leave a compliment for the amazing staff. Every voice matters and helps shape the future of Santaluz. – Conatct us –
Nothing to add. Totally agree. Russell has to go
I think Russell is probably a good guy at heart. No personal grudge. But professionally, it’s clear he’s not the right fit for where the Club should be headed. Sometimes good people just aren’t the right match for the job. Nothing wrong with admitting that.
It’s not about hurt feelings or personal attacks. It’s about protecting the Club’s future. The vote says it loud and clear: what’s happening now isn’t working. It’s time to stop pretending otherwise and actually do something about it.
Nobody’s saying Russell was terrible. He was fine. But ‘fine’ isn’t good enough for a club like Santaluz. We shouldn’t be afraid of change, especially when it’s this clear that members are asking for it.
I’m just curious, Does anybody have any specific complaints regarding Russell?
I have always found the club to be a very nice accommodating friendly facility.
What am I missing?
I have found the staff to be willing and friendly, the facilities nicely maintained
and the members i have met seem happy.
So specifically what has he done, or perhaps not done that members want him gone.
My guess is he would like to know too?
Russell probably tried his best. But at the end of the day, trying your best isn’t always enough.
Time for Santaluz to upgrade. Change isn’t scary if it’s for the better.
Trying your best isn’t good enough. In his previous life he was a golf pro. A country club like Santaluz needs a good operator. Someone that knows how to run a corporation. The club is big and needs to run like a well oil machine. Russell just isn’t up for the task. That is ok and I wish him the best but his time to prove himself has passed. 85% speaks for itself. He is just a distraction now.
We need new leadership. And if the Board of Directors doesn’t take action than it signals that they too need to go because they aren’t taking action to improve the Club.
We need a new Board.
We have to organize the petition before May 4th, just like the bylaws allow. The current situation is embarrassing.
We have another tool too: DON’T VOTE. If at least 40% of members don’t vote, they’ll be forced to hold a new election.
First, you throw out negative comments about the existing Board but you have no clue, no facts, and no suggestions on what you would have done differently.
Second, organize a petition and put WHO UP and WHY said person?
I hear a bunch of noise, but no tangible plans.
Incorrect.