New director plans active role in her community

Monaca Onstad’s arrival in Lakewood Ranch marks a change in lifestyle not only for her — an Alabama native who spent the last four years in Virginia — but also for the residents of The Lake Club and Country Club East.

Soon, her handiwork will be spread across both communities in the form of programming for residents.

“We really feel we should be part of making our residents’ lives better, enjoyable,” said Onstad, the new director of community relations for LWR Communities, formed by SMR to promote social interaction in Country Club East and The Lake Club.

“It’s about building communities. We want our residents to feel a part of the community.”

Onstad also will manage the homeowners’ association for The Lake Club.

Lakewood Ranch developer Schroeder-Manatee Ranch is the developer of both communities, and the opening in March of The Retreat complex in Country Club East served as the primary catalyst for the change, said SMR’s new vice president of marketing, Laura Cole. With a fitness center, clubhouse and resort-style pool, it was designed for promoting lifestyle and future offerings of social events.

“It really stemmed from the need in The Lake Club and Country Club East to activate the amenities and bring lifestyle programming,” Cole said, adding SMR had promoted lifestyle heavily when starting the Ranch, but “got away from it” over time.

Currently, there are about 200 homes in The Lake Club and more than 600 in Country Club East, meaning there are about 900 more home sites remaining between the two communities.

“That’s a lot of growth,” Cole said.

Other developers within Lakewood Ranch, including Taylor Morrison with its health-and-fitness-focused Esplanade community, and Pulte Group’s age-targeted Del Webb development, already offer social programming for residents.

“We envision something a little bit different,” Cole said. “We want to find out what buyers want. We don’t want to copy or compete.”

Onstad already is preparing surveys for residents of both communities. She envisions a “holistic” program, one that includes sewing groups, painting and cooking classes, health and wellness seminars and other offerings that match the communities’ needs and desires.

“Nothing is off the table at this point. It’s about how can we make residents’ lives easier, to give them the best of what the area offers onsite and offsite,” she said. “We want our residents to feel a part of their community.”

Onstad said she’ll have done her job well if residents meet one another and participate in community programs, rather than just driving into their garages, closing the door and never coming out to visit with neighbors.

Onstad plans to have a year’s worth of events on the calendar by mid-September.

“We really feel we should be part of making our residents’ lifestyles better, enjoyable,” Onstad said. “It’s bringing people together.”

Former director of community operations (for The Lake Club and Country Club East) Judy Hess retired June 30. SMR already had been working to bring in a coordinator for residential programming and because Onstad has community association management experience, she will fill that role for The Lake Club, at least for now, Cole said. Hess’s assistant, Tara Wagner, also left the company, and SMR plans to hire a replacement.