RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - The Rancho Murieta Association Board of Directors on April 21 announced its next general manager, honored outgoing General Manager Rod Hart for his decades of service and moved forward with a new motorized scooter rule while approving significant maintenance projects.

Board President Patrick O’Hern announced that the board has selected Vicky Lentz as the next general manager of the Rancho Murieta Association.

O’Hern cited Lentz’s deep connections to Rancho Murieta and said he expects the community will be pleased with her appointment. See the separate story in this issue.

The meeting then turned into an emotional farewell to Hart, who is retiring after 45 years with the association.

Hart reflected on his career and connection to the community. 

“My whole life has been built around my time here at Rancho Murieta,” he said. “If I have given a fraction to the community, what the community has given to me, then I guess I’ll call that success.”

He credited that success not to himself, but to the people around him, especially the volunteers who step forward to serve on the board and committees, often taking both praise and criticism while working to guide decisions in the community’s best interest. Those volunteers, he said, create the structure that allows the general manager and staff to succeed.

Hart thanked the board for its steady support, saying members “help me at every turn” and “are honest when I need to turn a different direction.”

Hart also emphasized the strength of the RMA staff, describing the workplace culture as one envied by other associations. After decades in maintenance and three years as general manager, he said, “I’m absolutely the least important person inside this building,” praising the employees “who keep this place afloat.”

Calling his retirement bittersweet, Hart said he “owed it to my wife and to myself” to step away and pursue some of the things they had long planned to do.

Nevertheless, his connection to Rancho Murieta will truly never end. 

“It certainly isn’t something that I will ever walk away and say, ‘Man, well, that’s over,’ because that just simply will never be the case.”

O’Hern described Hart as a steady and principled leader, telling him, “You are the general manager that always has a smile on your face, even in adversity,” and adding that his approach reflects “tenacity, grit, integrity and focus.”

Director Scott Adams called Hart’s hiring “probably the most important day for Rancho Murieta,” saying, “This community has been blessed to have Rod as our guiding star for 45 years.”

He added that Hart “has been a fantastic general manager” who strengthened the association’s culture.

Director John Haviland said Hart “has left this community better than you found it” and thanked him for his service.

Director Chris Childs offered a lighter note, saying it was “odd to me that you were hired when I was nine years old.”

Director John Van Doren said the community “couldn’t design” a better general manager, emphasizing Hart’s unique role in shaping Rancho Murieta.

Director Tom Reimers, in a brief but telling moment, came forward and hugged Hart.

Director Ernie Cowles said when he and his wife approached retirement, they settled on Rancho Murieta because of how it looked and the sense of community. It wasn’t until years later that “I really realized how much of that was due to one person and that person is yourself,” he said.

Members of the audience also spoke, including former RMA Board President Jim Moore, who said Hart “established a gold standard” first as maintenance manager and later as general manager, adding that he “can’t imagine anyone doing a better job.”

In other business, the board unanimously approved sending a proposed stand-up motorized scooter rule out for community comment.

The draft rule requires scooter operators to follow traffic laws, wear helmets and avoid unsafe practices such as carrying passengers or using devices that impair control. It also restricts scooters from sidewalks, trails and other non-road areas.

The rule includes escalating fines for serious violations, such as reckless operation or modifying scooters to increase speed.

Board members said the rule is intended to address safety concerns as scooter use increases and will be circulated for an extended public comment period due to scheduling requirements.

The board also approved two major maintenance items funded from reserves.

Directors authorized a contract for 2026 asphalt repairs, including a higher-than-usual contingency due to uncertainty in oil prices and the timing of the work.

They also approved the purchase of replacement planks for the community’s wooden bridge, part of an ongoing phased maintenance program based on inspections and wear from heavy use.

Both projects were described as necessary to maintain infrastructure and extend the life of existing facilities, with funding already set aside in reserves.