Lynn Luczkowski and I recently sat down to talk about her new role as a member of the Quechee Lakes Landowners’ Association (QLLA) Board of Trustees on a beautiful Quechee morning. She mentioned how one of our long-time members asked her, “How are things going with your new responsibilities?” Her answer, “Things are great, but I thought living here year-round and being an actively involved member gave me a decent perspective of the operations. Now I’m beginning to really understand what is involved in making QLLA’s operation tick.”

Lynn shared how the new Trustees recently had a “behind the scenes tour, via a whirlwind golf car ride” of the Quechee campus. “For QLLA to run as smoothly as it does it requires real collaboration from our full- and part-time staff plus tremendous support from the many members who volunteer,” she says. “It was eye-opening to see the inventory and necessary equipment needed to keep everything running smoothly and beautifully manicured.”

The campus tour also gave her a newfound appreciation for the amazing job Ken Lallier, the Quechee Club’s property manager and his crew does. “It was interesting to get a snapshot of the back-end operations,” she recalls. “I was pleased to see the environmental consideration being made on a host of things, in particular with irrigation and the recycling of water.”

Bringing her experience in communications, marketing and public relations to QLLA

Lynn’s background is in corporate communications and marketing/public relations. She has run her own consulting business – L2 Communications – since 2005, and has counseled businesses and non-profits in thought leadership, product launches, media relations, and crisis communications. Her business is founded on her passion and principle mission to, “Help companies build, enhance and protect their brands by delivering communications and marketing programs that add value, generate awareness, and support new revenue streams.”

An all-around athlete who enjoys many sports and recreational activities, Lynn received a Communications degree from Rutgers University. She earned a four-year scholarship as a softball pitcher for the Division 1 Lady Knights and competed in two Collegiate World Series. After graduating, Lynn landed her first job in academia at Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York, where she publicized the college’s 14 teams and its student-athletes. Four years later in the 1980s she headed north to Dartmouth College in Hanover.

“Dartmouth was my first glimpse of the Upper Valley and Quechee, and I thought wow this is a truly beautiful place to be. To this day I don’t tire of the natural beauty we are surrounded by,” she says.

Among her many job responsibilities at Dartmouth, she wrote stories and photographed the athletic teams. Through the lens of her camera, she captured student-athletes – from a shell at early dawn on the Connecticut River with the crew teams to the sidelines and end zones on Saturday’s with Big Green Football.

After four years in Hanover, Lynn took a position at a sports marketing agency in Connecticut, the state where she was born and raised. With her colleagues she helped build marketing programs for brands including IBM, Warner-Lambert, and STATS, Inc., which took her to many major league ballparks and allowed her to work alongside some of the game’s greatest ballplayers like Derek Jeter, Brooks Robinson, Cal Ripken, Goose Gossage, and Rollie Fingers, to name a few.

Always looking to branch out, she expanded beyond sports to join an advertising and public relations agency in New Haven, CT, where she managed a variety of accounts including Verizon Wireless’ Northeast region. She expanded the company’s business, which led to opening a Boston office on Newbury Street and worked her way up to vice president of Public Relations – all while earning her MBA.

When a corporate position presented itself at Spalding Sports Worldwide in the early 2000s, Lynn thought it would be an ideal opportunity to round out her portfolio of experience. She led the public relations efforts there and was responsible for the golf and sporting goods business portfolios. When the company was eventually sold to Callaway, who purchased the golf assets and Russell Athletics, who acquired the sporting goods portfolio, Lynn helped formulate the communications. When presented an opportunity to relocate to the West Coast (Callaway’s Carlsbad Headquarters), she felt her experiences and Rolodex were robust enough to start her own business in a region she was most familiar and comfortable in, New England.

Branching out on her own

In 2005, she started L2 Communications in West Hartford, CT, with Spalding signing on as her first client. In the 13 years, she noted some plum assignments; one came within six months when she was asked to represent a real estate developer who purchased the St. Andrews Grand Hotel in Scotland.

“That project was memorable because it was held during the week of the [British] Open Championship in the storied backdrop of St. Andrews,” she says. “To see Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus walk across the Swilcan Bridge at what was Jack’s last Open Championship was special,” Lynn recalls.

Settling in Quechee

Today Lynn along with her wife, Donna LaFleur, has established a work-life balance in Quechee. The couple, who struck up a friendship 30 years ago when Lynn first moved to the Upper Valley, has lived in Quechee full-time for four years after Donna retired from Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, CT. For 15 years they commuted on weekends between homes in West Hartford, CT, during the week and Quechee on weekends, and for holiday getaways. They agreed they wanted to settle on one community and one home and it was Quechee, and they have never looked back.

“We represent a lot of families who have gravitated to Quechee on weekends and for getaways or vacations,” says Lynn. “The more time you spend here you realize it’s a great community with much to do year-round, and eventually many settle here.”

Both are equally involved in community activities serving on local boards and volunteering for a number of organizations. Lynn is a board member of the Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce and a mentor who has volunteered with SCORE in Lebanon, advising entrepreneurs and small business owners.

For Donna, Quechee was home before Lynn relocated here. Donna raised her son, Kevin, 38, who attended school locally before joining the United States Marine Corps and obtaining degrees from American University. He now resides in Las Vegas but frequently visits his mom and LOM, referred to as “Lynn Other Mom.”

Promoting the Quechee lifestyle

Prior to her board position, Lynn served on QLLA’s ad hoc Marketing Committee and has also been an active member of Quechee’s Women’s Golf League and the Quechee Garden Club. She is now the board liaison to the Fitness Committee. Lynn recently got hooked on paddle tennis and along with Donna, enjoys many of the Club’s amenities from regular fitness classes to cross-country skiing, and hiking the trails with their 11-year-old yellow lab, Gloria.

“Going to the gym in the morning is like a scene from Cheers, everyone knows your name, and it’s a spirited fun group. Our gym friends energize us as much as a good workout.”

While on the Marketing Committee, Lynn was instrumental in gathering a group of golf and travel media to Quechee and Woodstock in return for media coverage. Some writers had never been to Quechee while others were very familiar with the Lakeland and Highland golf courses. “In the golf industry, Quechee has a phenomenal reputation. It is one of the real gems of New England, and we should be proud of that,” she says.

Another marketing project she helped guide was visually showcasing Quechee. Lynn recommended a friend and colleague, Jay Stearns, to direct and produce videos that capture Quechee in its beauty year-round.

“For those who have never visited or heard of Quechee, we had to bring Quechee to them,” she says. “We have natural beauty and unbelievable amenities here. Our golf courses, ski hill, trails, and new aquatics offerings, and dining options were easy subject matters. The videos, showcased on the website and through social media, were produced over the course of the year, and they shine the light on the seasonal changes and what makes this place we call home so special. It has helped in the Club’s branding and drawn new visitors, members, and families to us.”

As a board trustee, Lynn shared optimism in her early observations. “QLLA is a well-managed, fiscally sound organization and the leadership is focused on addressing the needs of the ever-changing demographics of the Club. Keeping the members happy and thriving is important, but we also need to make sure our employees thrive and enjoy their time here as well. I think most agree we are focused on making the Quechee experience the best it can be for those who work, live, and play here. But we should also embrace the outlying community as well.”

Like most that live in and love Quechee, Lynn and Donna attend many Upper Valley cultural activities, venturing to regular performances at Northern Stage, Shaker Bridge Theatre, and the Hopkins Center. And when it’s time to get away for a day or more, they have found many familiar options.

“We love Burlington and enjoy Stowe and Trapp Family Lodge for cross-country skiing and hiking,” she shares. “In the summer when we have the need for a sniff of salt air, Ogunquit [Maine] is our “go-to” for beach time and lobster. We’re very lucky to be located where we are, and if there’s one real challenge living here in Quechee, it’s finding time to fit work into life with so many fun and stimulating things to do!”

As a Quechee Lakes Landowners’ Association (QLLA) Trustee since 2015, Norman Watts’ impression of the state of QLLA governance is important. His response to my inquiry about it was, “I am very confident that the ship is being sailed well. The skipper is competent and very concerned about the members. It’s a good crew.” This statement is quite an apt analogy from someone who has also been an avid sailor most of his life.

Norman’s initial impression of Quechee Lakes when he moved here in 2000 was not always as positive. One of the reasons why he ran for the trustee position was to “encourage and support the momentum QLLA had demonstrated over the past five to six years, so we don’t drift into a stall like when we first relocated to Quechee Lakes. When we arrived here things like the clubhouse and health club were dated and tired. It has dramatically changed – to the credit of the members’ support of the upgrades. My involvement with the QLLA Board and committees has given me a whole different perspective on the Quechee Lakes Landowners’ Association,” he says.

Roots in Vermont

Norman and Katherine with one-year-old Brady

Norman has lived in Vermont since 1982. He grew up in Southern California, moved east to attend American University in Washington, DC, decided to embark on a law career and came to Vermont Law School.  He and wife, Katherine, have lived in Woodstock, Barnard, and Hartland, Vermont. They decided to make the move to Quechee Lakes for several reasons. First, Katherine (Dow) grew up in Quechee, and the move was a move home for her. And, they knew they would love living in Quechee Lakes, and they do, “because of the wonderful friends we have here, the super facilities and the natural setting – removed from a crowded urban setting, but close enough to socialize with friends,” Norman says.

Background in Washington, DC, politics

During his years in Washington, DC, Norman was active in politics. He worked on Capitol Hill for the House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee and learned first-hand the importance of fair labor laws and standards. He managed Ronald Reagan’s gubernatorial re-election campaign and President Gerald Ford’s election bid. “Working at the White House was an amazing experience, but I prefer living and working in the Upper Valley – with its quietude and sanity. It has changed my outlook.”  His law firm, located in Woodstock, serves clients throughout Vermont in state and federal courts and has done so for more than 30 years. Watts Law Firm specializes in civil litigation – predominately employment law and medical malpractice.

Amidst his political involvement, Norman managed a ski mountain resort development project in Colorado and a mountain residential development in Northern California. His connection with land development work was a natural focus for Watts on helping to manage the landowners’ associations’.

With his legal education, came an increased awareness of environmental issues, as well as a strong interest in workplace discrimination, particularly of women. Norman says the “glass ceiling is even in Vermont.”  He fights hard for the rights of women in the workplace, and this work represents close to 90 percent of his practice. Coming to and living in Vermont has also changed his outlook politically. Given his background and career focus, QLLA is lucky to have him actively involved in governance and community relations.

Involvement in QLLA committees and the Board of Trustees

Before his service on the Board of Trustees, Norman was a member of the QLLA House Committee for seven years, an experience that led him to “appreciate the importance of communication and cooperation between members and management.” During his time on the Committee, major physical plant improvements were achieved including the clubhouse renovation and reconstruction of the swimming pools. “With a diverse membership on the Committee we were able to work with management to accomplish a great deal,” he says. Another reason he ran for a trustee position was to expand his House Committee experience to “have a greater impact on long-range decisions.”

Watts is now chair of the Community Affairs Committee. With his respect for “public sentiment and its nuances” as a result of his years in the political world, his ties to the Upper Valley community, and concerns about community relationships, he is a natural to chair this Committee and is proud to hold this position. He has worked to improve the rapport with the Town of Hartford and thinks that it is going well. He attributes much of this change from the members and Trustees moving away from a “private club/member only” focus to being strong community members. “It’s great to see the Quechee Club as the home base for the Hartford High School golf team and to see local youngsters skiing here. We have a duty to participate in the wellbeing of our community. I see our relationship with the community – local, regional, and state – as extremely important to the success of QLLA,” he says.

The Community Affairs Committee continues to promote the Life’s Transitions/Aging in Community programs that have been evolving over the past several years (see related article on page 25). The Committee will continue to support the evolution of the Ottauquechee Music Festival as well as planning for QLLA’s 50th anniversary in 2020. They are working with the Town of Hartford to complete the Covered Bridge Pocket Park – at the time that this is being written, the park on the west side is under construction, trees are planted, stairs are going, and it looks good.

In October, the Community Affairs Committee hosted three Vermont legislators for a briefing on the status of milfoil infestation in Lake Pinneo. State Senators Alison Clarkson, Dick McCormick, and Alice Nitka, learned about the problem and toured the lake area. QLLA leadership and members are concerned about preserving Lake Pinneo as a recreational facility and nature preserve.  Norman was impressed with our Vermont Senators, “They were on top of it, interested, and personable. They asked a lot of questions and had done their homework. Ken Lallier, QLLA property manager, has recommended an aggressive, but safe treatment to eradicate the milfoil, one that will work for all concerned parties,” says Norman. The Committee will continue to monitor progress and report to QLLA members about the status. Watch the QLLA blogs on this topic; there is one on the website now from Norman entitled “Lake Pinneo Infestation Solution.”

Norman with five of his grandchildren at Kona, Hawaii

Spare-time pursuits

At the beginning of this article, I mentioned that Norman is an avid sailor as is Katherine. They have sailed the Caribbean, the Pacific, and Atlantic oceans as well as the Mediterranean Sea together, including a great Atlantic trip from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, to Bermuda and Newport, Rhode Island. But things change! The sailing came to a “screeching halt; now it is our grandchildren take up our free time,” says Norman. They have a blended family of five children and have eight grandchildren, from under one to 16, who live in California, Pennsylvania, and Colorado. So now their travels take them to those locations. Of course, the grandchildren also love to visit Quechee. The couple occasionally still sail, enjoy cross-country skiing and snowshoeing here in the winter, and are both jazz music enthusiasts. But their greatest joys now are those children and grandchildren.

Sitting alone in his wheelchair at the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center (VA) in White River Junction, a Vietnam veteran watched the visiting dog and panicked shouting, “I’m terrified of dogs!” Somehow, by the end of the visit he was smiling and Regan, the therapy dog, was in his lap.

Quechee resident Patt Taylor and Regan – his 4-year-old Golden Retriever who is a therapy dog – visit the VA weekly. In preparation, Patt did a lot of research into therapy dogs, he and Regan took obedience classes and went through a rigorous evaluation process for Regan’s accreditation through Therapy Dog International. As Patt explains, they both find working with the vets to be “extremely rewarding.” Patt has tied this experience to the work of the Friends of Veterans; the group is linking service dogs with military veterans.

Friends of Veterans

The Friends Of Veterans is a non-profit all-volunteer organization of about 15 individuals – many of whom are veterans – dedicated to preventing homelessness in the veteran population in Vermont and New Hampshire. For almost 30 years, Friends of Veterans has helped veterans in Vermont and New Hampshire get and keep a place to live, working closely with the Veteran’s Administrations in White River Junction, VT, and Manchester, NH, as well of other agencies. About 70% of the Friends Of Veteran’s funds go toward rental and mortgage assistance. Other areas of support might include home repairs to ensure livability, fuel assistance, or car repairs to support a veteran’s ability to work and pay housing expenses.

Within the past three years, several Quechee residents have joined Friends Of Veterans and brought some new skills and energy. In addition to Patt are Gary Davis, Pat Davis, John Ferney, Bob Hayden, Paul Marinelli, Dave Morris, Ed Smoragiewicz, Brian Tart and Eileen Von Gal. They – along with the other volunteers – staff an office in the Gilman Office Center in White River Junction where the intake/case work and agency coordination takes place. Bob Hayden describes his experience with Friends Of Veterans with enthusiasm, “We are passionate about helping. When you have a vet who is living in a truck with his family with small kids, and we can help find them a place to live, work with the landlord and get a down payment made, it is a big deal – we are an advocate for the vet. Eileen Von Gal is a “bird dog” when it comes to finding funds, and it shows. In 2016, we had contact with 250 vets and were able to help over 100 of them with funding of over $90.000. That compares to total funds distributed in 2012 of $28,000.”

Expanding the availability of service dogs

So what does Regan have to do with all this? Last year, Friends Of Veterans started to think about what else they could do to combat homelessness and decided to look into supporting the use of service dogs. Patt tells me that studies have shown a strong correlation between Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and homelessness. There is also research suggesting that the presence of a service dog improves function in people living with PTSD. The Friends Of Veterans is now working with several service dog organizations – primarily America’s VetDogs – to help veterans with PTSD get and support a service dog.

PTSD is a condition that may occur in response to a traumatic, life-threatening event – such as military combat. PTSD often involves great distress and difficulty handling normal daily activities. Symptoms include reliving the traumatic event (nightmares and flashbacks), avoiding situations that are reminders of the event, negative beliefs and feelings and feeling “keyed up” (hyperarousal). Each person experiences these symptoms in their own way. Coincidentally, the VA in White River is home to the National Center for PTSD.

Of course, the service dog who can assist a person experiencing PTSD must be well trained and certified. “Much of the training is done in prisons by inmates who are trained by master service dog trainers. The dog begins training at six weeks old – staying at the prison during the week – and has to learn more than 100 commands. It can take up to 18 months to train a dog,” says Patt. According to the America’s VetDogs website, it costs over $50,000 to breed, raise, train, and place a dog.

Although the VA covers some of the expense of using a service dog for physical disabilities, there is no coverage for veterans with PTSD. So other funding is required, and the Friends Of Veterans is helping to coordinate and meet that need. They hold an annual golf fundraiser at Baker Hill in Newbury, NH. In addition to the support of businesses, individuals and charitable organizations, a major donor to the Friends Of Veterans is the Red River Charitable Foundation in Claremont, NH, whose mission includes support for U.S. military vets transitioning to civilian life. Working together, the Friends of Veterans and the Red River Charitable Foundation recently provided $7,000 to America’s VetDogs. The Red River golf tournament held on July 13 at The Quechee Club supported the service dog and other veterans programs including a heating assistance fund.

In 2009, Congress passed the Franken-Isakson Service Dogs for Veterans Act, which established a program to study the benefits to veterans – particularly those with PTSD – of service dogs. The inspiration for this Act was Luis Carlos Montalvan, a former Army captain in Iraq. His book, Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever who Saved Him, tells the story of his struggle with PTSD and how his service dog, Tuesday, helped him cope. This is recommended reading!

The latest service dog placement for the Friends Of Veterans was announced in August. The Red River Charitable Foundation and Friends of Veterans agreed to jointly fund the final phase of training for a service dog for a New Hampshire veteran severely injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Iraq who is confined to a wheelchair. They are involved in coordination of the unique training needs of the vet, his combat casualty nurse, and the White Mountain College for Pets. Very exciting!

As members of the National Guard Reserve continue to be called to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Friends of Veterans expects to see a continuing need for the service dog program – both Vermont and New Hampshire have very active National Guards, and there is a large veteran population in both states.

We salute Tuesday and Regan, our Quechee neighbors and all those who work in support of our military veterans at home. And thank our veterans for their service wherever they are.

By the way, the Friends Of Veterans is always looking for volunteer help. As Bob says, “Many hands make for light work.” If you are interested in volunteering – you don’t have to be a vet –visit the website at www.fovvtnh.org or contact Bob Hayden at 802-299-1354 or Patt Taylor at 802-236-0042.

Raymond and Suella Clark and their four Clark children—Matthew, 17, Anthony, 15, Erin, 13 and Kiera, 8—have had a home in Quechee for the past five years. This is a family that doesn’t take for granted the quality of life that Quechee offers. They enjoy every minute of their time here.

Ray and Suella grew up in South Africa, in Umkomaas, a small town on the east coast that, Ray says, felt very much like Quechee—Ray’s parents were both born in South Africa, as was Suella’s dad; her mom was born in London. Ray and Suella met when they were nine-year-olds sitting next to each other in school. They agreed to stay in touch after high school, met up four months later and decided to get married. In 1998, and ready to start a family, they both realized that South Africa was not an ideal place to raise their children. The crime and violence had reached such a level that they decided to leave. They both admit leaving their birth country and moving away from their parents as one of the toughest decisions of their lives, and they were not alone. Their high school class is scattered all around the globe and many South Africans have adopted new countries to call home. As Suella describes it, “It started to get bad when I was in my teens. Everyone you knew was affected by the crime in some way. Homes have security systems and bars on the windows. Many homes have electrified fences, some with barbed wire, guard dogs and security at night. It’s scary.” She visited her sister and parents there last month, was happy to see them but realized how secure and safe she feels in the United States.

Ray explains that with the shift of power following the necessary elimination of the apartheid system came a period of uncertainty for the country. “Unfortunately, there is such a gap between the haves and have nots and a vast number of the population have turned to criminal activity in an attempt to sustain themselves. It was always going to be a significant challenge to rid the country of the negative impact brought upon it by apartheid, but thanks to people like Nelson Mandela, the foundation was laid for meaningful change, including a constitution that recognizes 11 official languages,” he says.

To Ireland

Unsure as to the future of the country and the outcome of the challenges that the New South Africa faced at the time, Ray and Suella packed up Ray’s golf bag (of course!) and their backpacks and moved to Northern Ireland. Coincidently, as they were leaving, so was Arch Bishop Desmund Tutu, having completed the charter of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa; Tutu was invited to assist in the peace talks in Northern Ireland ultimately establishing Northern Ireland’s version of this human rights policy.

They lived in Northern Ireland, just outside Belfast, for five years, and then Ray was given a promotion and transferred to Limerick, Ireland in 2004, now a family of five with the addition of Matthew, Anthony and Erin. They found Ireland to be a friendly, welcoming place. Ray “learned to drink Guinness, eat potatoes and golf in the rain.” In 2005, with yet another promotion, the family made the move to the U.S., settling in Beverly, Massachusetts. Kiera arrived in 2007—the only US born member of the immediate Clark family—and she is totally into those all-American My Little Ponies, offering to share them with me as we chatted.

And finally Quechee

So how did the Clarks find their way to Quechee? Like many of us, friends brought them here. Ray was invited to play in a member/guest golf tournament with a business associate. “I was sitting on Aidan Browne’s deck, looking at the wonderful view and sipping champagne and thought, I will own a house here one day if it’s the last thing I do. A beautiful summer’s day in Vermont can’t be beat!” he recalls. The family began coming here from Beverly for visits and then decided it was time to buy. Ray loves a bargain and found a house in 2011, which the family has truly made their home. Suella says that Ray had always dreamt of being an architect and he has great vision when it comes to houses. He really sees the potential and has used that vision, along with his enthusiasm to get several of his friends to buy in Quechee.

And specifically what do each of the Clark’s like about Quechee?

Matthew – “The golf and skiing. I bring friends up to ski with me in the winter. But my favorite thing is to cook breakfast early in the morning for the family on the grill at Lake Pinneo! My specialty is eggs with avocado wrapped in bacon.”

Anthony – “The lake and skiing.” He’s a 15-year old guy and that’s what he said!

Erin – “Swimming, golfing and the food. Especially the lunch buffet on Dewey’s Deck on Saturday.”

Kiera – “The playgrounds (or “parks”) at Lake Pinneo and on The Green are my favorite, I learned to swim and ski here, I love it.”

Suella – “I love the quality of life.” Both she and Ray learned to ski in Quechee, as have all the kids. We relax and enjoy the safety and beauty here. Quechee is a place to just be a family together.”

Ray – “Quechee is an incredible hidden treasure. There is so much to do as a family; it’s like being on vacation every weekend. We all love it. And the Vermont craft beer scene is great, too!” As to learning to ski here, Ray admits he has yet to master the skill. “It looks like a yard sale by the time I get down, there are skis and poles everywhere.”

Then there is of course, the golf. Ray and his brother, Tim Clark, a PGA Tour Player, learned to play golf when Ray was three years old at their hometown club of about 80 members. That club has produced two members, Tim and Garth Mulroy, who have held PGA tour cards and a third, Manny Zerman, who was runner up in the U.S. Amateur for two years in a row in the early ’90s and the low amateur at the Masters in 1992. Ray has been lucky enough to play golf in a few different corners of the world and describes the two Quechee golf courses as some of the best.

From Umkomaas to Quechee sounds like a fun adventure, and also like home sweet home for the Clarks.