Meet the Sweetwater HOA team

It takes a dedicated HOA team to help maintain Sweetwater as a vibrant, scenic community where the quality of life and property values are protected, and where neighborly connections are reinforced through special events and activities all year long.

Fortunately, Sweetwater has an exceptional HOA team, and we are pleased to introduce them in this blog.

Whether you’re new to Austin or a lifelong Texan, you may not know how HOAs (Homeowners Associations) work to enhance everyday life and long-term values in master-planned communities such as Sweetwater. See our blog for 5 ways HOAs benefit residents, including maintaining protective covenants, maintaining amenities and common area landscaping, and creating social programs that help to foster community spirit.

Ian Knight, HOA Manager

Ian Knight (second from left in photo) is the HOA Manager for Sweetwater. Like the rest of the HOA team, he is an employee of Goodwin & Company, an Austin-based property management company that has been contracted by Newland-Brookfield, Sweetwater’s developer, to operate the community’s HOA.

“Quite simply, our collective goal is to increase value and quality of life at Sweetwater, and to maintain its appeal as a community where people want to live and raise their families,” Ian said.

Ian is a Licensed Community Association Manager with experience managing several types of associations in Florida, ranging from master-planned communities to high-rises.

He is a member of the Community Association Institute and is a Certified Manager of Community Associations, or CMCA, the international certification for managers of homeowner and condominium associations and cooperatives. Ian earned a BS in Marketing from Florida Gulf Coast University and an MBA focused in Project Management from Louisiana State University.

Ian describes Sweetwater as a vibrant, growing community, with about 1,200 homes now resident owned, and another approximately 500 homes to be built and sold before development is finished.

“Sweetwater is about two-thirds completed but is still quite young. This is an ideal time for us to be working on our current priorities, which include capital planning for facilities maintenance and long-term funding so the HOA can continue to operate at an optimum level long after development is completed,” he said.

In one of its most ambitious, and most visible, projects, the Sweetwater HOA recently initiated a new community landscaping program, designed to create a sustainable native Hill Country landscape palette for years to come. This will result in a more scenic community with seasonal color changes, as well as lower maintenance costs, Ian said.

Taylor Kelley, Assistant HOA Manager

Sweetwater residents are more likely to know Taylor (far right in photo) as the community’s lifestyle director than by her official title as Assistant HOA Manager, and that’s fine by her.

A Lake Travis resident and naturalized Texan, this active mom brings years of event planning experience to her role at Sweetwater.

“Sweetwater has a strong sense of community, and I want to build on that by offering something for residents of all ages and walks of life,” Taylor says. “Since this is Austin, live music is a natural for our big community events, and we’re also filling out our offerings of more focused activities, such as fitness classes and groups for stay-at-home moms, crafters and other shared interests.”

Taylor also works with residents to help them reserve indoor and outdoor event spaces at amenities including the Sweetwater Club and Overlook Club. “Now that people are gathering again, residents are enjoying these spaces for everything from baby showers to graduation parties. We love seeing that,” she said.

Welcoming new residents to Sweetwater is another part of the job that Taylor loves. She helps newcomers get acclimated with everything from goodie bags from local merchants and services, to introducing them to information sources such as the community newsletter and resident website.

Courtney Neal, Community Standards Coordinator

Courtney Neal (second from right in photo) fills a new position as the Sweetwater HOA Community Standards Coordinator. Previously, Sweetwater had shared a coordinator with several other local developments, but since the community has grown to approximately 1,200 homes, the decision was made to hire a Sweetwater dedicated coordinator.

The new position offers several benefits for Sweetwater, since maintaining protective covenants is one of the most important functions of an HOA. As our blog explains, these covenants help to maintain an appealing, cohesive appearance throughout the community, thus helping to protect property values and homeowners’ investments.

Courtney relishes her role in helping to maintain Sweetwater’s good looks. Her experience with clients and her role as a mom have helped her develop a great sense of humor and a good supply of patience, which she readily draws on when bringing up any potential compliance issues.

With Courtney working full-time at Sweetwater, she’s already had a chance to meet many homeowners as she drives through the community in the HOA vehicle. Many residents have also had the opportunity to meet her at special events, since part of her job is also to assist Taylor with activities.

Roberto Rangel, Maintenance Engineer

With six years on the job, Maintenance Engineer Roberto Rangel (far left in photo) is the HOA team member with the longest tenure at Sweetwater.

Roberto has a big job in maintaining the more than 700 acres of common space at Sweetwater. Much of his work is focused on the two major amenities, the Sweetwater Club and Overlook Club, and he also oversees upkeep of community and pocket parks such as Hilltop Park, as well as the trail system and common areas such as medians and neighborhood entrances.

“Roberto knows Sweetwater like the back of his hand,” said Ian. “He takes a very personal and vested interest in keeping all our facilities humming along, from making sure every light bulb works to keeping the trails clean and beautiful. He also works closely with our contracted companies, such as the pool and landscape maintenance firms, to make sure every Sweetwater amenity is always in tip-top shape.”