Many of you in the Majestic Tower already know me, not only because I am a current Board member, but I have been on the Board a number of times over my 25 years living in the building. Recently, following changes proposed by the Board, I shared my views as the lone “no” vote. Some on the Board questioned my reasons, and maybe even my motives, for that vote. Unfortunately, my reasons were lost on what some might call “deaf” ears. Hopefully, I will be able to share, outside a room filled with anger and misunderstandings, who I am and why I took that position.
For the past 50 years, I practiced Urology in teaching hospitals. I chaired the Departments of Urology at the University of Miami School of Medicine and at Memorial Hospital in Hollywood, Florida. I supervised hundreds of hospital personnel and physicians in an effort to provide the best and most personalized urological care in South Florida. Patients and staff were my number 1 priority. Admittedly, I never ran a large corporation. I had the privilege of working directly with patients, staff and other physicians who were focused on providing the best care for each patient we treated. That was the culture I tried to create.
Why were WE successful? The cornerstone of our practice was to listen to our patients and to never believe we were the only ones who knew what was “best” about everything. We listened and together we were able to solve their problems in a way that was best for that patient. The idea was to listen before making a judgment, to collaborate, to be dedicated to the best medical practices that benefit the patient and to believe that we were not the only ones who had all the answers. Listening has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.
Here at the Majestic, when I have been in a leadership rule, I have tried to follow the same practice of listening. I have always tried to hear what the owners had to say on issues central to the building. I have offered Saturday afternoon times where I would be available to speak with residents. When residents came, I heard their comments. Some were in favor of creating community activities. Whether it was Jack Walsall telling his heroic story of survival during the Holocaust, or the powerful demonstration by Pedro Valente on the art and discipline of Brazilian jujitsu, we were celebrating and building community. For me, building community also means being open to listening to what our fellow owners have to say. This is not a corporation where the “price and distribution of widgets” are its essence. This is a condominium, where each member’s life can be seriously affected by decisions the Board makes. Therefore, owners should have a voice about actions that will directly affect the quality of THEIR lives. I love the idea of committees with the caveat that, in fact, the Board has the final vote. Just because a majority of the owners may have voted a candidate onto the Board, that, in itself, should not give Board members the sole power to make any major decision that directly effects the daily quality of the lives of the community or the treatment of the employees without an attempt to understand and be responsive to the voices of the owners.