Helmly resigns as BBR manager

After 11 years at the helm of Black Butte Ranch, Loy Helmly is stepping down.

"I gave my resignation on October 1," Helmly said.

Though his contract calls for 60 days of transition, he thinks his work will be wrapped up by the end of this month.

Helmly said that managing BBR requires someone with "a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm. My energy has subsided. I'm tired."

He noted that he has "been through a half-dozen forest fires, five building projects, the kids are grown, they're all out of college" and it's time to move on.

He intends to take his time deciding what his next step will be. As for the Ranch, the board of directors will meet this weekend and may discuss how to proceed with finding Helmly's successor.

"In the past they used an executive recruiter," Helmly said. "They may do that again."

Helmly cited the Glaze Meadow Recreation Center remodel and construction projects including a new Welcome Center as "really satisfying" developments during his tenure.

"The Ranch infrastructure needed modernization," he said.

He also pointed with some pride to the development of procedures to keep Ranch homeowners and visitors informed during seemingly annual forest fire crises.

"Trying to provide good information, that's been satisfying, too," Helmly said. "You didn't find that in the regular hotel or resort business that I was in prior to coming here."

Other aspects of the work were different and challenging for Helmly.

"There are so many different constituencies there," he said. "I think that's the biggest challenge."

Permanent residents are passionately involved in their community; part-time vacationers are less immediately impacted by events and visitors have expectations of certain amenities and facilities.

Then there are a variety of government agencies which have to be dealt with in terms of wildlife and resource protection.

"It's like a small city," Helmly said.

Working for a community association, Helmly often found himself under competing pressures.

"You can't please them all," he said. "So you are going to ruffle some feathers now and then. It's a challenge, absolutely. It's probably the toughest job I've ever had."

Black Butte Ranch is in better financial shape than some other resorts, thanks to a dues assessment passed by homeowners and effective last April. Since the Ranch is a residential community first and a resort second, Helmly said, it is up to property owners to keep it financially healthy.

"For the Ranch to succeed, it means the property owners have most of the burden," Helmly said. "I think that's the strength of Black Butte Ranch, that it is able to stand on its own feet, especially in difficult financial times."

Some aspects of the Ranch remain financially troubled. The Restaurant at the Lodge is breaking even now, Helmly said, but it is likely to fall into the red during the winter, especially if people cut back on dining out due to economic constraints.

"That's probably the biggest challenge, the food and beverage service, because there's so many (different clients) to serve," Helmly said.

With several fine dining establishments in Sisters now, there are many choices for diners, which, Helmly says, has the effect of slicing the restaurant pie up into smaller and smaller slices.

Helmly said he has enjoyed his long tenure here and noted that "the board has been very fair to me over the years." He is not sure where he's going next, but with his kids settled, he has lots of options to explore. He said he may return to the Seattle area, where he has roots.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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