Get to know your 2025 candidates for the Kissing Tree Community Villas sub-association. Each candidate was asked a series of questions. Find their responses in their own words below. All candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
KTVC Board owner director candidates
Robert Corkern
We moved to Kissing Tree on August 1, 2023, while our Villa was under construction. We moved into our Villa on February 12, 2024.
I am interested in serving on the Board of Directors because I believe that I can offer the community my past experience of being on the Board of Directors of a similar community to Kissing Tree, where I was the president of a Sub-HOA that was included in the Master HOA in a Golf Course Community (Pasadena Yacht & Country Club, Gulfport, FL). I believe this first position is critical in transitioning the board from the developer to the residents to ensure nothing is overlooked and that we have clear, concise, and transparent communication as well as input from the community.
In addition to my past HOA Board experience, I believe I am uniquely qualified for the position because; first, I led an organization from 1990 – 2018 (Global Imaging — Xerox) where I was the National VP of Service responsible for managing a budget and expenses for 1bn dollars and clearly understand financials, budgeting, managing costs and solving challenges/opportunities.
Secondly, I currently sit on the Board of Advisors/Consult for two national companies where in addition to coaching/guiding, I teach and develop, their leadership teams in communication, coaching, and problem solving.
From 1981 – 1989 through Navy Education, I attended three separate Universities where I majored in Economics and Criminal Justice. My work experience consists of:
- 1974 – 1998 U.S. Navy (retired) where I served in recruiting for most of my career.
- 1990 – 2018 Global Imaging Systems/Xerox (retired) where I held the position of National VP of Service responsible for managing a budget and expenses for 1bn dollars in revenue, as well as leading an organization of approximately 4,000 team members. The key to my role was to effect change through influence.
- Currently sit on the Board of Advisors/Consulting for two privately held national companies, coaching/guiding and providing leadership development
My leadership positions include:
- Prior President of HOA Board Pasadena Yacht & Country Club, Gulfport, FL.
- Prior Board Member, HOA League City, TX.
- Prior Treasurer for St. Vincent DePaul Society, Webster, TX.
I have attended six town hall meetings since September 2023 either physically or virtually.
The number one challenge I see facing KTVC today is the upcoming transition from the developer to the residents, ensuring the residents are well informed, prepared, included and involved in the planning and decisions that comes through the developers’ board, and ensuring the five-year reserve study is current and fully funded. Proper communication is critical, as well as all-inclusive community involvement.
Garry Crain
2 years +
To assure residents that the budget is spent as planned unless emergency. To make certain the rules are equally enforced. To review the rules making certain they are necessary.
I have served on 15 total boards including the Board of Regents for Texas State University System including 90,000 students in 7 universities and colleges. The Texas Medical Board which insures patient safety, protects public by regulating the practice of medicine. Garry has been an executive officer in public and private companies since age 28.
- BA City Management
- Masters in Health Administration
Served public and private organizations as Vice President, President, CEO, and board member for last 44 years.
None today because consulting job required out of town travel five days a week. The job ended freeing me up.
Proper budgeting and allocation of funds with as little disruption to residents as possible if at all.
Debbie Huntsinger
2 years and 3 months
When I first came to Kissing Tree to visit friends, I was so impressed with the community that I put in an offer for a resale before I went home. Since I have moved here, my appreciation and devotion to KT has grown tremendously. My aim in applying for the board of directors is to help steer our community in a direction that will continue to make people proud to live here in The Strand.
I became so interested in the operations of Kissing Tree that I applied and was accepted to the first SPARK leadership initiative program cohort led by Matthew Dozier. Each cohort group serves a one-year term. While in the SPARK cohort, I was given the unique opportunity to meet some of Cohere and Brookfield’s organizational supervisors. It has been to the residents’ advantage that I got to know them on a first name basis. I made it my mission to pressure Brookfield into making KT a true gated community. I was constantly bringing up the fact that there was not a complete fence or gate on the side of The Strand running along Kissing Tree Lane. It took many inquiries and justifications to have the work done, but now it is there. I feel like this is just one way that I have shown my commitment to the community.
- 1983 BBA — Baylor University
- 1986 MS — University of Houston
- 2005 — Principal certification (18 hrs)
I was a business teacher for 37 years at all levels– middle school, high school and college. I was a department chair for approximately 20 of those years. I earned the privilege of being the Teacher of the Year in 2007.
As an educator, I served as department chair. I was the lead mentor to new teachers for about 18 years at the high school level. I served on our district Personnel Committee and was a district trainer of other teachers for 25 years or so. At the high school level, I served as the supervising teacher for two student teachers.
Here at Kissing Tree, as mentioned already, I was in the first SPARK cohort. Because I wanted to continue to immerse myself into the community itself, I am a part of the Community Engagement Team (COMET) with Kevin Wilson as the leader. I have also been asked by the marketing department of Kissing Tree to be an ambassador to potential and new residents.
Being a teacher, I have a natural curiosity to gather information. This has enticed me to learn more about the community and how it operates. Because of this desire, I made it a priority to attend as many Master Community Town Hall meetings as possible. I have done a pretty good job of doing that. I may have missed one meeting per year. In my mind, this devotion was not enough. I also committed to attend most of the Villa Town Hall meetings. At both types of meetings, I have always asked questions and advocated for what I think the other Villa residents may want in order to contribute to The Strand’s greatness. I have tried to be a strong steward on our behalf. And, as much as I hate early mornings, I actively participate in the Coffee with the ED meetings as well.
This may sound strange, but I feel that whoever gets this HOA position should become an activist and campaigner for our equality. By that I mean, why do we not have an official brick and metal sign at the front of our section like all the other sections do. I helped Bonnell get together a petition and they got their sign. At the time, I kept bringing up the fact that we should have one, too. The Strand deserves attention to matters like that and many others including irrigation and landscaping. We are a smaller land mass, so it takes less capital for our beatification. We are one of the first sections of Kissing Tree that potential residents see, so our enhancement should be of great importance to Brookfield and Cohere. There are so many unique issues to our area (like parking) that someone needs to bring to the attention of the board and make sure are addressed whether the response is favorable or not.
Zona Trahan
Since September 2, 2022.
I believe the developer, Brookfield, has a bit of a different agenda from the homeowner. Brookfield has a goal to build and sell their community with the highest possible profit attained. The homeowner wants a community that not only lives up to the promises made during the sell process, but to also keep it affordable through the years so that they can continue to enjoy what they bought.
Cohere is in a difficult position because at present, the developer is actually their customer rather than the homeowners, and it will stay that way until the HOA is fully resident run. They must meet the desires of Brookfield in making the community as sellable as possible while also meeting the needs of the homeowners. I feel there are some ways to bring these disparate stakeholders together, easing not only the challenge Cohere has, but also meeting the expectations of the homeowners while pleasing Brookfield. I want to help make that happen.
My best strength in business is the ability to see and understand multiple sides of a situation. I can then take that situation, find the common ground, and set a plan to help address the uncommon ground. Having served in the inaugural class of SPARK in 2023, I got a better understanding of the divisions between Brookfield and Cohere. I was able to ask questions and get answers to understand how and why decisions are made. This allows me to create stronger business plans to address concerns in a way that brings all parties together without pushing Brookfield or Cohere too far from their comfort zone. That’s not to say pushing won’t need to be done, it can simply be done in a way that makes business sense to Brookfield.
Next, I had the joy of working for IBM for just over 30 years. In that time, I was taught how to look at problems from different viewpoints. How to not bring a challenge without a potential solution. How to create and manage a balanced budget, and how to identify waste in said budget. Additionally, in managing people from multiple different countries, with multiple different customs and belief systems I learned to understand the person. Finally, in my successful sales and leadership roles with IBM, I learned that often initially spoken objection is not the actual concern of the individual. I learned to question and truly listen to responses, digging deep to get at the root of any situation. That makes it much easier to have success in solutions.
I try not to tackle anything from an emotional side. Instead, I do research, gather data, and try to understand all the facts. Understanding the facts means really hearing from multiple sides because what is fact to one person may not be so with the next. Then, and only will I bring forward what I’ve learned to get all parties to agree on the situation so that we can begin discussing solutions. This will be critical in getting Brookfield to make slight changes to directions for Cohere.
I have a BS in Industrial Technology from the School of Engineering at University of Houston.
I have a BS in Biology from the School of Natural Science at University of Houston.
I have done graduate work at Harvard without completing my Masters.
I worked for IBM for 32 years. Following that I started my own consulting business aimed at Upstream Oil and Gas, specifically in Geosciences. I retired from this business in October of 2024. I also started a business running college golf tournaments and still dot hat today. I have worked since I was 13 years old in some capacity and out myself through school with no financial assistance.
I served on the HOA board for the first home I purchased for myself. It was a Condo association. I have also served on a financial committee for an HOA board of a new development when it first turned over to the homeowners. That association managed many of the same amenities we have here in KT.
I served multiple roles including President of the Houston Chapter of LPGA Amateurs. I also served in a National leadership role for this organization.
I’ve served on multiple non-profit boards, college leadership roles, and church leadership roles. Currently, I’m serving as Financial Chair for my church.
I have attended most since I moved to KT. No idea the exact number, but at least 8 Villas town halls out of the 10 held since I moved here, and the same for Master town halls.
This an interesting question, and probably changes from time to time. Landscape will continue to be a hot topic, but one that I firmly believe is easily fixed with a meeting between us, the board, and the landscape company community manager. I just don’t believe the contract is currently set to meet the wants of the Villas. That is not to say more is needed, just slightly different.
I also believe the pending assessment is causing consternation among the residents. The interesting point of that assessment is it does not need to reach the $5,000 mark. I feel there are a few things in the master budget that could be tweaked such that we don’t need the subsidy we are getting from Brookfield. I understand why Brookfield asks for the things they do in the budget, it helps sell the community. I think we could still do that while also lowering some of the heavy hitters. I know this is outside the scope of the Villas board position, but I also think it is an opportunity to start a smaller conversation before it becomes a much bigger issue.
Finally, and frankly no one has brought this up to me, but I see it as an issue. For the board to assume Villas and Cottages additional HOA fee should be the same is a bit short-sighted. The Cottages have significaNntly more landscaping needs, more concrete needs (driveway pods), more general space. I believe it is imperative we change this thinking to prevent the Villas fees from contributing to rise commensurate with the Cottages. There may be more, but I’ve only been able to talk with a small portion of the residents in making my decision to run.