When Gayle Albertini was elected to the POA Board of Directors last June, she knew it would be time-consuming because she worked with previous board members on various Harbour projects. But she didn't realize just how involved the many facets of board responsibilities there were. There are amenities to be maintained; the profit centers financials to review; committee updates, community business and much more. Yes, she was then semi-retired and knew she had the time to commit to such a big responsibility. She also felt an inner push that told her it was time to step up and take her turn. She had worked with many different boards over the years and decided that she had many assets to help her make a positive contribution. As a 23-year resident of Fairfield Harbour, she also had an institutional history of the Harbour and had seen the community undergo many changes. So, she felt it was time for her to do her part.
Gayle worked in the corporate arena in Nashville, Columbia, SC, and Philadelphia as a website designer, graphic designer, and special events manager before finding her way to New Bern. When her husband Frank retired from Boeing, they went up and down the East Coast looking for a sailing area with excellent weather. They bought a boat in New Bern, liked it here, and decided to make it their home. As Gayle said, “Fairfield Harbour fit like a bedroom slipper; it was so comfortable!” Unfortunately, 2018 was a horrible year for Gayle. Frank passed away, and so did her mother, and she suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Florence. But, as resilient people do, Gayle rose above it all and soon returned to her usual active self.
Gayle put her background experience into action when she founded her company Gayleforce Design upon moving to this area. Some of her clients included New Bern Civic Theater, Tryon Palace, and the Historical Society, allowing her to keep her fingers on the pulse of the New Bern community for 20 years. She also found time to pursue her hobbies of line dancing, boating, and gardening. She is in the Fishing Club and Harbour Lights Players and was an officer in the Garden Club at one time, so she has kept her fingers on the pulse of Fairfield Harbour through these organizations and her socially-oriented personality. Her gardening prowess is fully displayed at her home, especially in the backyard on Upper Broad Creek, and sports a magazine-worthy outdoor kitchen and waterfall area. In addition to her work and hobbies, Gayle enjoys spending time with her two children and four grandchildren, who all live in Charleston, SC.
Her marketing and design experience earned her the position of Director of Communications when she was elected to the Board last year. She is also the Enhancement Committee liaison and manages The Pointe's rotating art. She had no idea at the time that being Director of Communications would lead to her becoming the de facto editor of the Beacon! She 'filled in' when a new editor was needed and has been doing the job for nearly a year now, along with her other responsibilities. She estimates that she spends approximately 20 hours a month doing the editorial position, including coordinating with the POA Office and working hard to get people on Board with her to write and report on what residents are interested in reading. She is pleased that she finally has two capable volunteers, Julie and Rick Finlayson, who will help upload the article to the WIX platform that hosts The Beacon. She would love to have more writers, web designers, and proofreaders, so if you have those skills and would like to volunteer, please contact Gayle.
I can personally attest to the fact that editing the Beacon is a very time-consuming endeavor, but Gayle has many more responsibilities than just that as part of her work as Director. She mentioned that one of the reasons this Board works so well together is that everyone has special talents that they bring to the table. An overall goal of this Board is that we are a "community that is growing, rather than dying," as POA Attorney Hope Carmichael likes to remind them. We need to have our restaurant and golf course be money makers rather than having to be subsidized by the POA. Happily, last month this goal was accomplished for the first time! Gayle’s marketing experience has been invaluable in this endeavor.
Rebranding was a step in the right direction. Because Fairfield Harbour is a waterfront community, our geography and location make us unique to North Carolina, and we need to take advantage of that. They believed the old anchor logo needed updating to showcase the "strengths of the social fabric of Fairfield Harbour." The new logo, with a bird, water, and sky in blue, indicates a change in strategic direction and is meant to be uplifting. The logo shift, according to Gayle, "is a market-driven decision designed to bring new residents, visitors, and businesses to Fairfield Harbour."
New logo signs are a wayfinding tool for new residents, timeshare visitors, and new businesses. They are meant to increase brand awareness and promote our amenities, restaurant, and golf course to those outside of the community as well. Gayle says that signage has four purposes: promoting, identifying, providing information and giving direction, and raising awareness. Our signage is purposely designed to accomplish all of those goals. We are very fortunate to have someone with these skills as part of our Board willing to tackle our marketing needs without having to go outside and pay someone to do this work.
Gayle demonstrates a unique and necessary skill set that allows her to accomplish many different things for our community. The combination of a passion for Fairfield Harbour, the talent and experience that give her the ability to create appealing and relevant marketing tools such as rebranding our restaurant, The Pointe, and designing logos, along with strong interpersonal skills that allow her to get others to work with her to gather and prepare a very interesting publication for the community every month, help make her a POA Board member who is a wonderful asset to us all. Thank you, Gayle, for your service!