Kristin Ingram is a regional general manager for Bluegreen Resorts Management, guiding the property management of two RCI Gold Crown Resorts – the 84-unit Orlando Sunshine Resort and the massive 569-unit Fountains, which is almost like a small city with nearly 300 employees and annual operating budgets of over $30 million.

Prior to her current role, Kristin obtained a diploma in hospitality management and worked for nine years in a variety of leadership positions with several large Orlando hotel properties. They served as an ideal training ground for her current role with Bluegreen, and provided invaluable experience in dealing with as many as 3,000 people who are on-site each day at the resorts she now manages.

Serving much like the Fountains’ “mayor,” Kristin is responsible for ensuring that all operations are run efficiently and safely and follow corporate policies and procedures. She maintains a positive relationship with the on-site sales and marketing team, works with the separate entity food and beverages operations and prepares annual and reserves budgets for four homeowners associations. She is a certified manager of community associations (CMCA), a licensed community association manager (LCAM), a certified professional food manager and association management specialist, and has been honored with about a dozen corporate awards, including one from ARDA as an assistant resort manager.

Since joining the then 70-unit Fountains resort in mid-2004, Kristin has been “hands-on” and totally involved in the development, opening and management of the property, which now includes eight buildings on 54 acres on South International Drive in Orlando. During her tenure, her staff has grown along with the resort from 33 associates in 2004 to approximately 300 today, with contracted workers. Under her team’s leadership, employee satisfaction survey scores have reached corporate benchmark levels for both loyalty and satisfaction.

According to David G. DeShaw, LCAM, CHA, RRP, CMCA, regional director Bluegreen Corporation, “Kristin has demonstrated the ability to smoothly adapt to more responsibilities as the resort has grown. There is a unique quality and passion about her leadership that enables her to provide a fun but professional working environment for all associates. This in turn helps us all deliver a memorable vacation experience to our owners and guests. She continuously scores above company thresholds and is constantly developing her department leaders, guiding them to be accountable and successful, resulting in high work satisfaction and low employee turnover.”

Kristin reminisces, “As a team, we have all grown with the resort. Closing nearly 600 units in just seven years has given us a deep sense of accomplishment after each building has become fully occupied.”

Welcoming both deeded week and Bluegreen vacation club members, the Fountains services over 40,000 vacations and Orlando Sunshine over 3,000 vacations per year. The number of daily guests on the property varies by season, with the Fountains averaging 3,000 guests/owners on-site each day and Orlando Sunshine peaking at 300 from mid-February until the first week in August.

Commented Kristin, “When you are turning half your house in the summer with 350 arrivals and departures each day, it can get pretty intense, so everyone knows they have to operate at their peak performance.”

Fountains resort amenities include Wakoola Springs, a 75,000-square-foot water park-like tropical oasis with two twisting water slides, a zero-entry pool, interactive water fountains, two hot tubs, and an on-site bar and grill. Also on-site, Lake Eve offers fishing and paddleboats, and features a boardwalk and pier. There is a 6,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor pool, two hot tubs, and a pool bar and playground. An immense 20,000-square-foot clubhouse houses a gift shop, lounge area, and a kid’s activity center with video games, air hockey and billiard tables. Dining choices include H2O, a water-themed bar, and Mug o’ Joe’s.

Even though they are located in the center of the universe for “fun” places like Disney and Universal, the Fountains has an on-site activity manager with a summer staff of 14, dishing out about a dozen activities a day for guests. Guests tell the resort that while they love visiting the theme parks, they also enjoy spending time at the resort because there is so much for both the children and adults in a more relaxing environment without ever leaving the property.

“Yes, Disney is on their mind,” says Kristin, “but they love the ability to relax and unwind at their resort. Every day we try to do something that will help create a memorable vacation experience. I’ve also noticed that while the majority of our guests bring young children, some are starting to come without the little ones for shorter vacations with a day or so planned at the parks and the rest of the time relaxing around our pool.”

Kristin says the best part of her job is the day-to-day interaction with both the guests and employees. She loves watching her large staff grow in their skills, and is constantly dispensing praise, letting them know how much they are appreciated. During her seven years at the Fountains, Kristin and her team have gone through hurricanes, power outages and other challenging situations, but she continues to look on the bright side of everything and always strives to lead by example.

“At Bluegreen, we have a Quality Express service commitment with a motto of having fun while delivering a fun vacation experience. My thinking is that if our goal is to create a wonderful vacation experience, it should start at the top, and I try to share in that by truly having fun while at work every day.”

Marge Lennon is owner of Lennon Communications Group, Inc., in Fort Myers, Florida. She can be contacted for more information at (239) 482-3891 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . www.lennoncommunications.com