During her nearly 28 years in a resort management support position, Elva Jane (E.J.) Nees has witnessed the growth and evolution of the timeshare industry from its infancy to a major force in the vacation business.
Now regional director of resort operations, Sanibel/Captiva for Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV), E.J. has seen her company evolve from the privately held subsidiary of the Mariner Group to the high performing timeshare division within the renowned Hilton Worldwide portfolio of brands. Along the way, HVC positively impacted the face of the vacation ownership industry while growing its Club resort collection to now include 50 developed, managed or affiliated properties around the globe.

“In those early years, we were really industry pioneers,” recalls E.J. “We were in unchartered territory, clearing paths for others to follow. As we grew, we responded to the needs of our owners. Many of our early operational concepts remain deeply woven into the tapestry of today’s vacation ownership programs.”

Since beginning her career – at the age of 24 – E.J. has witnessed technology change just about everything, including the elimination of the need to produce association budgets by hand.

“When I started,” she reminisces, “we had no cell phones or computers, wrote letters on typewriters and prepared budgets and reserve schedules by hand. If one number changed, we had to redo the entire thing. Today it is mind boggling to recall those times.”

But what hasn’t changed over the years is E.J.’s belief in the Hilton timeshare product and its benefits to owners. She knows that the HGV owner expects the highest quality in accommodations and services. Her personal goal is to guide her resort managers to ensure that this happens on a daily basis.

Today, E.J. works with 13 associations, their boards and five resort managers at premier Gulf-front locations on the exclusive barrier islands of Sanibel and Captiva, near Fort Myers, Fla. Resort managers report to E.J., who serves as their leader and main support. She assists in their preparation of budgets and reserves, and serves as liaison between the HGV corporate team, resort managers and boards. There are nearly 10,000 owners of some 15,000 unit weeks at these primarily fixed-week resorts, many of whom have owned for more than 20 years.

During her tenure, E.J.’s staff has grown with her. As a testament to her astute leadership skills, there has been extremely low turnover of her resort managers, who – along with E.J.’s executive assistant, Cindy Glasenapp – have collectively served for a total of 136 years. One of them is a “rookie” with only three years on the job, replacing Harry Griggs, who recently retired after 32 years of managing five timeshare resorts on Captiva Island.

“None of us would be where we are without the support, training,
guidance and loyalty E.J. provides,” added Chris Cain, interval manager at Casa Ybel Resort.

“Although I strive to plan ahead and prioritize, the unexpected always happens so it is most important to remain highly flexible and adaptable. If the breeze is blowing, you will usually have to bend,” says E.J.

This is precisely what happened in 2004, when a big breeze from four back-to-back hurricanes caused extensive damage to the Hilton-managed resorts in Southwest Florida. Most of the resorts were completely closed from 12 to 18 months and sustained nearly $50 million in damages.

After the hurricanes, E.J’s star blazed even brighter as she became the key liaison between insurance adjustors, engineers and builders to ensure that resort associations were reimbursed the maximum allowable amounts. This happened because of HGV’s superb insurance policy and E.J.’s perseverance in obtaining all required backup documentation for insurance adjustors, combing through mountains of association and building records for 18 months to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks.

Recalled Cindy, “During those challenging times, E.J.’s passion for detail helped save the day. She became a virtual library of information for HGVC, its executives in Orlando and the construction people as she worked tirelessly around the clock to find solutions for funding the rebuilding process.”

Several years ago, a sales tax law for associations was changed by the Florida Department of Revenue. Although there was no mandate for her to do so, E.J. worked tirelessly, reviewing records for the previous three years to provide documents that resulted in a refund of over $100,000 for her associations.

One of ARDA’s first ARDY winners in 1986 and 1987, E.J. is fair and objective and has a strong penchant for detail, always in search of the bottom line. When there are obstacles to overcome, she jokes with her managers by saying, “We don’t care how the mule got in the ditch, we just need to figure out how to get it out.”

E.J.’s managers at the corporate level agree that she is a guiding force of stability for her managers.

Says Neil Hutchinson, vice president of association management services for Hilton Grand Vacations, “E.J. has a strong hands-on management style, is an excellent problem solver and works effortlessly with everyone, truly caring about the people she works with. She has tremendous rapport with her associations and never seeks praise or recognition for herself.”

Michelle Tomlinson Williams, senior counsel for Hilton Grand Vacations, “EJ is a wonderful business partner who brings a great depth and breadth of experience to her job. Her knowledge of the industry, HGV’s timeshare business, attention to detail and keen analytical skills have been invaluable contributions to our operation. She manages even the greatest of challenges with grace and good humor. Our collaborations are always enjoyable and productive.”

On the personal side, E.J. and husband Garry have been married 28 years. One of their children is a sheriff’s deputy and the other is an assistant attorney general of the State of Florida. When not guiding her resort management team, she enjoys gardening, knitting, crocheting, and creating fused glass pieces.

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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