Here is an update on Miguel and our actions on his behalf. The good news is Miguel is now working at Charlotte Indoor and will be able to string and sell racquets etc there in the next couple of weeks and he is very excited. After meeting with him for an extended period of time, we are confident that he did nothing unethical and that his firing was due to poor management. It is our understanding that Brenda is retiring as manager in January, so we wanted to let the board know the cultural skills and aptitudes we’d like to see in a new manager so that turnover of our valuable staff does not occur unnecessarily (see below). If you agree, please feel free to send your own email to the board. Thank you so much to those of you who have offered your support to Miguel. And to those who disagree, please know we respect your position as well. We are closing this petition to further comment and signatures.

November 22, 2019

Dear Members of the Board of Olde Providence Racquet Club,

As concerned members of the club, we feel it important to relay how upset many members are

with the loss of Miguel Mendoza and what we would like to see moving forward. We lost a

valued member of the staff in Miguel. A petition was established requesting that you reconsider

his termination and it is attached to this email. It contains 204 signatures and over 76 comments

in support of Miguel. Our understanding from your brief email on November 15 is that you are

not inclined to reconsider, despite the overwhelming support of so many members. As a

member-owned club, we were hopeful you would take into consideration the wishes of the

membership.

Despite your decision, we would like to express our concern and make some recommendations

concerning the management of the club staff going forward.

It is our understanding that our current club manager, Brenda Culbertson, is retiring in January.

As you consider her replacement, we, along with many of our fellow members, respectfully

request that you look for a candidate who will instill a more hospitality-oriented culture like that

which Miguel exemplified to the members in order to create a more friendly and service-oriented

environment. While the vast majority of OP staff are friendly and try their best to solve

problems, there are some among the leadership staff that could present a more positive and

hospitable approach when interacting with the membership and our guests. This is one reason

why so many are upset over Miguel’s termination: his level of customer service and friendliness

was truly outstanding (please see the letter posted with the petition and the comments). The staff

could all do their jobs in a more pleasant and supportive atmosphere if this attitude of hospitality

and service many of them already exemplify were supported from the top down.

We thank all of you for your selfless service as board members. We know you care about what

is best for our club, and you spend a great deal of your valuable time making it happen. Your

most important job in the coming weeks/months will be to interview and find our next club

manager and we wish you the best as you go forward to accomplish this important task. We

hope you will consider our input in the constructive and positive manner in which it is intended.

Petition:We, the members of Old Providence Racquet Club are petitioning the manager Brenda Culbertson and the Board of Directors to reinstate Miguel Mendoza to his job at the Pro Shop. He has been a loyal employee for 19 years and is much beloved and valued by all of us. Over the years he has gone the extra mile time and again. He often stays late to get racquets strung or place orders and always with a smile on his face. He is unfailingly positive and helpful. His knowledge of racquets and stringing technology has helped many of us improve our game. He has also been instrumental in organizing team tennis across all leagues as well as pickle ball and other events. He also pitches in for other duties like managing AV equipment, event set up, and more.

After 19 years of faithful employment he deserves better than this. We as a club can do better than this. Miguel deserves a second chance. Please reinstate Miguel Mendoza.