When Best Practices Meet Worst Behavior: What Beth Mulcahy Taught Us About HOA Leadership – And How Our Board Falls Short
In a recent public training streamed online, HOA attorney Beth Mulcahy of Mulcahy Law Firm, P.C. — the firm recently hired by our board after our previous counsel CHDB abruptly terminated their relationship with Power Ranch — outlined what she identifies as core responsibilities of HOA Board Members. Drawing on decades of experience representing hundreds of Arizona HOAs, Beth laid out clear, common-sense expectations for ethical and effective community leadership.
Her words could not have come at a more relevant time.
Power Ranch is currently governed by a fractured board majority — commonly referred to as the “Recall3”: President Ken Starks, Vice President Anh Jung, and Board Member Katie Wick. Their decisions have sparked widespread concern, eroded community trust, and severely damaged relationships with legal and management partners. When we compare Mulcahy’s principles against their behavior, the contrast is not only stark — it's disqualifying.
✅ 1. Respect and Professionalism Toward Vendors
Beth’s Principle:
“Yes, you’re the boss… but your vendors are your team. You get more bees with honey.”
What’s Happening in Power Ranch:
Vice President Anh Jung sent an inflammatory and misleading email from a domain name (PowerRanchHOA.com) that seems to imply it is the official HOA site , which has confused some residents. In that email, she falsely accused our management company (CCMC) and legal counsel (CHDB) of conspiring with the community-led recall campaign. The fallout was immediate:
CHDB terminated their contract, citing defamation and material damage — but also included they’re open to working with different boards in the future.
CCMC withdrew from the unauthorized RFP process, citing behavior from board leadership. — In one careless email, the board jeopardized relationships that took decades to build.
✅ 2. Know and Follow Your Governing Documents and Laws
Beth’s Principle:
“Spin through your CC&Rs and bylaws once a year — 15 minutes max. You should know where things are.”
What’s Happening in Power Ranch:
This board consistently demonstrates ignorance — or possibly willful disregard — of our governing documents and Arizona law:
Katie Wick admitted during the Meet the Candidates town hall that she had never read the Master Association governing documents.
During her campaign, she challenged management’s explanation of political sign rules, then violated those same rules by erecting non-compliant signs.
After being elected, she refused to accept management’s formal explanation and walkthrough of the governing documents.
Anh Jung was appointed by to a committee while not in good standing due to unresolved fines.
Ken Starks rents out his home for commercial use, including weddings, parties, and film production, in direct violation of CC&Rs.
Katie has made motions at open meetings to remove committee members immediately after they criticized the board.
✅ 3. Communication, Respect, and Professionalism Toward Homeowners
Beth’s Principle:
“I always tell boards: you don’t have to agree with your members, but you do have to listen. If you don’t, you’re going to lose the trust of the community—and that’s where dysfunction starts.”
What’s Happening in Power Ranch:
This board has repeatedly undermined transparency and accessibility:
Board members disengage during meetings, staring at phones and refusing to acknowledge or engage with many homeowner questions.
When residents became more vocal, Anh published publicly posted articles targeting residents critical of the board.
When that failed, she privately hired armed off-duty police for meetings without approval or notice to the board — Ken even attempted to have the officer remove residents for “speaking out of order” — a request the officer reportedly declined.
When that didn’t work, they brought in two uniformed officers as proxies, granted by a non-resident investor who owns 120 rentals.
When that failed to silence dissenting homeowners, they tried moving meetings to Zoom-only, reversing only after major community outcry.
✅ 4. Open Meetings and Homeowner Access
Beth’s Principle:
“When you make decisions behind closed doors or in committee meetings with a quorum, you’re violating the statute and eroding community trust. That’s exactly why open meeting laws exist.”
What’s Happening in Power Ranch:
This board has failed to keep the community informed and involved:
Major initiatives, including the RFP to replace our management company, were initiated in secret with no input from the broader board or community, which goes against previous statements by Ken Starks that there would be more meetings and a chance for homeowner input.
Homeowners are routinely dismissed or stonewalled.
Constructive feedback is ignored, and critics are punished with retaliatory motions or removal attempts. — The result is widespread distrust and frustration in a community that was once known for its neighborly spirit.
Also concerning: the board has repeatedly shown up in quorum at committee meetings, particularly Landscape and Knolls, creating potential violations of Arizona’s Open Meeting Law.
If board members are present in quorum and discussing HOA business, that legally becomes a board meeting — requiring public notice and access. Failure to follow this may subject decisions to challenge, legal complaint, or nullification depending on circumstances.
✅ 5. Consistent and Fair Rule Enforcement
Beth’s Principle:
“You can’t profit from enforcing some rules and ignoring others.”
What’s Happening in Power Ranch:
Rule enforcement under this board is not just inconsistent — it’s hypocritical:
A board member with significant unresolved fines was still allowed to co-chair a committee.
Ken Starks continues to operate his home commercially, in violation of CC&Rs, with no consequences.
At the same time, residents who challenge board actions are targeted through retaliatory motions or public attacks.
✅ 6. Adhering to Fiduciary Duty to the Association
Beth’s Principle:
“Every decision you make should be in the best interest of the association — not you.”
What’s Happening in Power Ranch:
The Recall3 have repeatedly placed personal motives above community interest:
Significant criminal and civil histories were not fully disclosed prior to election.
Anh Jung shared private homeowner data through personal platforms to further her narrative — a move widely criticized by the community.
Time and money have been wasted on unwanted vanity projects, like hiring a consultant to revise house color schemes — a project overwhelmingly rejected by homeowners in favor of landscaping and maintenance.
During one board session, a fellow board member reminded Ken Starks that they have a fiduciary duty to act in the community’s best interest. Ken’s reply? — “That’s not necessarily the case…” — That statement alone is a clear breach of fiduciary responsibility — and a direct contradiction of the board’s legal obligations.
✅ 7. Prepare for Meetings and Show Up Ready
Beth’s Principle:
“Taking five minutes to glance at the minutes is wasting the board’s time… you should come prepared.”
What’s Happening in Power Ranch:
Board meetings have become disorganized spectacles:
Information for board and committee packets is often submitted late, forcing management staff to assemble materials at the last minute.
Agenda changes are frequent and last-minute, leaving board members scrambling to prepare — and homeowners completely in the dark.
Meetings are derailed by impromptu, retaliatory motions rather than structured discussions.
One multi-hour session ended with just a single agenda item vote — for a $1,500 laptop purchase — a decision that should never have required full board action.
Conclusion: We Deserve Better.
Beth Mulcahy’s presentation wasn’t just a training — it was a checklist of what healthy, ethical HOA governance should look like. Unfortunately, when we compare that checklist to the current actions of our board’s majority, we don’t see minor differences — we see outright failure.
Our community is being run by individuals who lack the preparedness, professionalism, integrity, and respect required to lead. The Recall3 are not merely flawed; they are fundamentally incompatible with the values and expectations of Power Ranch. (Violation of ARS §33-1804(A), PRCA Board Code of Ethics)
Notice: This summary is based on publicly available content from a training presented by attorney Beth Mulcahy of Mulcahy Law Firm, P.C. The interpretations, comparisons, and commentary provided herein are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or created in cooperation with Beth Mulcahy or her firm. The views expressed are solely those of Save Power Ranch and reflect a community response to the board’s conduct in light of generally accepted HOA leadership principles.
