Turning a master-planned community like Mantua in North Texas into a thriving neighborhood filled with happy residents, loads of fun events, and amenities that are loved by everyone takes a whole team of professionals working round the clock. If you’ve ever been to the Trail House Welcome Center, you’ve probably met some of the friendly folks at Mantua who work behind the scenes to make sure that our little community is nothing short of amazing. We really value our team here at Mantua, so we thought we would take a moment to introduce you to a few of the MVPs when it comes to helping to keep life at Mantua fun and engaging. We’ll start with our community lifestyle director Liz Spur and our HOA manager Maranda Hall.
The Community Lifestyle Director
What is a lifestyle director and what do they do for the community? Simply put, a community lifestyle director manages all of the fun activities that you’ll see happening every day, week, and month here at Mantua. From classes and clubs to community-wide social events and parties, if something cool and exciting is happening in the community, odds are the lifestyle director is behind it. Sometimes, these are events and activities that have been suggested or requested by residents, while other times they’re cooked up whole cloth by the lifestyle director.
At Mantua, there’s almost always something new to experience and enjoy, and a lot of that is thanks to our dedicated community lifestyle director, who helps turn Mantua from a collection of houses and amenities into a real community, where neighbors become friends, and everyone has a great time!
Our Lifestyle Director Liz Spur!
Liz is in charge of all the amazing and fun things that our residents enjoy here at Mantua. To that end, her office is located in our Trail House Welcome Center, where she can be at the heart of everything that’s going on at Mantua, overseeing incredible events that keep our residents occupied and bring our community closer together. We asked Liz a few quick questions so you can get to know her a little better.
Hey, Liz! Got any fun hobbies? My favorite hobbies are crafting and design, and I’ve recently started making little handcrafted fairy dolls. I’m also always looking to add new design elements to our home.
What’s your favorite type of food? I love a good beef stew with mashed potatoes.
Favorite animal? My cat is my favorite animal. His name is Blue. We rescued him four years ago, and he is a very loved member of our family.
Favorite season? I love them all, but autumn is my favorite as the weather starts to cool down, it’s nice to get outside, and we start planning to spend time with family during the holidays.
Coffee or tea? Both. I love to have coffee with friends, and I enjoy a cup of tea when I’m by myself. My favorite tea is chamomile!
Sweet or salty? Gosh! That is a difficult decision to make, but if I have to choose, I will say salty, but I love to combine sweet and salty like M&M’s and pretzels.
Favorite genre of music? I love all types of music, but I tend toward ‘80s pop when I’m listening by myself.
A book or podcast you would recommend to a friend? The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan is one of my favorite books. It’s about four women who became friends and started a mahjong club. The author reveals the story of four women, their loss in their past, and future hopes for their daughters.
Thoughts on putting pineapple on pizza? Not me! Pineapple is for cool drinks by the pool, not for a pizza!
What is your bucket list/dream vacation? I love the beach, so I have to say Bora Bora, Tahiti Island in French Polynesia. The crystal-clear water and white sand beaches are the perfect setting for me!
Do you have any hidden talents? I love to stage for parties, setting up decorations and food displays and taking the party to the next level. And I think I’m pretty good at it.
What event are you looking forward to planning? I will say, “Come and meet your neighbor.” As a master-planned community, Mantua will be almost like a small city, therefore, helping residents to build connections will be my goal and will become a reflection of one of our core values.
What are some of the events residents can look forward to? Themed parties for children, teens, and adults; clubs; wine, beer and whiskey tasting; art and cooking classes; concerts; movie nights; holiday parties; fitness classes; “goat yoga” and much more!
The Community HOA Manager
Now we’ll introduce you to our HOA manager! What is an HOA manager and what do they do for the community? Residents of Mantua are part of a homeowners’ association, or HOA, that helps to take care of all the common areas of the community. This HOA is led by a board of directors who make many of the decisions for the HOA, but the members of the board don’t always have the time or the skills needed to put those decisions into practice. That’s where an HOA manager comes in. The HOA manager’s job is to oversee the day-to-day operations of the HOA and implement the decisions of the board of directors in a way that benefits the community. The HOA manager has to keep a lot of plates spinning and must wear a lot of different hats.
An HOA manager brings a wealth of resources and experience to the neighborhood, helping to keep things running smoothly and staying up-to-date on all applicable state and federal laws. For homeowners, the work of the HOA manager will often be invisible, but they’ll enjoy the benefits of it every single day.
Our HOA Manager Maranda Hall!
As HOA manager, Maranda Hall sits at the center of a lot of the day-to-day operations of our master-planned community. As a result, it only makes sense that her office is also at the Trail House Welcome Center, where she can keep an eye on what’s going on throughout the community. We asked her a few quick questions, too.
Hey, Maranda! What can you tell us about yourself? I’m a wife, mom, lifter of all things heavy, and lover of all things edible!
Any fun hobbies? Home staging, creating new recipes, and working out
What’s your favorite type of food? Queso!!
Favorite animal? Dogs – doodle dogs, specifically
Favorite season? I am a summer baby, but I love the winter.
Coffee or tea? Coffee.
Sweet or salty? Salty.
Favorite genre of music? ‘90s R&B.
A book or podcast you would recommend to a friend. In Every Mirror She’s Black by Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström.
Thoughts on putting pineapple on pizza? Love!
What is your bucket list/ dream vacation? Jerusalem with my family.
Do you have any hidden talents? No, they have all been exposed.
What event are you looking forward to planning? A Christmas gala and a block party
What are some events residents can look forward to? The two listed above!
Both of these important members of our team will be working out of the Trail House Welcome Center, so come by anytime to say hello and get to know them—and the rest of our friendly team—better! If you want to learn more about everything that’s happening at Mantua, from amazing amenities to great events, just stay tuned to our blog or contact us today to schedule a tour!
