Homestead hires Becsey, awaits snow

The Homestead announced that Jim Becsey has been hired as the new manager of building and grounds at the Glen Arbor resort. As such, he will be responsible for the upkeep of resort-owned buildings and maintenance of the grounds, including the resort’s ski facilities.

Ski hills are hoping for a La Niña weather pattern, which would bring a more typical snowy winter. While hoping to open just after Christmas, The Homestead will also offer a creative array of family-friendly activities, which could include live entertainment like magicians and jugglers, art shows and collaborations with the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail.

Robert Kuras, owner and CEO of The Homestead, said the hiring of Becsey will benefit the resort, its owners and guests by provide greater oversight of the 500-acre property. “This is a significant change which is being made to further upgrade our properties and the services we deliver to owners of other properties at the resort,” said Kuras. He said Becsey’s extensive experience and familiarity with the property made him the ideal candidate for the position.

For his part, Becsey is pleased to be on board. “I’m excited to be here,” Becsey said. He boasts a longtime connection to the resort. The Traverse City native and his wife spent their honeymoon at The Homestead. They also taught their kids to ski at the resort. “We started coming here in the late 70s,” he said.

Among his responsibilities will be overseeing the maintenance of the exteriors, including roofs, windows, decks and railings, at all Homestead-owned properties (a number of homes and condos at the resort are privately owned and responsible for their own maintenance). Becsey will also oversee the grounds at the 500-acre property, including maintenance of parking lots, removal of snow in the winter and lawncare and landscaping in the summer. “I’ll also be overseeing the maintenance and operation of the ski operations, including the lifts, scheduling snowmaking and grooming,” he said.

Becsey has held a number of positions that make him uniquely qualified this position at The Homestead. Most recently he was Vice President of Facilities Development & Operations at Washtenaw Community College, where he was responsible for design and construction of new buildings and major renovations, as well as the maintenance and upkeep of all college-owned and leased facilities. Prior to that he was Director of Facilities Management at Lake Superior State University, where he oversaw 1,500,000 square feet of buildings and 155 acres of grounds. He served in similar positions at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Davenport University. “My background in engineering and facilities drew me to large university properties,” he said.

For the last seven years he has lived in Suttons Bay with his family while he worked out of town, returning home on weekends. When he decided he wanted to spend more time at home, he looked specifically at The Homestead. “It’s an amazing property. It’s the only place I wanted to work,” he said.

Becsey earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University and a Masters in Management from Aquinas College. He is a licensed professional engineer.