As is usually the case, when something goes according to plan or exceeds expectations,  the person at the top gets the credit.  When the opposite occurs,  and something goes awry or fails to achieve the expected results, the blame is assigned to that same individual. It’s just easier to do that than to think about what else might be involved.

Meanwhile, seldom in line for admonition or appreciation are the people who do the work on which leadership must depend.

As a spokesperson for a covid test manufacturer said recently in a conversation about labor shortages and test kit supply problems, success is dependent on all the people involved. In this instance, she said, the company could produce and ship plenty of complete test kits, if only it had the workers to put the instructions in each box.

In that vein, Ocean Pines General Manager John Viola, who is generally acknowledged as being responsible for the community’s financial turnaround, did have the people to carry out the mission.

But without the right people working behind-the-scenes in  the finance department, he would not have been able to hail the association’s exceptional financial performance this year and last.

The finance department personnel are the ones who work directly with the public, track the billing and the expenses and collect the receipts.

As the OPA’s public information officer, Josh Davis, wrote in a “meet the team” piece this week, these are the people who make Viola’s pursuit of financial responsibility work.

Accounting Manager Julia Johnson, Membership and Assessment Supervisor Ruth Ann Meyer, support staffer Joanne Heinlen, accountant Nekia Wise, accounts payable staffer Geraldine Tate are responsible for maintaining the course set by Viola and Finance Director Steve Phillips.

Much of the association’s recent success is because of them and although they are never in the spotlight, they clearly deserve a great deal of the credit for doing the job and doing it well.