Home Page :: Muirfield eNews :: eNews 6/25/18

MUIRFIELD eNEWS: JUNE 25, 2018

Muirfield Association, Inc.
Bob Fathman, President
Muirfield Association Board of Directors

Instead of always sending out alerts about ramp closures and tunnel repairs, I decided to send an occasional profile about the individuals, staff and Board members, who collectively make Muirfield Village work, who keep it up to date, pristine, a place that makes us proud. For this debut segment I want to tell you all about Walter Zeier, our General Manager.

Walter has worked in administration here for the Muirfield Village Homeowner Association nearly 20 years now. He began in 1999 as Assistant General Manager working under Larry Holbrook, taking over the top spot when Larry retired in 2004. Although in charge of all of our staff, Walter is not just a “suit.” He can be seen driving equipment to drag other equipment out of the muck when it became stuck dredging a pond, or he was right in there with co-workers carrying 11,000 pounds of sand out from under a pool when a pump needed urgently to be replaced so that all would be repaired by the time both pools needed to open. He recruits, interviews, hires, deals with resident violations or complaints, handles ordering of flowers and mulch, and is always on the lookout for used vehicles and power equipment at government auctions to save the Association money. So frugal is he that he once bought two used pickups for a total of $4,000! When a Board member asked why he didn’t go for something much newer, he replied that he had talent among his workers to make needed repairs, and “besides, the trucks pretty much just have to be able to go the few miles around Muirfield, not long distances.”

Growing up as “an Air Force brat,” he is an only child who attended 13 different schools while living in Italy, Texas, Alabama, Hawaii, Indiana and Ohio. He attended Columbus State, Franklin University and MVNU and he has not only a Bachelors in Business Administration but has or had numerous additional certifications in Life and Health Insurance, Real Estate, a Certified Pool Operator’s license and a water and sewer systems certification. He worked a couple of years in construction and as a home builder, and on a pipe laying and excavation crew, all of which prepared Walter well for the multi-tasking he does here in Muirfield on our behalf.

Walter met his wife, Karina, in high school -- she at Grove City and he at Franklin Heights, when both were in a joint ROTC program on a bus trip. Immediately attracted to her, he got down on one knee at a rest stop in a McDonald’s parking lot, and jokingly proposed to her. Karina met joke with joke, as she replied “Yes, I don’t have much better to do!” That was 9th and 10th grades. Three years later he again popped the question, this time with a real ring, and the rest is history.

Fourteen years ago the couple adopted their only child, Tony, from an orphanage in Bulgaria. Tony just turned 18 and will graduate next year. The family moved closer to Muirfield a few months ago, only a 10-minute drive to work instead of the previous 45-60 minutes. Walter is often at our Muirfield facilities off-hours, fixing a piece of equipment or dealing with a computer problem, so the shortened drive has been great for all three of them. They like camping, fishing, travel and the company of good friends.

When asked what he likes best about his job, Walter replies without a second’s delay, “The area and the people. It is a lot of hard work and long hours, but when I get done I have a sense of pride, of accomplishment. This is a beautiful place and more than 95% of the people are very appreciative. Both Dublin and Muirfield stand out as amazing places.” Thirty-year resident and former Board Member Jack Partridge nicely describes him this way: “Walter’s 24/7 attention to our wonderful community makes Muirfield a truly exceptional place to live. He lives, breathes and bleeds Muirfield. He not only meticulous with our grounds but he truly caring about our residents, about Muirfield VIllage as well as the great team he leads have given us a community we are all proud of!”


Published June 25, 2018

Return to Muirfield e-News