We sat down with two of our community’s newer members, Jeff and Milena Ward, to get an insight into their experience moving from SoCal to MacDonald Highlands.
Q: Welcome to the community! When did you move to MacDonald Highlands?
Thank you! We’re happy to be here. We moved to the community in May of 2019.
Q: Can you tell us a little about yourselves?
Jeff – I grew up in the Sacramento area and moved to San Diego to attend the University of San Diego. Before moving to Henderson, I lived in Rancho Santa Fe and Del Mar for the past twenty years. I have spent the last forty years in the property and casualty insurance market in the US, Canada and U.K. We specialize in developing and underwriting niche insurance products, both commercial and personal lines, which are distributed digitally and through retail insurance brokers.
Milena – I grew up in the San Diego area. My father, who played professional tennis for a short period of time in the 1960s, started me in the sport at a young age. I played tennis and ran track and cross-country in high school and won five California individual state titles between cross-country and track. I went to the University of Oregon on a full athletic scholarship. There I became a seven-time NCAA All-American between cross-country and track. I also played tennis for the Ducks and completed my Master’s Degree. I ran for Adidas during my professional career and won three U.S. titles and placed tenth in the World Championships. Once I retired from my athletic career, I consulted in the sports industry and did color commentary for track and field on FOX Sports. I now work with Jeff on two of our youth sports insurance products we offer.
Q: What made you select this community? What features do you like about it the best?
We spent a few months looking at various communities in the Las Vegas area before settling on MacDonald Highlands. We were looking for a community that offered a friendly, casual, and active lifestyle, wonderful views, with close proximity to the airport and strip. What we value the most is the friendly attitude at the club and the hospitable staff.
Q: Has it been easy to meet people in the community and make new friends?
Absolutely! One of the things we love about living here is the friendly nature of people, including neighbors. Milena’s father and other family members live here, so it’s great being closer to them.
Q: What would you like people to know about you that they might not think to ask?
Jeff is not related to Bruce Willis, nor is he his stunt double! However, he did have a brief career as a stunt car driver during his college day!
Q: Has anything surprised you about living in southern Nevada?
The winter was chiller than anticipated. But the snow-covered mountain view is something we will
always look forward to. Life off the strip offers a very relaxed environment.
Q: What are you most excited about doing in southern Nevada when the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted?
We can already do most of the activities we enjoy, including golf, tennis, and dining out. However, we are missing being able to go to concerts, Golden Knight games, and soon watching the Raiders play live in their new stadium.
A big thanks is owed to the Ward’s for taking some time and chatting with us! We wish them all the best and welcome them to our community!
