Whether one agreed with the way he did things or questioned his decisions, John Viola’s performance as the top administrator of the Ocean Pines Association since March 2019 shows he has been the best general manager the association has had in years.

If  his primary task as a quick replacement for his predecessor was to get the association back on sound financial footing after it endured years of one big loss after another, he did that exceptionally well, aided, of course, by a highly competent staff.

That would include, of course, his senior executive assistant, Michelle Bennett, who has also tendered her resignation.

Although it’s a fact that the OPA did get a huge boost from the federal government’s pandemic-related financial recovery program, it’s to Viola’s credit that he led the staff to the solid performance the association now enjoys.

His departure from the association’s employ in February will be a major loss for the community, which had suffered from more than one reign of inadequate and ineffective management.

Now, the question before the board of directors is what kind of manager it will select to replace him. What it needs, obviously, is more of the same, as opposed to someone with a grand vision, or revision, of how things really ought to be.

Given the board members’ propensity for wanting to run things themselves — not to mention the political shenanigans that seem to take place regardless of who’s on the board — the association would benefit from someone at the helm who can continue to steer the course Viola set, regardless of whatever pressure board members might apply.

Apparently, Viola could take the heat that the general manager’s position brings with it, and that’s the kind of person the board should recruit.

In the meantime, Ocean Pines residents should thank Viola and Bennett for a job well done, and wish them well in whatever future endeavors they choose to pursue.