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by Jan Danner
Our by-laws mandate that shareholders elect three new members every year to serve a three-year term. It was designed to add new “blood” every year, permitting new members to bring different perspectives and fresh ideas to be considered by the whole Board. Our Board is non-partisan and is elected at-large for the whole community. There is no campaigning, no signs and the successful candidates come across as articulate, knowledgeable and have a winning personality. The shareholders are entitled to the best slate of candidates possible. Typically, 4-6 people run for a seat and when the election is over and the board is at full strength, they elect the officers.
What does it mean to serve on the Board? It’s challenging to say the least but can be very rewarding. Every member is assigned a task; liaison to a committee, heading up separate committees such as our recent kitchen committee, or meeting with other parks in the Association of Myakka Communities (AMC). You work hand in hand with the park manager and the park accountant as well as the office staff. You can see the obvious need for a liaison-to keep the board informed. Most committees meet at least once a month for several hours to hash out different agendas. The Standing Committee on Finance meets about the budget, banks and other monetary functions. They bring their conclusions to the liaison and he reports to the Board. The LCRE and CRC work in similar fashion. What does all this mean time-wise? Most members put in 10-20 hours per week, the paper work can be daunting and all for the phenomenal pay rate of $0. The President usually works much more than that depending on which fire he has to put out. There are training sessions put on by various associations that most Board members are expected to attend. Regulatory issues have to be confronted and solved to get any project off the ground.
There is a lot of knowledgeable talent in this park that, for some reason, doesn’t want to participate; I’m retired, too much work, etc. Perfectly understandable but I urge everyone who has leadership abilities and a desire to make this park better consider running for the Board. In my opinion, we don’t have enough women on the Board. I’ve worked with Collette Welch, Carol Curley and Gail Fryer and find them to be more even-handed, ready to listen and compromise, and work harder than some of the male members.
There is a specific procedure that must be followed to get on the ballot. There is a “meet the candidates” hour where you are expected to give a 5-minute presentation on your background, qualifications, why you want to serve, etc. The last day to announce your candidacy is Dec. 31, so think about how you can contribute to our park, the sacrifices you may have to make and what you can make better.