OCEAN PINES– A crowded field and a disaffected voting populace could lead to a fiery campaign, as seven candidates compete for two Board of Directors seats.
The Ocean Pines Association candidates were announced in a May 12 press release.
Incumbents Jeff Knepper and Terri Mohr will face challenges from Lawrence Lee, Dan Moul, Patrick Renaud, David Stevens and Slobodan Trendic. The two candidates receiving the highest numbers of votes will be elected to three-year terms.
Knepper, a retired Intel Information Technology executive, has owned property in Ocean Pines since 2000. The incumbent sees outdated information systems and golf and yacht operations as key issues in the election.
Lee’s qualifications include 18 years of corporate experience and 30 years as a private businessman. He blames the larger than usual number of candidates – there were six last year – on public discontent over how the OPA has handed financial issues.
The candidate proposed enacting a 30-day moratorium on any proposed spending of more than $50,000 in order to seek the opinion of Ocean Pines residents.
“Spending should be a majority decision – not an individual one, and spending by the board should be improving Ocean Pines – not specific amenities,” he said.
Lee believes there will be a number of hot-button issues during the campaign, including the new yacht club, the lighting of Ocean Parkway, OPA compensation packages, policing of the community, water backup after storms, and the country and golf clubs.
Renaud brings more than 45 years in human resources and financial management to the table, including 16 years as a director for the Maryland Healthcare Coalition and four years as general manager for the Local Government Insurance Trust.
The candidate thinks public dissatisfaction with the current administration – including General Manager Bob Thompson – could lead to a major shakeup during the election.
“I think there’s a lot of dissatisfaction with the way things are being run,” Renaud said. “Many of the five non-incumbent Board candidates were encouraged to run because of the disappointment with the board and the general manager in the last two years. There appears to be a crossing of lines of authority between the General Manager and the Board of Directors.”
Ocean Pine’s golf amenity could also be at stake.
“Let me say this very emphatically: I am not in favor of closing down the golf course,” Renaud said. “I am in favor of seriously considering alternatives to the current relationship between Ocean Pines and Billy Casper. I would favor a third-party golf professional organization taking over the course on a lease basis where they would win or lose based upon their performance.
“My message to voters is that if you believe as I do that there needs to be change in the direction the current board is heading, it will take two new candidates to make it change,” Renaud continued. “My good friend Dave Stevens – who did an excellent job during his previous terms on the board – and I together represent the needed change. I hope the voters will agree and vote for both of us.”
Stevens previously stepped down from the board because of term limits, serving for six years as treasurer and board president.
“I believe the reasons for the interest in this year’s election and the large field of candidates are: one, the disappointing performance of the General Manager and two, repeated failures of the current board to hold him accountable,” Stephens said. “Based on what I have read, seen and heard thus far it appears that these concerns are shared by five of the seven candidates – myself included. The two remaining candidates are incumbents and, based on their past actions and votes, they presumably would not agree that these are issues.”
Stephens called the recent renewal of Thompson’s contract “hurried,” and questioned the “specious rationale offered to justify it.”
“Perhaps it is because I have been closer to the board than most people in recent years, but I view this as just another symptom of a much larger problem which has manifested itself in many different ways,” he said. “The results almost always have turned negative with the unnecessary expenditure of hundreds of thousands of member’s dollars,” he said. “There has been a consistent failure to distinguish between what Ocean Pines really needs and what we can simply buy with loans from reserves. This board has repeatedly asked for detailed, structured plans to meet our future needs and the associated funding requirements, and has, just as repeatedly, been put off by the General Manager.
“It will take two new board members with similar views and open minds to bring about the change OPA members are demanding,” Stephens continued. “I applaud all of the candidates for their willingness to serve. However, I have the highest confidence in Pat Renaud as someone who will work diligently to make a difference.”
Like several of the other candidates, Trendic can boast decades of business experience. The candidate said his more than 30 years in domestic and international dealings will “enable me to work across the entire membership spectrum in an effective, collaborative and transparent manner.”
“I believe there is a common theme of residents’ discontent with the current board majority,” he said. “We are witnessing neighborhoods and groups getting organized and taking actions. They want new leadership. The fact that we see four totally new candidates plus Dave Stevens enter the race is the testament of this grass-root effort. Each of us was likely chosen or encouraged by some form of social networks to represent them.”
Trendic sees three key issues during the campaign: the General Manager contract, what he called the “tilt” in power from the board to the GM, and how financial resources are being managed.
“The current GM and board majority often caused large financial losses and excessive capital expenditures,” he said. “There is a genuine concern by many residents about the future of the OP land – people have lost confidence in several board members and the GM. We need new leadership that has the ability to successfully manage many challenges that face our 46-year old community. We need experienced management that is capable of preserving – and increasing – our home values; that can make OP this region’s most desirable community to live in.
“Five of the seven candidates believe we need a change,” Trendic continued. “My personal favorites are Dave and Pat, but the ultimate power resides with the residents, not the board and not the GM. The results of this election will showcase community’s opinion.”
Mohr, the other incumbent, defended her record, as well as the controversial Thompson contract.
“Tom Terry, Jeff Knepper and myself worked for over three months on the contract,” she said. “We gathered much information from many sources with which to base our decisions on how the contract should be written.
“Bob Thompson has proved himself time and again of his dedication to the OPA community and deserves this contract,” she continued. “We have included a very rigorous bonus structure and many options for continued evaluation of his work.”
Elected in 2011, Mohr has served as both treasurer and secretary.
“I have served the members of the Ocean Pines Association to the best of my abilities for the past three years and would welcome the opportunity to continue to bring my experience, management expertise and concern for all residents in our community to the Board of Directors,” she said.
Moul was not available for comment.
A candidate forum will be held in Ocean Pines on June 21 at 9 a.m. Mail ballots are due July 14, and ballots are due August 7. Results will be revealed during Ocean Pines’ annual meeting on August 9.
The Ocean Pines Association candidates were announced in a May 12 press release.
Incumbents Jeff Knepper and Terri Mohr will face challenges from Lawrence Lee, Dan Moul, Patrick Renaud, David Stevens and Slobodan Trendic. The two candidates receiving the highest numbers of votes will be elected to three-year terms.
Knepper, a retired Intel Information Technology executive, has owned property in Ocean Pines since 2000. The incumbent sees outdated information systems and golf and yacht operations as key issues in the election.
Lee’s qualifications include 18 years of corporate experience and 30 years as a private businessman. He blames the larger than usual number of candidates – there were six last year – on public discontent over how the OPA has handed financial issues.
The candidate proposed enacting a 30-day moratorium on any proposed spending of more than $50,000 in order to seek the opinion of Ocean Pines residents.
“Spending should be a majority decision – not an individual one, and spending by the board should be improving Ocean Pines – not specific amenities,” he said.
Lee believes there will be a number of hot-button issues during the campaign, including the new yacht club, the lighting of Ocean Parkway, OPA compensation packages, policing of the community, water backup after storms, and the country and golf clubs.
Renaud brings more than 45 years in human resources and financial management to the table, including 16 years as a director for the Maryland Healthcare Coalition and four years as general manager for the Local Government Insurance Trust.
The candidate thinks public dissatisfaction with the current administration – including General Manager Bob Thompson – could lead to a major shakeup during the election.
“I think there’s a lot of dissatisfaction with the way things are being run,” Renaud said. “Many of the five non-incumbent Board candidates were encouraged to run because of the disappointment with the board and the general manager in the last two years. There appears to be a crossing of lines of authority between the General Manager and the Board of Directors.”
Ocean Pine’s golf amenity could also be at stake.
“Let me say this very emphatically: I am not in favor of closing down the golf course,” Renaud said. “I am in favor of seriously considering alternatives to the current relationship between Ocean Pines and Billy Casper. I would favor a third-party golf professional organization taking over the course on a lease basis where they would win or lose based upon their performance.
“My message to voters is that if you believe as I do that there needs to be change in the direction the current board is heading, it will take two new candidates to make it change,” Renaud continued. “My good friend Dave Stevens – who did an excellent job during his previous terms on the board – and I together represent the needed change. I hope the voters will agree and vote for both of us.”
Stevens previously stepped down from the board because of term limits, serving for six years as treasurer and board president.
“I believe the reasons for the interest in this year’s election and the large field of candidates are: one, the disappointing performance of the General Manager and two, repeated failures of the current board to hold him accountable,” Stephens said. “Based on what I have read, seen and heard thus far it appears that these concerns are shared by five of the seven candidates – myself included. The two remaining candidates are incumbents and, based on their past actions and votes, they presumably would not agree that these are issues.”
Stephens called the recent renewal of Thompson’s contract “hurried,” and questioned the “specious rationale offered to justify it.”
“Perhaps it is because I have been closer to the board than most people in recent years, but I view this as just another symptom of a much larger problem which has manifested itself in many different ways,” he said. “The results almost always have turned negative with the unnecessary expenditure of hundreds of thousands of member’s dollars,” he said. “There has been a consistent failure to distinguish between what Ocean Pines really needs and what we can simply buy with loans from reserves. This board has repeatedly asked for detailed, structured plans to meet our future needs and the associated funding requirements, and has, just as repeatedly, been put off by the General Manager.
“It will take two new board members with similar views and open minds to bring about the change OPA members are demanding,” Stephens continued. “I applaud all of the candidates for their willingness to serve. However, I have the highest confidence in Pat Renaud as someone who will work diligently to make a difference.”
Like several of the other candidates, Trendic can boast decades of business experience. The candidate said his more than 30 years in domestic and international dealings will “enable me to work across the entire membership spectrum in an effective, collaborative and transparent manner.”
“I believe there is a common theme of residents’ discontent with the current board majority,” he said. “We are witnessing neighborhoods and groups getting organized and taking actions. They want new leadership. The fact that we see four totally new candidates plus Dave Stevens enter the race is the testament of this grass-root effort. Each of us was likely chosen or encouraged by some form of social networks to represent them.”
Trendic sees three key issues during the campaign: the General Manager contract, what he called the “tilt” in power from the board to the GM, and how financial resources are being managed.
“The current GM and board majority often caused large financial losses and excessive capital expenditures,” he said. “There is a genuine concern by many residents about the future of the OP land – people have lost confidence in several board members and the GM. We need new leadership that has the ability to successfully manage many challenges that face our 46-year old community. We need experienced management that is capable of preserving – and increasing – our home values; that can make OP this region’s most desirable community to live in.
“Five of the seven candidates believe we need a change,” Trendic continued. “My personal favorites are Dave and Pat, but the ultimate power resides with the residents, not the board and not the GM. The results of this election will showcase community’s opinion.”
Mohr, the other incumbent, defended her record, as well as the controversial Thompson contract.
“Tom Terry, Jeff Knepper and myself worked for over three months on the contract,” she said. “We gathered much information from many sources with which to base our decisions on how the contract should be written.
“Bob Thompson has proved himself time and again of his dedication to the OPA community and deserves this contract,” she continued. “We have included a very rigorous bonus structure and many options for continued evaluation of his work.”
Elected in 2011, Mohr has served as both treasurer and secretary.
“I have served the members of the Ocean Pines Association to the best of my abilities for the past three years and would welcome the opportunity to continue to bring my experience, management expertise and concern for all residents in our community to the Board of Directors,” she said.
Moul was not available for comment.
A candidate forum will be held in Ocean Pines on June 21 at 9 a.m. Mail ballots are due July 14, and ballots are due August 7. Results will be revealed during Ocean Pines’ annual meeting on August 9.