Dr. Colette Horn
Dr. Colette Horn is hoping to bring “a fresh perspective” to the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors.
Horn has owned property in Ocean Pines since 2009, but said she only started to pay close attention to the governance of the community during the last year or two.
“A lot of that has to do with the fact that [her husband] Gerry is a compulsive newspaper reader,” Horn said. “He would read these things in the newspaper and say, ‘listen to this – look what those guys have done now!’ So I started reading … and started noticing, yeah, there is some decision-making here that doesn’t seem terribly sound.”
That led Horn, 65, to file for election this year.
Originally from Wisconsin, she and her husband moved to Maryland in 1992. They also own a home in Hartford County.  
Horn has a master’s in education from Marquette University and a doctorate in psychology from the University of Southern California. She has worked primarily with children and adolescents and has a specialty in developmental disabilities.
She also taught at several colleges, including Antioch University in California, served on consulting board for law enforcement agencies in Los Angels County and has numerous papers published in peer-review journals.
Horn now runs a psychological services business with her husband. He is also a member of the Ocean Pines Clubs Advisory Committee.
“The thing that caused concern for me is I wasn’t confident there was sound decision-making going on,” Horn said. “It didn’t seem to be based on objective data and facts. There seemed to be a lot of opinions.”
Horn said she views Ocean Pines as having three distinct constituencies: full-time residents, part-time residents and landlords. She feels not all of those are being represented well.
She and her husband, for instance, live in Ocean Pines during the colder months and go north during the summer. As such, she would like to see the amenities she pays for to stay open year-round.
Horn is a regular at Mumford’s Landing, where she goes to watch football each week during the season. She is not always pleased with the service or the quality, and said there are still plenty of issues that need to be addressed.
“One time I went over there and I really wanted to see the game and the bartender told me ‘I’ve been told that I have to close early today.’ It had to do with one of the weather events where there were high winds, but there were a bunch of customers who wanted to be there and were upset,” she said. “He told me, ‘I’ve turned away a lot of customers today and I’m not happy that I have to close – but I have to close.’
“There are management issues where I wonder how those decisions are made, what is the accountability, what kind of performance evaluation is in process for the GM and where is the accountability for the department heads and the people who run the amenities?” Horn said.
After she wrote a public letter to the board last month about the controversial policy change at the Oasis pool, she said several people approached her about running for office.
“Based on being a trustee [on a board in Hartford County] I had an idea of what I might be getting into as far as the workload goes,” she said.
Horn attended the most recent board work session and then studied the meeting video before making her decision.
“I had this hunch and I thought, well let me see how these people interact,” she said. “Let’s see how they engage in the decision-making process and get a sense of, is this something that would drive me stark-raving mad or is this something that I think I could contribute to in a positive way if I were elected?”
As for the Oasis pool and Family Fun Night, Horn said the board did the right thing – eventually.
“What I asked for was that it not move forward until the board had a chance to give it due consideration, discuss it and put it through the parliamentary process. That’s what they did and that’s what I was looking for,” she said.
“I wasn’t about the pool, for me – it was about the decision-making process,” she added. “The board wasn’t the one that made the decision. It was a policy change that is the purview of the board – not the GM.
“That’s the kind of stuff that concerns me, that decisions are happening, changings are being made without proper … adherence to the limits and scope of the roles of the people making decisions,” Horn said. “It seems like there are a lot of opinions and agendas that are not necessarily consistent with the responsibility to protect the financial investment of the membership and to protect our property.”
Horn said her experience as a researcher who went through the vigor of a university Ph.D. program would make her an asset to the board, as would her career experience.
“I think I bring a perspective that’s different,” she said. “From my training as a psychologist, I’m trained to look at things from different perspectives and different angles and to understand and to respect different points of view that people have on the same issue or the same problem.
“I think that’s a valuable thing for the board, to be able to step out of your own skin and look at these problems and challenges from a variety or perspectives – or at least be able to listen to different perspectives without bias and preconception and closing down the argument just because it’s different,” Horn added.
She said her part-time residency would not get in the way of serving on the board. Horn is able to set her own work schedule and she discussed balancing the workload with a career with several current directors.  
“We’re here usually Thursday through Monday, every week,” she said. “I compress my work into a few days, and our long-term plan well could evolve into us moving here permanently. That is why we bought property here – we anticipated at some point we would be here full time.”
Horn set up an email address to answer questions and concerns from potential voters at VoteForDrHorn@gmail.com.

Nicole Shafer Crosariol
Nicole Schafer Crosariol, 31, would be the youngest member of the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors, if elected.
Crosariol moved to the community when she was five and grew up there. She graduated from Salisbury University and currently owns and operates the mobile boutique LuLaRoe.
She said her background, which includes formerly managing the sales and marketing for Powerhouse Gym, would be a benefit to the board.
“Growing up here and living here and soon starting a family here, I really want to be able to make this community something for everybody,” she said. “Knowing finances and knowing how to market, I think, would be an asset to the team.”
She has been a homeowner in the Pines for six years and said she’s done her best to keep up with current events.
“Obviously, the budget is always going to be an issue, and the new improvements that are being made or are in the works,” she said. “I’m just trying to see what the majority of residents would want and how I could be an asset to the board. I think I bring a new perspective as far as I [also] worked in restaurants for the last 10 years.”
She said it was important to solicit opinions from majority of homeowners across a broad spectrum “from the new homeowners, from families, from retirement, from prospective buyers [of] vacation homes.”
The amenities, she said, should be self-sustainable.
“I think they should at least float themselves,” Crosariol said. “Working in the restaurant industry I know what works and what doesn’t. Consistency is very important to being successful.”
Crosariol used to work at the beach club and said she understands the criticisms of that particular amenity.
“Everyone was always complaining about the same things, which I can completely [agree] with that because it’s been the same since 1995 when I was there,” she said.
She said the current directors were “trying to do what’s best for the community.”
“I’m not one to judge anyone currently in office,” she said. “Everyone brings something different to the table.”
Crosariol works from home most days and said she would be flexible enough to make time to serve on the board.
As for being potentially the youngest board member, Crosariol said that just means she would offer a fresh take on things.
“Even though I’m young, I bought a house when I was 24 years old. I was working two jobs when I was 15 years old. I actually worked when I was eight – I did lemonade stands,” she said. “I like to work and I like to have an input and do what I can to help the community. Because I’ve been here for so long, I think I take it more to heart.
“I know the area. I’m from the area,” she continued. “I just think I bring a new perspective. With the businesses that I run, the businesses in the past that I ran and with my restaurant industry [experience], I think that’s something that’s a little lacking as far as knowledge. And I’m a hard worker – I love to work.”

Doug Parks
Ocean Pines Association Director Doug Parks finished ninth in an election that saw 12 men and women declare candidacy and three new faces take office last August.
He joined the board a month later, as an appointed director, after Pat Renaud resigned. This year, he’s hoping to earn reelection and stay on for a full three-year term.
Parks, 61, is senior executive with the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development – or ASCD – and has a three-decade career in the information technology sector, including stints with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Pew Charitable Trust.
The chairman of the new technology workgroup, Parks made the motion last Thursday to do away with the family night event at the adults-only Oasis pool. It passed 5-2 and had the widespread support of the several hundred homeowners who attended the meeting.
Parks said what happened during the meeting was a good thing and that he has tried to give interim General Manager Brett Hill “as much wiggle room as possible.”
“He’s been doing just an absolutely outstanding job in tackling a lot of these issues that we needed to get done,” Parks said. “I think the community first and foremost is benefitting from it, but you get into a little bit of a gray area where you get that momentum going and maybe you don’t take that proverbial step back.
“We obviously found that it was an issue and I think, as a board, we did the right thing,” Parks continued. “I don’t want to call it a watershed event, but I think it was an affirmation that … we weren’t doing a good enough job communicating.”
The previous election turned into a referendum on former General Manager Bob Thompson. Parks isn’t sure if the election this year, when two seats on the seven-member board will come up, would have a central issue.
“I think there’s a lot of things that need to be assessed to kind of figure out how they fit into the overall picture,” he said. “A good example is the yacht club, which is something that still needs to be looked at very closely.”
Parks said Hill has done a “yeoman’s effort” attempting to tackle issues there, but “despite his best efforts … it’s still not working.”
“We really need to look at a different approach for that, and by that I mean we absolutely have to consider closing it – period – during the offseason,” he said.
Last year Parks, Hill and Tom Janasek ran as a team. Hill finished first in the voting, while Janasek finished eighth. Parks does not have similar plans during the current election, but said former Director Marty Clarke, who also declared his candidacy, would be a major asset to the board. Clarke also favors closing the yacht club for part of the year.
He said any director would be a welcome addition “as long as they’re willing to work as a group.”
“I’ve let things go that I might not have necessarily agreed with, but felt it was more important for the overall harmony of the board and the collective thinking of how best to move forward,” Parks said. “I find myself doing, probably, a little too much of that, but [Ocean Pines needs] somebody that’s willing to listen to all of the different opinions.
“The one thing I’ve learned and value, quite frankly, is how you can take an issue and put it in front of seven different people and get a number of different interpretations,” Parks continued. “I really do enjoy listening to somebody else’s perspective because it’s a learning experience for me too.”
Parks said he still had a strong desire to serve the community, despite facing several controversial topics during the current board session.
“There’s no guarantee that it’s going to be smooth sailing from day one to the end of your term,” he said. “But despite some of the bumps in the road, it hasn’t given me a sour taste at all. In fact, it’s encouraged me to continue to work.”

Marty Clarke
Two years ago two-term former Director Marty Clarke vowed if Ocean Pines passed a controversial budget that he would not stand for reelection.
Earlier this year, he vowed if the board did pass a controversial budget he would run again.
Clarke, 69, is making good on that promise.
“I think we have a great board, but I don’t think we have any institutional history or perspective of what we’ve done to get where we are. And I don’t want to see us repeat it all again, which Ocean Pines is famous for,” Clarke said. “If you take Dave Stevens out, I have more experience than the balance of them combined.”
Stevens, a three-term director, has said he would not run again. Two directors, Tom Herrick and Cheryl Jacobs, were elected to their first terms in 2015. Four others were either elected or appointed last fall.
The budget passed by that group in February, according to Clarke, was not a budget in the strictest terms.
“I know how to do a budget – I’ve got to spend A, B, C, D. They add up to X, divided by 8,452 [homeowners]. That’s how you do a budget. That’s not what they did,” Clarke said.
Instead, he said the board worked to reverse-engineer the basic annual assessment, $921, set during the previous fiscal year.
“I’m not making this up. I’ve got this face-to-face from the directors and the acting GM,” Clarke said. “And when they were done they had over $600,000 left over, just sitting there to make the $921. So, rather than reduce assessments $77 they just put it in reserves and claimed that they got rid of the legacy fund – yet they still funded three quarters of the legacy fund.”
He said fears of a looming special assessment – one argument for not lowering the assessment – were unfounded because “Ocean Pines can’t have a special assessment” based on its bylaws.
“You could have a huge increase in the budget – welcome to the real world. But that doesn’t give them the right to pile my money up in their 1 percent bank account,” Clarke said.
Clarke also laughed at the notion that Ocean Pines’ reserves were in danger.
“They’re spending money right now like a broken fire hose spewing water – and they can’t dent the reserves,” he said. “As of the last controller’s report we had $6.5 million in cash.”
People in Ocean Pines tend to have a love-hate relationship with Clarke.
His supporters swear by his straightforward approach and many, including interim General Manager Brett Hill, have quoted his facts and figures during public meetings. Clarke keeps binders full of old budgets, monthly financial reports and audited financial statements going back more than a decade.
As for the motivation of his detractors?
“I’m abrupt. Rude. Some people don’t like it,” Clarke said. “It is what it is. I’m not political – enough. I’m not putting my nose up anybody’s [rear end], but I try to play nice in the sandbox.
“If they’re voting for me, they know me, and they know enough to know I’m working for them and not for a special interest group,” he continued. “A lot of times I get accused of doing the will of the nonresidents – well, that would put me in the majority. I’ll take that. That’s a happy burden to bear.”
Clarke said he is running again to bring some institutional history to the board and because he feels a sense of fiduciary duty.
If he loses, he’ll continue to serve as the chair of the bylaws and resolutions committee and continue to attend board meetings and advise anyone – anyone – who will listen on matters related to OPA financials.
If he wins, Clarke said he would double down on maintaining Ocean Pines facilities and work toward closing the yacht club from October to April.
“It’s never made a dime in November, December, January, February, March, April – ever,” Clarke said. “And if I get on the board, they’re either going to start funding roads [depreciation] again, or the newspapers will have a lot to write about,” Clarke said.

The Ocean Pines Association released the following on June 12.

Editor’s note: The Ocean Pines Association Elections Committee said its members did not edit any statements sent by the individual candidates. The only requirement was that each segment be 200 words or less.

Meet the 2017 Ocean Pines Board of Directors Candidates:
In order to help you make your decision in this upcoming Board of Directors election, the Ocean Pines Elections Committee presents the biographies, which were submitted by each of the candidates and answers to three questions presented to the candidates by the Elections Committee. They are presented here in the same order as listed on the ballot. The candidates are…

Colette Horn
35 Sundial Cir.
443-791-7724
 colettehorn@gmail.com
I grew up in small-town Wisconsin, earned my B.A. degree in philosophy and Master’s degree in Educational Psychology at Milwaukee’s Marquette University where I met my husband, Jerry, a Ph.D. student and native of Harford County, Maryland.  We moved to California where I earned my Ph.D. degree in Psychology at University of Southern California.  
In 1985 Jerry and I first incorporated our private psychology practice for which I still provide clinical and administrative services. We moved to Jerry’s home town in Maryland in 1992 after our two daughters were born and have been Marylanders ever since.  I am now semi-retired after 22 years as a school psychologist in Harford County where we now live part-time.
We moved to Ocean Pines in 2009.  I love the beauty of the Eastern Shore’s cooler months; exploring the waterways of the local area in our kayaks and pontoon throughout boating season; and taking our Labradoodle, Jack, on long walks. A lover of books, I recently added book-shelving for the OP library to my volunteer activities, which have also included Board governance for a non-profit organization, directing the Religious Education Program for my church, and serving on inter-agency committees addressing needs of the mentally ill.

Nicole Schafer Crosariol
747 Ocean Pkwy.
443-523-0333
Lularoe.nicoleelizabeth@gmail.com
As a lifelong resident of the eastern shore and Ocean Pines community I have cultivated relationships and memories that are immeasurable to my family and I.  
The Ocean Pines community has given so much to me over the years from employment at its clubs to business opportunities and most notably my home.  As a multi-year homeowner and local business owner.  I am seeking to serve on a board that wants to promote a vision for our community and will encourage first time home buyers to want to live here, not be scared that their home and livelihood will be scrutinized.
The amenities in the community need to be self-sustaining and consistent, not a financial burden on the community.  Ocean Pines needs real leadership, not nepotism and back channels to guide and delegate the departments.  My value as a board member will be my tireless work ethic, unwavering principles, and my ability to succeed at difficult tasks.  All in all, my ultimate goal is to promote the community and its amenities as the quintessential standard for the eastern shore beach lifestyle that our western Maryland brethren are envious of.

Doug Parks
16 Sailors Way
703-598-8736
dparks69@gmail.com
My wife Stevie and I have lived in Ocean Pines since 2007.  Currently serving as a director on the board for the past year, I have contributed to several significant accomplishments during that time.  Among them are the renovation of the Beach Club, the renovation of the golf course clubhouse and the completion of bridge repairs on Ocean Parkway and Clubhouse Drive.  I was a strong supporter of the approach to renovate rather than replace these amenities in order to prevent several million dollars in expenses and avoid an increased financial burden on the OPA membership.
I also created the Technology Work Group to assess and address the existing problematic issues with the systems used to conduct Association business.  The nine volunteers from our membership have been actively working with OPA leadership and staff and are currently moving forward with proposed solutions for critical financial systems.   
My desire is to continue the work I have started as a current board director and promote a level of continuity on the board for the upcoming year.  I ask for your consideration to support me with your vote so I can continue to serve the Ocean Pines Association.

Martin Clarke
855 Ocean Parkway
410-641-6969
calibanrealty@mchsi.com
I have been a member of Ocean Pines Association, Inc. since 1977, and a full time resident since 1992.  My wife and I raised our family and conducted our successful real estate and construction business in Ocean Pines for over 30 years.  
I have served on the following O P Advisory committees: Clubs; Ocean Pines Demographic Study; Budget & Finance; By-Laws & Resolutions; Environmental & Natural Assets. I have also served on community based committees which include the Worcester County Waste Water Task Force; S. T. O. P. (Stop Taxing Ocean Pines); and the OPA Marina Group.
I was elected to serve as a director for our Association (2007-2010) and (2012-2015). I also served as President of the Pines Point Marina Condominium. I am a member of Saint John Neumann Church; the American Legion; a life member of the V. F. W. and the Worcester Veterans Memorial; and a Sponsor of Worcester County Ducks Unlimited.
If elected to the Board of Directors it will be my goal to promote a conservative zero based budget incorporating reasonable reserves and encourage sound, common sense business practices at our amenities.

Describe your thoughts about OPA finances.  What do you think is going well and what needs to change?

Colette Horn:
Our most recent audited financial statements (fiscal year 2016) reflect strong cash flows covering operating expenses and capital expenditures.  The unaudited financial statements for fiscal 2017, however, reflect an operating deficit of $273,000, almost entirely due to poor performance at the Yacht Club.  Going forward, we must examine factors contributing to this and search for remedies.
Our threshold for Board spending without referendum at $1.7 million should be looked at in light of future asset repair and replacement needs to assure members that responsible spending will prevail. Our priorities must be to update the Reserve Study using current numbers and projected needs, taking into account inflation, and ensure fair allocation to members.  The discovery of sink holes and worm-infested bulkheads points to the reality of unexpected and costly capital improvement needs.
The recent introduction of an unbudgeted 20 percent member discount for food and beverage venues seems questionable.  This action substantially reduces our food and beverage margins. To make up this difference, we will need to dramatically increase our business to remain net revenue neutral.  It would have been more prudent to allow the Board to consider potential impact to costs of sales and operations before finalizing the budget.  

Nicole Schafer Crosariol:
I am an amazing team player. During my six-year employment at Powerhouse Gym and Beach Bounce, I collaborated and worked with over 200 employees, from nine different departments and four physical locations.  While collaborating from the head of each department, we were able to not only accomplish, but exceed what was expected across the board.  
Currently, I work with an amazing group of women who all own their own retail LuLaRoe businesses. We all use our strengths to execute creative ideas and strive to not only grow our businesses, but to branch out and support the whole small business community.
In any great team, you need each member to bring their knowledge and expertise to the table to accomplish a common goal. I bring a unique background, and would make decisions based on what everyone needs. I listen, and will help bring innovative ideas that would help benefit us all.

Douglas Parks:
While the annual assessment is very reasonable as compared to association fees in the surrounding areas, consideration should always be given to avoid increases, and if possible, reduce the annual fee for OPA property owners.  
This year’s budget is a good example of missing an opportunity to reduce the assessment, as the budget was based on the previous year’s assessment fee, rather than approaching it from a zero-based revenue/expense perspective.  For the record, I voted against the adoption of the budget for this and several other reasons.  
On a positive note, I do need to point out that over 98 percent of the assessment fees have been collected from the membership, which is above the national average for associations and similar organizations.
The Board and General Manager need to continue to work closely with the Budget and Finance advisory committee in preparing next fiscal year budget.  Given the recent successful renovation of the Beach Club and golf course clubhouse, the demand for contributing to the “reserve” fund is greatly reduced and consideration should be given to passing the savings to OPA property owners by reducing the annual assessment.      

Martin Clarke:
Ocean Pines is in a sound financial position. We benefit from an excellent Fire and Police Department. Our Public works, administrative and recreational staff are dedicated professionals. We have a potent balance in our maintenance and replacement reserves which currently exceeds well over $7 million.  
Under the leadership of our current board much of our long neglected and deferred maintenance has been achieved. The renovation of our Country Club, new Manklin Meadows playground and pickle ball courts, new Beach Club bath rooms, as well as the mandatory repair of two major bridges has been accomplished.
The long overdue renovations to the administration building and police department have been approved in the recently finalized budget for completion within the next 12 months. We owe this board our sincere thanks and appreciation.
With this in mind, when our new General Manager prepares next year’s budget he should only fund the required depreciation and decrease the additional amounts we have continually been adding to our reserves under the five year funding plan. This strategy is no longer necessary, and by its elimination, we can easily reduce our membership’s assessments by more than $75 a year.

Describe your thoughts on OPA amenities. What is going well and what needs to change?

Colette Horn:
Support of the amenities adds to the financial value of our homes.  Acknowledging years of support by long-term residents, we should look at a “legacy member assessment discount” option.
The audited financial statements reflect a significant overall amenity operating profit for fiscal 2016.  The unaudited financials for 2017 reflect a substantially lower profit (40 percent) than the prior year.  The Yacht Club poor performance represented 70 percent of that decrease.  
It was the amenity with the largest variance from budget, with a loss of $229,000 vs. a budgeted profit of $34,000.  One may expect that renovations of meeting and banquet space and enlargement of the Tern Grille at the Golf Club will position us for additional net revenue increases.  Factors accounting for Food & Beverage operating losses this past year will need to be examined carefully and remedied going forward.
The Yacht Club is plagued by chronic complaints of poor food/beverage product and service quality.  It is yet to be seen whether the 20 percent discount and recent personnel shake-up will exacerbate this or solve it. Increased stability in staffing and better management are critical to increased event bookings and greater overall customer satisfaction, which should boost revenues and improve financial performance.

Nicole Schafer Crosariol:
My vision for Ocean Pines is to be an attractive and affordable place to live. This is a community we all call home, now we need to treat it as such.  Updating rotting signs and making all amenities equality desirable for our full and part timers.  Investing a little is essential if we want residents to support it.  
As we gather to these amenities that were built for us, we engage and meet so many residents/friends, and isn’t that what makes a great community anyway?  As the amenities thrive, I would like to explore ways to take financial burden off of home owners, both in memberships and annual assessments.  

Douglas Parks:
Resolution M-02 specifically states that the amenities should be run in a business-like manner and fee-based amenities should be managed to cover, at a minimum, operating costs through fees and operating revenues.  I am a proponent of making an honest attempt to operate our beautiful amenities in a sensible manner.  
For the most part, our amenities are run in reasonable compliance with M-02.  The Beach Club and the five pools managed by the Association are prime examples of this compliance.
However, one obvious problem is the Cove at Mumford’s (formerly the Yacht Club).  Over the years, despite the various changes in business strategy, the amenity continues to lose money, especially in the off-season months.  
Even with the quality, and quite frankly marvelous, effort the acting General Manager and his team put forth to reinvigorate the building and business management of the Cove, we still showed significant operating losses during these off-season months.  In my opinion, if that level of effort and creativity, didn’t produce the desired results, its proof enough that we need to close down the operation during the off-season as a prudent business decision and am very interested in what OPA members think of that approach.

Martin Clarke:
Ocean Pines has always enjoyed the finest amenities of any community on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Every property owner pays for the cost of these amenities as part of their yearly assessment. The board of directors is charged to operate the business amenities in a “businesslike manner.” We should also operate them in the best interest of the majority of our fellow property owners.
We are clearly not operating the new $5 million Yacht Club in a “businesslike manner.” This is obvious to anyone who looks at the numbers, and I do. In the first three years the new facility lost over $880,000 in the off-season.
This loss addresses operational loss and does not include the very expensive depreciation costs also funded by our assessment dollars. Let me please ask you, if this was your personal business enterprise, would you stay open in the off season to lose $300,000 a year? I didn’t think so, and, neither should we. Next year’s board must make the only sensible business decision in the best interest of our membership and close this facility in the off season. This would result in a savings of $30 from our yearly assessment.

Describe what you feel you would bring to the OPA BOD.

Colette Horn:
I have a Ph.D. in psychology with expertise in data analysis and research as well as clinical practice. For 30 years I have been President and Chief Financial Officer for the psychology business I own with my husband.  I have experience with board governance in the non-profit sector.  I am a published researcher with university teaching experience.
I have the skills and knowledge to represent the financial interests of the membership and to collaborate with other Directors in steering the Board toward sensible decision-making and responsible spending based on faithful adherence to our governing documents and sound business practices.  
My skills also support the Board’s need for careful study of the priorities of the members and the characteristics of our community and its amenities, and to use this information to guide decision-making, I am semi-retired, and live part-time in Harford County, Maryland which will bring to the Board the perspective of a resident who maintains property value in two places.
My training and experience prepared me to see problems and issues objectively from various points of view, which will allow me to represent the interests and needs of both full-time and part-time resident-owners.  
Nicole Schafer Crosariol:
I bring new perceptive to the board. Growing up here, this community has been my childhood and soon to be, my children’s home. I have many heartwarming memories of the beach club, recreation activities and pool days with my family.  
Making essential structural updates will ensure constant growth and please all demographics.  Not just current residents, but for future generations to come. With my extensive marketing background and business management (including my own), I can assist in being fiscally responsible for budgeting.  
Eager to hear of a new General Manger coming in the near future, I am confident the current board members will hire a great leader to fill some very big shoes.  The opportunity to work and oversee the productivity with the current board members, will keep the Operation management accountable and amenities sustainable at the very least.

Douglas Parks:
I bring over 30 years of executive leadership from a successful career in leading information technology for several prominent organizations, including the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Pew Charitable Trusts.  More importantly, as a current member of the Board of Directors, I bring a valuable level of experience that can only be gained by serving the Association on its Board.
I also bring to the table a demonstrated commitment in building a collaborative relationship among the members of the board, so that varying opinions on important topics can be shared openly and candidly, with the intent of reaching consensus on a solution or course of action.  Over this past year, we, as a board have shared a number of successes, while at the same time have faced several challenges.  
One of my focus areas is to continue to work with my fellow directors to address the challenges ahead and serve in the best interest of the OPA and its members, and I ask for your consideration as you cast your vote in the upcoming election.

Martin Clarke:
As a successful local resort businessman operating in Ocean Pines for 30 plus years I try to look at every penny of every assessment like it was my money. Over the past 20 years my due diligence and commitment to Ocean Pines has saved the membership a great deal of money.
I have served Ocean Pines as a director and as a committee member for longer than the combined tenure of the entire sitting board. I understand the financial reports and I am the only candidate with a long history of service that brings with it an understanding of our operations and finances.
I promise to work in your best interests and that of Ocean Pines. I would appreciate your vote.