Five residents throw their hats in the ring
Posted February 11, 2013 at 3:45 PM, Filed Under: BCA News, Front Page, Village MillBy Wendy Parker
Managing Editor
Five Brandermill residents are vying for one of three seats on the BCA Board that will be vacated by President Dick Guthrie, Director Jason Livingston and Director Joyce Rowe in April.
All association members are encouraged to attend Meet the Candidates Night to ask questions and hear what candidates have to say. Sponsored by the Neighborhood Residents Council, the event will take place at Brandermill Woods on Tuesday, March 12 beginning at 7 p.m.
As always, the tax referendum will be on the ballot, and approval of the referendum?a yes vote?will prevent the association from being taxed by the IRS on any surplus revenue. Proxy/ballots along with candidate profiles will be mailed to association members in March. The annual meeting will take place at Brandermill Woods on Monday, April 15 at 7 p.m. The top three vote-getters in the annual election will serve three-year terms. For more information, please call the BCA office at 744-1035.
Meet the Candidates
Donald E. Blom
Biographical sketch
A resident of Brandermill since 2008. Lives with his wife Sherry in Promontory Pointe. Employment: Retired. Formerly with National School Boards Association, associate executive director; Kiwanis International – Key Club International, assistant director. Education: University of Illinois, B.A. in sociology; Ball State University, graduate study in sociology. Military United States Army, clinical psychology/social work specialist, Ft. Sam Houston, Texas.
Community service & memberships
Brandermill Region Men’s Club, president; BCA Finance Committee, member; Neighborhood Residents Council, member; Cub Scouts, den leader; Brandermill Country Club, member; active in Woodlake United Methodist Church.
Areas of experiences & expertise
A career in association management has provided me with the sensitivity and skills that are needed to serve effectively on the BCA Board. My duties at the National School Boards Association included senior staff responsibility for budgeting and financial planning, strategic and long-range planning, publishing and marketing. My service on the BCA Finance Committee has afforded me a working knowledge of Brandermill’s finances. My leadership in the Brandermill Region Men’s Club and my role as a parent and grandparent of Brandermill residents combine to give me a perspective on the issues important to Brandermill residents of all ages.
Reason for running
I wish to serve the community as a BCA Board Director because I am aware of the issues facing Brandermill in the immediate future and believe I am well prepared to make a positive contribution as a BCA Director to help maintain Brandermill as a community that is viewed as a very good place to live by current residents and as a desirable place to settle by newcomers to our area.
Community interests
Careful management of Brandermill’s financial resources and continued implementation of the Brandermill Master Plan are priorities. As the BCA develops a marketing plan to attract more young families to Brandermill, it is important that the elements of the master plan that will be most attractive to young families be given the highest priority. The Brandermill pools need to be more accessible to Brandermill residents. The current fee structure makes the pools inaccessible to many residents and especially to young families. Given that all Brandermill residents are supporting the pool costs through their homeowner fees, I favor a plan that combines a lower fee structure with additional days when the pools are open to all Brandermill residents.
Thomas D. Leonard
Biographical sketch
A resident of Brandermill since 1981. Lives in Fox Chase with his wife Joan. Employment: Retired. Formerly with Dominion Virginia Power, director; Cleveland Cliffs, Inc., assistant manager; Pennsylvania Railroad, various positions. Education: John Carrol University, B.S. in business administration and MBA; Michigan University Public Utility Executive Program. Military: U. S. Army Sargent, 3 years.
Community service & memberships
American Society of Transportation and Logistics; Association of Transportation Practitioners; National Association of Fleet Administrators.
Areas of experiences & expertise
Cleveland Traffic Club Board of Directors; Cleveland Transportation Club Board of Directors; American Gas Association, chairman; Edison Electric Institute Vehicle Regulation & Safety subcommittee, member; State of Virginia Ad Hoc Committee on Vehicle Emissions, member.
Reason for running
I want to ensure that all homeowners and commercial establishments have all the facts and full input on issues affecting them personally and the community as a whole, so that the board can make prudent decisions.
Community interests
Facilities, amenities, personnel and the master plan.
Robert J. Malek
Biographical sketch
A resident of Brandermill since 1980. Lives in Regatta Pointe with his wife Judy. Employment: Retired. Formerly with Mallinckrodt Medical, Inc. in sales and sales management. Education: C. W. Post College, B.S. in business administration.
Community service & memberships
Volunteer for Stand Up and Play, an organization affiliated with Sheltering Arms Hospital which allows paralyzed or disabled individuals the opportunity to play golf with the help of a unique cart; Brandermill Senior Men’s Golf Association, tournament chairman; Epiphany Catholic Church, member. Formerly: Little League Baseball, coach; Brandermill Swim Team, volunteer official; Brandermill Country Club Advisory Board, member.
Areas of experiences & expertise
Organized a grassroots community effort involving dozens of property owners to oppose an unnecessary Shoreline Buffer Policy proposed by a previous BCA Board that would have had a negative impact on property values. The result was a policy that protected property rights and values and the water quality of Swift Creek Reservoir.
Chairman of Reservoir Hydrilla Management Group (RHMG) established by Chesterfield County and consisting of representatives of all communities fronting Swift Creek Reservoir to study and make recommendations to control hydrilla that threatened to destroy the natural beauty, recreational use, and potentially creating additional issues with our water supply. RHMG recommendations adopted by Chesterfield County led to the near elimination of hydrilla in less than two years.
Reason for running
I wish to serve the community as a BCA Board Director because I believe Brandermill is at a crossroads. Our community is aging and unless the BCA establishes as a priority the continual improving of the overall appearance of our community, we risk a serious and continuing deterioration of our property values. We need to make sure our assessments are being best utilized to make the improvements that are needed.
Community interests
My major areas of community interest are: preserving and improving the amenities that make Brandermill a unique community: common areas on the parkways, neighborhood roads and cul-de-sac islands as well as parks, especially Sunday Park; improving our relationship with Brandermill Country Club which, along with the Swift Creek Reservoir, is one of the best selling points we have.
Robert A. Strickland
Biographical sketch
A resident of Brandermill since July 1994. Lives in Oak Springs with his wife Connie.
Employment: Honeywell International Inc. since May 1985, operations manager. Previous positions: sales, product management, procurement, operations and businesss transformation. Education: B.S. in agricultural economics.
Community service & memberships
Past Commissioner of the Port of Richmond Commission; past member of BCA Neighborhood Residents Council, holding the office of 1st Vice President; past member on the BCA Community Character Committee.
Areas of experiences & expertise
Held successful leadership roles in sales, product management, procurement and operations with a major corporation for the past 28 years. I have had direct and indirect responsibility for over 100 employees in achieving business and operational goals. My fiscal responsibility includes managing an annual multi-million dollar operational budget. These diverse experiences and the associated learned expertise in these roles directly apply to the challenges and complexity of decisions that are required as a director of the Brandermill community.
Reason for running
The community offers many amenities that have attracted many generations to our community. We need to ensure that our community’s offerings continue to support a thriving family-minded community. We need to strengthen our commitment to maintaining the standards set for each of our neighborhoods. We need to find ways to connect with the neighborhoods in reinvigorating the pride that can carry from neighbor to neighbor and from neighborhood to neighborhood. At the root of our community’s challenges are being fiscally responsible and making financial decisions that balance short-term needs while fulfilling the longer-term requirements of sustaining a thriving community. I believe I can help in managing these conflicting priorities.
Community interests
Ensuring a thriving community for our future generations; reinforcing the standards for our neighborhoods; and ensuring our neighborhoods remain safe.
Brett A. Vassey
Biographical sketch
A Brandermill resident since 2004. Lives in Harbour Ridge with his wife Christina. Employment: Virginia Manufacturers Association, president and CEO. Formerly with Virginia Department of Business Assistance, Central Virginia manager; Virginia Economic Development Partnership, International Information Center manager. Education: University of Kansas, B.A.; Virginia Tech, M.P.A.
Community service & memberships
Chesterfield Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, member; Conference of State Manufacturers Associations, member; National Association of Manufacturers Public Affairs Steering Committee, member; Woodlake United Methodist Church, member.
Areas of experiences & expertise
Personal understanding of the challenges of running a successful and diverse association; background in economic development at the state and local levels; existing relationships at the local, regional and state levels to assist with community development.
Reasons for running
The Brandermill community is an unmatched resource that can become a gold standard for communities due to its unique assets and citizens.
Community interests
Community development and property values; commercial business engagement; community resource development; public transparency and communication.