BERLIN – Seven Ocean Pines residents have filed to run for the two seats available on the homeowner’s association’s board of directors.
Ocean Pines Association officials announced this week that candidates for the board in this summer’s election included Thomas Herrick, Cheryl Jacobs, Carol Ludwig, Terri Mohr, Slobodan Trendic, Ray Unger and Bill Zawacki.
“We were pleased with the fact that we were able to get seven candidates and we were really pleased with the diversity associated with those candidates,” said Martin Baer, chairman of community’s search committee.
Baer’s committee, which was charged with ensuring there were at least two candidates for each of the two available seats on the board, spent the spring searching for interested candidates. The committee hosted public meetings and approached community groups to share information about the board of directors and the upcoming election, in which the seats currently occupied by Martin Clarke and Sharyn O’Hare will be vacated.
“I’d like to think we did a comprehensive job,” Baer said. “Next year we’ll try to build on that.”
Baer said he was happy to see so many Ocean Pines residents interested in serving their community. He pointed out that the list of candidates included four men and three women. Three of the candidates — Mohr, Unger and Zawacki — are former board members.
Zawacki, who served on the board from 2006 to 2009 and spent part of that time as president, said he decided to run again simply to serve his community.
“I don’t know that there was any particular thing other than wanting to do what I can to help the community,” he said when asked what prompted him to file as a candidate. “I don’t guess I’m that much different of a person now than I was then.”
Pines residents will have a chance to meet the candidates at a forum scheduled for June 24. Ballots will be mailed to residents July 7 and will have to be returned by Aug. 6. Election results will be announced at the association’s annual meeting on Aug. 8.