OCEAN PINES – Three new directors will take a seat on the Ocean Pines board following last week’s election.Bottom of Form
Following a ballot count last Thursday, the Ocean Pines Association announced candidates Steve Jacobs, Stuart Lakernick and Monica Rakowski as the top vote-getters in this year’s board election.
Steve Jacobs
Jacobs received 1,867 votes, Lakernick received 1,802 votes and Rakowski received 1,603 votes. Rounding out the race, candidates Amy Peck received 1,451 votes, Josette Wheatley received 1,303 votes and Paula Gray received 1,027 votes.
“Congratulations to the new directors – now the work begins,” President Colette Horn said in last week’s annual meeting. “I look forward to working with all of you.”
This year, six candidates vied for three seats held by Peck, Wheatley and outgoing Director Larry Perrone. The winners of this year’s election will serve until 2025.
In an interview last week, Jacobs said he was eager to begin his work on the board.
“I’m happy to have won …,” he said. “I look forward to it, and I’m ready to get going. They are all good people, and I’m looking forward to working with them. It will be fun.”
Lakernick, a three-time board candidate, also thanked the community for their support.
Stuart Lakernick
“First of all, I want to thank the community for this wonderful opportunity,” he said in a statement. “I will work hard to keep us fiscally responsible and listening to the community’s needs. Working together as a team is essential. Regardless of this or any past election.”
He continued, “Transparency is an issue that has to be improved. Communications between the board and the public have to get better. I look forward to hearing from members of our community regarding their thoughts and issues. The board of directors now and in the future must govern and make decisions based on the community’s needs, not personal agendas or vendettas. To be honest with you, I was going to run next year after spending a year on a committee, however after being denied twice for no true reason, I made the decision to run now. Thank you again to everyone who trusted me.”
For her part, Wheatley thanked Ocean Pines residents for their participation in the election process.
“I want to thank my fellow residents of Ocean Pines for voting in our recent election,” she said in a statement. “I am immensely grateful to my family, friends, and loyal supporters who so generously contributed their time and effort to my campaign for Ocean Pines Board of Directors.”
Monica Rakowski
She continued, “Although I did not win a place on the board, I am deeply moved by the expression of confidence from so many homeowners. I will continue to support our community through volunteerism. Ocean Pines is a wonderful community and I’m proud to be a member of the association.”
Rakowski, Peck, and Gray did not immediately return requests for comment this week.
The announcement of election results last week followed a six-hour ballot count last Thursday and a weeks-long hybrid voting process in which association members were given the option between traditional paper ballots and online voting. The three new members officially joined the Ocean Pines Board of Directors on Saturday, following the validation of voting results at the annual meeting.