OCEAN PINES – Board members last week appointed Director Doug Parks as the association’s next president.
During an organization meeting held last Thursday, the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors selected its officers for the coming year.
Following unanimous votes, the board elected Parks to serve as president, Director Rick Farr to serve as vice president, Director Stuart Lakernick to serve as secretary and Director Monica Rakowski to serve as treasurer. Parks will replace Director Colette Horn, who has served in the role since January.
The board this week also made appointments for the positions of assistant secretary, assistant treasurer, legal counsel, auditor and parliamentarian.
“In the past, we have gone through this exercise,” Parks said. “In some cases, we have been able to address the issue and get the individual involved right away. In other cases, we wouldn’t have the individuals available and would have to pursue them beyond this meeting.”
The board last week voted to appoint Senior Executive Office Manager Linda Martin as assistant secretary and Finance Director Steve Phillips as assistant treasurer.
“Traditionally, that position has been held by the director of finance for the association,” Parks said. “I’m offering to my colleagues for consideration that we continue that and ask that Steve Phillips be appointed assistant treasurer.”
Directors last week also agreed to keep Lerch, Early & Brewer as the association’s legal counsel and UHY, LLC as its auditing firm. The board also agreed to have legal counsel serve as parliamentarian.
“Traditionally this is an area where we have, in the past, used our general counsel as parliamentarian …,” Parks said. “Perhaps we can have an ancillary discussion on whether or not we want to pursue another individual within the association to see if they have any interest in being parliamentarian.”
Lastly, board members last Thursday agreed to schedule its board meetings for the third Saturday of each month, but not without some discussion on community participation and the need to schedule meetings at times that are most convenient for association members.
Farr and Lakernick said they preferred meetings to be held on Saturdays, outside of working hours. Director Steve Jacobs, however, suggested alternating meetings between Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons.
“My suggestion would be to alternate,” he said. “The first month would be on a Saturday and the next month it would be on a Wednesday, or whatever other day someone wants to pick. I think that way we can get a pretty good read as to attendance, burden on staff and other issues.”
Horn agreed, noting that Saturday meetings required association staff to attend outside of working hours.
“Saturday morning is not a real popular time for staff, but it’s not really a popular time for the membership either,” she said. “The most popular time has really been the hybrid workday meeting. I would propose sticking to the workday, midday meeting and take advantage of the hybrid opportunity, or go with Steve’s recommendation of alternating between a work day lunch meeting and a Saturday morning meeting.”
Parks, however, said he preferred Saturday meetings.
“I do question the need for the amount of staff we need to run this meeting …,” he said. “Let’s make a decision tonight with the idea that if it becomes too burdensome on the staff, and the general manager expresses concern, I will certainly reevaluate and go back to the board.”
After further discussion, the board voted to hold its meetings on the third Saturday of each month, beginning at 9 a.m. The board’s September meeting, however, will be held on Sept. 24, the fourth Saturday of the month. A full list of meeting dates are available at oceanpines.org.
