Vote for Val

Thank you!

2011-06-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who supported me in today's election. The vote was:

Cliff Altschull - 836
Joy Bauserman - 658
Leighton Cumming - 492
Burt Marks - 376
Valerie Palamountain - 672
Ida Swenson - 529

The winners are Cliff, Val and Joy. Thank you for your support!

Micro Management

2011-06-08T18:34:00.000-07:00

The following was sent to all BOD candidates on assigning a slip for a pontoon.

I HAVE BEEN ON THE WAIT LIST FOR MONOHULL BOATS AT LAKE MONTICELLO FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS AND THERE APPEARS TO BE NO RELIEF IN THE NEAR FUTURE. AS OF THIS WRITING (6/8/11)

50% OF THE BOAT SLIPS AT THE MARINA ARE VACANT, RIGHT IN THE HEIGHT OF THE BOATING SEASON.

MY DISCUSSIONS WITH GARY HANIFAN, MARINA MANAGER GET NOWHERE. HE TELLS ME THAT HIS HANDS ARE TIED BY THE MARINA POLICY AND THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. HE HAS NAMES YELLOWED OUT ON HIS COMPUTER WAITING FOR A REPLY AS TO WHETHER THOSE INDIVIDUALS WANT A SLIP. MR. HANIFAN CONTENDS THAT POLICY PREVENTS HIM FROM EITHER REMOVING OR PLACING THESE NAMES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WAIT LIST EVEN THOUGH HE HAS SPENT OVER 30 DAYS TRYING TO GET A RESPONSE.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU HAVE A WAITING LIST FOR THESE SLIPS.

THE BOARD SHOULD STOP MICRO MANAGING. YOU HIRED A COMPETENT MAN TO MANAGE THE MARINA, LET HIM DO IT.

Val's Response:

I agree.

We have hired professionals. Let them do their jobs. Please see my blog posting of May 27, 2011: The paid staff are the professionals. We need to rely on them to do their jobs. The Board's responsibility is to make sure that the paid professionals are doing their jobs.

During the Candidates Forum on May 19th, I recommended an on-going audit of the LMOA rules. This problem of securing a boat slip is evidence of rules that are no longer serving the community. If the rules are wrong, then let's change them to serve the community.

Your knowledge and experience are needed to audit the marina rules. I hope you will volunteer to audit the rules after the new Board is elected.

Annual fee for gate access

2011-06-08T17:38:00.000-07:00

The BOD candidates received the following email:

"My friends and I have been frustrated about the inability of the Board to increase annual dues without the vote of the LMOA members. As we are all well aware, the Lake is in need of additional annual funds and or cost cuts. Cost cuts are, at best, temporary and will not achieve anywhere near the desired amount needed. That leaves additional annual revenue.

As I understand the rules, the Board is able to increase fees without membership approval. What I propose is an annual $30 fee per car for gate access. With an estimated 8,000 cars at $30 per car, this would add approximately $240,000 each and every year.

Please let me know how you would vote for this proposal if you are elected to the Board."

Val's response:
Let's put some numbers on this proposal. When I moved to Lake Monticello in March 2005, I paid $28 for a bar code on my car. In January 2011, I purchased a new car. That means that I paid $28 for a total of 5 years and 10 months (total of 70 months) to use the automatic gate. That is 40 cents/month or less than 2 cents per day. I use the gate every day. I got the deal of the century.

Guests pay $35 per year for a bar code($2.91/month or 10 cents a day), and must purchase a new bar code each year.

Bottom line: Our bar code rates are way too low.

At the same time, the proposal to have an annual bar code fee is essentially a dues increase since it only affects the residents. According to the bylaws, which we all signed when we became members, residents must approve dues increases. Imposing a dues increase but calling it a "bar code fee" is misleading.

An annual bar code will also incur expenses. Someone needs to collect the fee. Someone needs to affix the new bar code on the car. Someone has to "expire" the old bar codes. What will be the impact on the Main and Turkey Sag gates if residents, who chose not to purchase a bar code, overload those entrances? A $30/car fee may be reduced to $10/car or less effective fee. Let's think this through before making any reactionary decisions.

My proposal is:
1. The proposal to implement an annual bar code should be explored but not as a hidden dues increase. Perhaps our annual fee for guest bar codes is too low. If so, let's raise it. Perhaps we sell a 3-year bar code for $100 for all new residents and "grandfather" existing residents. There are lots of options to explore.
2. There are ways to increase revenue without increasing dues. Let's explore them first. One idea is my proposal to make the golf course profitable. Please see my proposal below.
3. We know that there are inefficiencies within LMOA. We know that technology can be implemented that will reduce costs. Let's bring LMOA into the 21st century, introduce proven and effective technologies and eliminate old inefficiencies. Please see my example for the Friday Flyer below.
4. What are our expenses? Let's assess them and cut out waste.

Deer Control Issue

2011-05-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

One concerned resident asked for the candidates' positions on deer control.

The Wildlife Management Committee published the White Tail Deer of Lake Monticello Report in December 2008, which is posted on the LMOA website at http://www.lmoa.org/library/Reports/200812%20WMC%20Deer%20Report.pdf. Below are the Committee's unanimous recommendations, which appear on pages 26-27 in the report. My comments are in red.

Unanimous WMC Recommendations:

The WMC, with funding from the LMOA BOD should initiate a prevention and wildlife education program as soon as possible. To include: educational brochures on how best to minimize damage and health concerns; LMOA web site suggestions on prevention strategies and resources; handouts for prospective residents outlining our current deer policies; educational presentations to Lake groups and organizations. The WMC has extensive prevention and education information that can be shared with community members and will continue to research proven prevention strategies. These items have been completed by the Committee. The WMC offered educational programs on gardening with wildlife, gardening to attract birds, as well as programs on lethal deer culling and deer contraception. I have been the chair of the WMC since October 2008. Much of this work was done during my tenure as chair.
The WMC, with LMOA support, should arrange for a professional presentation on up to date prevention and education approaches. Presentations have been offered each year for the past two years while I was chair of the Committee.
The WMC in conjunction with the VDGIF should do annual deer counts and evaluation of the health of our deer herd. The new LMOA form being used to collect statistics on dead deer found in our community can also assist us in assessing the health of our deer herd. Deer counts have been done on an inconsistent basis. A standard methodology needs to be identified and adopted. In addition, a team of trained volunteers needs to be recruited for annual deer counts. Dead deer found in our community are reported to the Lake police. If there is any question about the cause of death, wildlife professionals are notified.
The LMOA BOD should share this WMC Deer Report with the community, posting it on our web site and making it available in the reading file. The WMC Deer Report is on the LMOA website.
The WMC should do a presentation to the BOD on the outcomes of our study and to answer board and/or resident questions about our study and research efforts. The WMC chair will do the presentation. The WMC Deer Report was presented by the former chair in December 2008.
The LMOA BOD should do a community survey to solicit and quantify community sentiment on the killing of deer in our community before any such action is taken. The WMC recommends that LMOA consult with experts in the field of community surveys to insure that a survey is done in a professional and effective manner. One of the members of the WMC has an account with a web based survey organization, Survey Monkey, and an internet community survey, reaching a majority of our residents, could be done at no cost to the community. The VDGIF has shared a parent survey they have used. Instead of conducting a community survey, the Board in 2010 established two Ad Hoc Committees: one to investigate lethal culling methods and the second to investigate deer contraception. I serve on the Ad Hoc Committee for lethal culling, and have reported to the chair of the committee on the effectiveness of lethal methods, specifically bow hunting, that have been used in other communities.
Before any deer reduction is undertaken, specific goals, methods, costs, and measures of success of a proposed deer reduction program should be developed in collaboration with the VDGIF. The Board has taken no action to develop a deer management plan.

The community survey and the deer management plan are the two most critical recommendations of the WMC for two reasons:

Deer management is an economic issue. Given the existing costs to maintaining Lake Monticello assets, are the residents willing to allocate funds for lethal culling or contraception? If yes, will the members support a dues increase for this purpose?
The community needs to define deer management plan. Education needs to be at the core of the plan. Under my leadership, the Wildlife Committee offered several programs on living with wildlife. These programs were inexpensive and had excellent attendance. Also under my leadership, the Wildlife Committee was successful in changing the fencing policy. What additional measures can be taken that are acceptable to all members and fit within our budget?

It is time for the Board to be pro-active in hearing from the residents on this issue, and solicit the opinions of everyone.

Waste Disposal Plan

2011-05-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

One concerned resident sent an email about the cost of bulk and hazardous waste disposal.

At issue is the need for a waste management plan that includes bulk and hazardous waste, organic (leaf) disposal/composting, and household waste.

The waste management plan needs to be developed by the professional staff. The place to start is by surveying the maintenance and security personnl on the current problems:

How much time is spent per week by LMOA personnel removing unacceptable items from the bulk trash collection bins and the leaf disposal site?
Are unacceptable items stored on location? If yes, where?
Is the LMOA staff responsible for disposing of them properly?

All of the above items need to be documented and tracked on a regular basis.

Step 2 is to develop a waste management plan that includes bulk trash, hazardous material, organic waste, and stream and dredging spoils. The plan would include:

What are the costs to dispose the waste?
What are the personnel requirements?
How is proper disposal enforced?
Does LMOA need to contract with another vendor to remove the additional waste?

Step 3 is to monitor the waste management plan:

Is the waste management plan effective?
What improvements can be made to the waste management plan?

The Board's responsibilities are:

1. To make sure there is a waste management plan in place.

2. That it is being monitored.

3. That it is effective.

4. That unacceptable waste is not left at the sites.
5. That any contractual relationships that need to be made follow LMOA's business processes.

6. That LMOA is being conscientious about the environment.

Board Duties/Staff Duties

2011-05-27T19:23:00.000-07:00

Email from a concerned resident:

While walking my dogs down at Tufton today I witnessed one individual throw away a lawn mower, two weed whackers, and couple of large 5 gallon cans that appeared to have material in them into one of the dumpsters. Within minutes another individual unloaded a very large cardboard appliance box, Styrofoam coolers and other household trash that could easily have been broken down and put into the totes we use at our residences. I'm certain many of the residents don't read or care to adhere to the LMOA guidelines for what can or cannot be placed into the Dumpsters:

"SPRING CLEANUP DUMPSTERS will be available from 12N on Mon., May 16, through May 30, at Tufton Lake for residents' personal use to dispose of household items too large for their trash cart. Restrictions apply : no construction debris, yard and garden debris, household chemicals, tires, batteries, paint, appliances with coolant, medical waste or regular trash."

Without any form of monitoring taking place onsite, I'm certain our maintenance staff must have to remove those items which may contain oil or other hazardous waste (paints, solvents stale gasoline, etc.) before the dumpsters are removed to be unloaded. I would think if they miss something, the recycling company is going to charge us an additional fee for them to dispose of the item properly. A lot of space is being taken up by items (large boxes Styrofoam) that are not supposed to be put in the dumpsters to begin with, which means the dumpsters must be emptied more frequently, which also drives up cost.

Is it possible to change how we deal with our bulk trash collection? Businesses that specialize in the field of junk removal I'm certain are already equipped with manpower and outlets to turn trash into cash. Van der Linde is a perfect example of this principal but unfortunately we have to bring everything to their facility.

I'm not certain what the dumpster program costs our association but when you add in the manpower for removing unwanted items then our cost to dispose of them properly, maybe there is a better way?

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Val's Response:

Your issue is clearly the responsibility of the staff. The staff needs to oversee bulk trash and hazardous waste. If the current process is not working, then the Board needs to task the staff with the responsibility of investigating alternatives and presenting the best option to the Board for approval.

The paid staff are the professionals. We need to rely on them to do their jobs. The Board's responsibility is to make sure that the paid professionals are doing their jobs.

Ideas to generate revenue for LMOA

2011-05-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

Each week, LMOA publishes the Friday Flyer. Let's say it takes about 4 hours per week for a staff person to put together the Friday Flyer. Then it needs to be copied (8.5x14" paper double sided). Then it needs to be distributed. This happens every week for 52 weeks. A rough estimate would be that the Friday Flyer costs Lake Monticello residents approximately $10,000 per year for staff time, paper, copying, and distribution costs.

One of the other candidates stated that we needed to have "increased children's activities, widely advertised." The Friday Flyer is our communications vehicle for these types of advertisements.

$10,000 is a lot of money to spend on one publication that is recognized as marginally effective.

Here is my idea to turn the Friday Flyer into a profitable, revenue generating business.

Lake Monticello has approximately 12,000 residents who are consumers. Let's email the Friday Flyer to the LMOA members, reducing or eliminating the paper production, and sell banner ads to the business community who would like to reach the consumers at Lake Monticello.

The results? LMOA would collect revenue from the ads. The business community would be able to analyze our interests and buying trends to develop sales and promotions specifically for our needs. And the residents would benefit through savings on our purchases as well as savings on the production of the Friday Flyer. How good is that???

If the Friday Flyer has value to the residents, more of us will read it on a regular basis. More businesses will advertise, and the revenue will increase. The Friday Flyer could become the Monday Flyer and the Tuesday Flyer and the Wednesday Flyer..... You get the idea.

To receive the Friday Flyer by email, the LMOA residents would need to "opt in" and would be able to unsubscribe at any time.

One of the other candidates tried to discredit this idea as "selling" email addresses. Anyone familiar with the law knows that sending unsolicited emails is illegal.

New Business Processes at LMOA

2011-05-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

From a blog follower: First, I admire you for being a candidate. I am also enthused about your comments concerning the need for planning.

Some of your Blog comments are devoted to financial matters and how to raise money. I hope the new board remembers the comments in the recent email titled "LMOA Wake-up". That email focused on the need for LMOA Board study of our Business Management processes. It gave examples of LMOA business decisions which resulted in extra cost and embarrassment for our management team.

I suggest that copying industry management processes offers significant opportunity to reduce our costs. LMOA should make improving the decision and implementation process our Number One priority. Only then can we make informed decisions about whether we really need more revenue.

Do you agree?

Val: Absolutely! Let's look at business processes that work, then modify them to work for LMOA. One business process that LMOA needs to adopt is responsibility and accountability for decision making. Uninformed decisions cost money. There needs to be a system of checks and balances to prevent costly and embarrassing mistakes. Let's change the process to give the appropriate level of authority (responsibility) to the correct individual(s), then hold them accountable for their decisions. This is how business operates.

Questions Presented To Me

2011-05-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

1. What can the Board actually do to help make sure the amenities break even?

The amenities (golf course, marina, lake, tennis courts, pool) are the assets of Lake Monticello. All of us benefit from these assets by enjoying them and by enjoying increased property value.

A business plan needs to be developed for each of our amenities. For example, Lake Monticello is very fortunate to have an outstanding golf pro. We need to take advantage of his knowledge and experience. The golf course looks great -- the best I have seen it since moving here six years ago. The golf course is a tremendous asset that is losing money. How crazy is that??? Let's support the golf course and turn it into a profit center. Let's ask the professionals -- the golf pro, the golf course maintenance staff and the Golf Committee -- to come up with ideas to make the golf course profitable. Profits from the golf course would be used to improve it, which would increase the revenue generated.

Once we have a successful business model, we need to apply it to all of our amenities.

2. Do candidates still believe that most people move to LM for the amenities?

I believe that people move to Lake Monticello for many reasons:
It is affordable -- housing prices and taxes are low. The quality of the services is high -- the educational system, police/security/emergency services are excellent. The distance to cultural and business events is reasonable -- Charlottesville, Richmond, DC are within easy driving distance. The amenities -- the lake, the golf course, the natural beauty, the private police -- are the icing on the cake.

3. Do candidates believe that LM is no longer the retirement community it was designed as and if it's not how do we move forward to another type of sustainable community?

The demographics of Lake Monticello are now 60/40 -- 60% commuters; 40% retirees. It is no longer a retirement community. Over the next 5 years, Lake Monticello needs to implement significant changes.

For instance:
• Automating fundamental business processes needs to become a top priority. For example, an electronic voting site can be set up which reduces the cost of a paper ballot.
• We need to improve communications using venues other than face to face meetings. It is up to the Board to implement new communications channels that involve the majority of the community.

This can be through: • Electronic surveys (inexpensive, easy and convenient) • Town hall meetings • Blogging/threaded discussions• The decision making process needs to include everyone. The Board represents you! There are 7 Board members and 12,000 residents. The Board needs to make the effort to know your concerns. The decisions the Board makes need to represent your interests.

4. Do candidates believe there are other ways of financing budget items besides just raising dues? If so, how? This question was answered partially at forum. Any more thoughts?

See #1 above. If the amenities become profit centers, there is incentive to increase revenue. Some other ideas:

• Do an energy audit of the buildings and implement the recommendations.
• Convert to electronic invoicing and payment for membership dues and expenses. Allow members to pay their bill by credit card. These practices will reduce costs and reduce the number of delinquent accounts.
• Invoice dues monthly. This will make it much easier for members to pay their dues on time. If electronic invoicing is implemented, monthly billing can be done with no additional effort.
• Implement consolidated billing for dues and amenities. Make it easy to pay one bill rather than multiple bills.
• Shift the focus to what is best for the members. Customer service is key. If customers receive friendly and high quality service, they will express their appreciation by increasing their use of the amenities.

5. Each candidate has a platform they run on. In the past I voted for candidates based on those platforms only to hear no mention again of those goals once they became board members. How, as a board member, do you realistically plan to make your platform a reality?

Lake Monticello is at a turning point. Prior to my career change to higher education, I was a business process re-engineering consultant to Fortune 1000 companies. Most of the problems were due to outdated processes being used to address new issues.

There are three major problems at Lake Monticello:
• The demographics have changed but the governing body has ignored the changes.
• Technology and automation of business processes have largely been ignored at Lake Monticello.
• Review and improvement of business processes have been, at best, slow.

Change, while at times painful, is unavoidable. The longer we avoid change, the more painful it will be. My platform is to implement change:

• Find ways to include all members of the community -- the retirees as well as the young families. All voices need to be heard.
• Find ways to automate our processes. This will reduce expenses and increase revenue.
• Analyze our business processes. Eliminate the ones that no longer work. Implement new business processes to create an efficient, effective and sustainable organization.

6. Board meetings seem to mostly consist of approving items already in the budget, i.e., vote to buy a new item for the golf course at X amount of $$. You could do this by e-mail. I know in the interest of transparency it is necessary to air these items. However, do candidates believe there could be a time set aside in board meetings to discuss issues with the members about members' concerns? The members' comment sections certainly does not do this as there is no response from board members.

We have to do a better job of communicating. The members comment sections in the monthly meetings has no response from the Board. There is no dialog between the Board as a whole and the members. Please see my ideas in #3 above.

Agenda items that can be handled by email should be handled by email. The Board meetings need to be an opportunity for dialog, brainstorming and decision making. Let's use our time wisely.

What about dues subsidizing the golf course?

2011-05-25T20:02:00.000-07:00

What are your thoughts about everyone's dues subsidizing the Golf Course losses when it benefits only a minority of the Lake Monticello residents? C.H.

The golf course is an asset to all of the members at Lake Monticello, not just those people who play golf, the same way that the lake is an asset to the community, not only to the boaters. The golf course attracts homeowners who want to live in a golf community.

Lake Monticello is very fortunate to have an outstanding golf pro. We need to take advantage of his knowledge and experience. The golf course looks great -- the best I have seen it since moving here six years ago. The golf course is a tremendous asset that is losing money. How crazy is that??? Let's support the golf course and turn it into a profit center. Let's ask the professionals -- the golf pro, the golf course maintenance staff and the Golf Committee -- to come up with ideas to make the golf course profitable.

Should we host more tournaments? Should we revise the fee structure? Should we become a public course? There isn't much competition in this area, and Lake Monticello has a beautiful and affordable course. The profits would be used to improve the course. That's incentive. The golf course improves, the community saves money, and more golfers come to the Lake. Win-Win-Win.

How do we increase revenue without increasing dues?

2011-05-23T19:55:00.000-07:00

This question was posed to the candidates during the Forum last week. It is impossible to give a comprehensive answer in 90 seconds.

The two most popular strategies have been to increase dues and sell our assets. Both have limited sustainability. A constant stream of revenue is needed. Here are some ideas:

1. Lake Monticello has a high concentration of consumers. The traditional way businesses have reached us is by leaving flyers in our cubbies. Most end up in the trash -- a waste of time, paper and money. An alternative is to automate our communications using email addresses. We can collect the email addresses of all the residents, and email communications, such as the Friday flyer, to all residents. We can sell banner ads. Recipients can "opt in" to receive more ads or coupons. The Friday flyer will evolve into a daily flyer, selling more ads. This can become a steady stream of income for LMOA, a way to save money for the residents, and a great way to do targeted marketing for the businesses. Win-Win-Win.

2. The golf course looks great -- the best I have seen it since moving here six years ago. The golf course is a tremendous asset that is losing money. How crazy is that??? Let's turn the golf course into a profit center. Let's ask the professionals -- the golf pro, the golf course maintenance staff and the Golf Committee -- to come up with ideas to make the golf course profitable. The profits would be used to improve the course. That's incentive. The golf course improves, the community saves money, and more golfers come to the Lake. Win-Win-Win.

3. LMOA has a significant number of members who do not pay their dues. Let's make it easier for everyone to pay dues. If we automate the invoicing process, we can invoice members quarterly or even monthly. Invoices can be sent out through email (see #1 above) reducing costs. Invoices can be paid electronically or charged to a credit card. The number of delinquent bills will be reduced. We can also consolidate billing -- golf membership, boating fees, donations to LMOA -- can be invoiced together each month. Let's make it easy for our members, reduce the number of delinquent accounts and save the environment. Win-Win-Win.

4. Speaking of the environment, when was the last time an energy audit was done on our buildings? An energy audit is relatively inexpensive and reaps immediate savings. Let's do it. It's good for LMOA, good for our buildings and good for the environment. Win-Win-Win.

All of these ideas came from LMOA members. Thank you for your ideas. My job is to listen.

Question about financial challenges

2011-05-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

QUESTION: Were you to become a Board member and LMOA were to project serious financial challenges in meeting REQUIRED and ESSENTIAL payments without continuing to raise annual dues beyond the expected present legal limit AND funding for certain items must be seriously reduced or eliminated, what would be your FIRST 3 in order of priority ? Explain each briefly.

RESPONSE: My belief is that the BOD are public servants; the operative word is "servants". The BOD serves the members who elected them to office.

My first step would be to listen to the members to find out their priorities. Right now, the BOD does not have a easy way to communicate with the residents of Lake Monticello except through the member comments during the monthly Board meetings. There are 7 BOD members and 12,000 residents. A few minutes once a month isn't enough time for any type of meaningful conversation.

So, my first priority would be to start a dialog between the BOD and the members. These could be town hall or common interest meetings. But a lot of people at the Lake work, and don't have the time to sit in meetings. Meetings are also expensive to organize and conduct.

A more efficient way to involve more people would be through online surveys, social network sites, blogs, or webinars. E-communications are inexpensive, effective, and convenient for most everyone. This would be a start to involve Lake members in the community decision making process.

Once the Board knows what is important to the members, the long term plan can be aligned with the immediate needs.

The Financial Management Policy defines the spending priorities:

1. Existing operations

2. Reserves, including roads and lake infrastructure

3. New initiatives, operating or capital, which generate income

4. New initiatives that do not generate income

While these priorities are sound, we also need to re-evaluate and confirm that the items within each priority are still valid. Confirming our priorities needs to be a conscious process that happens each year, led by the BOD and include the members and the paid staff.

From my observations, the BOD has lacked the unity and leadership to involve the primary stakeholders in defining the direction of Lake Monticello as a community. While the question asked which three items would be reduced or eliminated if faced with a financial crisis, my response is:

1. Implement current technology. We are wasting far too much money in personnel costs, paper, mailing expenses, etc. Let's take these funds and automate, which will improve business processes, communications and community involvement.

2. Analyze our line item expenses and identify the ones that are out of proportion. Approximately 65% of the LMOA budget is allocated to payroll. Implementing technology improvements will require corresponding changes to staff responsibilities. We have an overworked staff doing inappropriate tasks. This needs to change.

3. There are a number of broken processes that need to be fixed. Committee involvement; communications/dialog with the members; financial, short term and long range planning; appropriate use of emergency funds are all processes that show signs of being broken. Identifying and fixing the broken processes are the strategic plan for LMOA. We need to get to work on this as soon as possible.

The question was about financial crisis. LMOA is facing a leadership crisis. A financial crisis is saved by an infusion of money. A leadership crisis is much more critical. Without leadership and vision, there is no future for Lake Monticello. LMOA needs leaders with vision. Now.

Lake Monticello Board of Directors

2011-05-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

Hi!

I am running for the Board of Directors at Lake Monticello. The reason I am running for the Board is to make Lake Monticello the best place to live.

Lake Monticello is transitioning from a retirement community to a commuting one. We need to address the needs of our younger and commuting members. We also need to engage them using technology -- email, social networking, video streaming on our website -- to find out their needs and get all of our members involved.

The cost of living at the Lake keeps increasing. Our assets -- the dam, the lake, the clubhouse, the golf course, the roads -- are aging and in need of upgrading or repair. Before we raise our dues again, we need to know the cost of protecting and maintaining our assets. This is a budgeting process that looks at our community's priorities and allocates funding and resources based on the highest return on investment.

I moved to the Lake in March 2005, after accepting the position of Dean of Workforce Services at Piedmont Virginia Community College. I chose to live at Lake Monticello, and enjoy living at the Lake because of the peaceful environment and the friendly people.

Please join me in making Lake Monticello the best place to live.

Val