Board of Directors Election Results

Rather shocking that not one of the four new candidates were elected last night to The Colonies Board of Directors.  Four more than qualified individuals ready to bring a fresh perspective to a community so tainted by the current regime not elected?  Such a disappointment on many fronts.

No changes were made with The Colonies Board of Director officer positions.  One would have thought after being challenged by the new candidates and how their practices have been questioned by The Colonies Coalition over the last year that some role changes would have been made.  Lauricella, with his supersized ego, could at least have appointed Pollak President which would make sense with him being at his Venice compound in Sarasota County, Florida most of the time (per Article V Section 2 of The Colonies Bylaws: The President and Vice President shall be elected annually by the Board of Directors at the annual organizational meeting of each new Board; let's be real here Sal runs the show and everyone are his puppets so it would have been an easy fete).  Rather interesting though the two incumbent candidates receiving the most votes have been on the Board the least amount of time and the one receiving the least number of votes, Kelleher, is the one who interacts the most with the public because she works in the Administration Office which many have expressed as a conflict of interest.  Interesting Pollak, the incumbent candidate garnered the most votes on a few fronts:

• Elected to Board only in October 2010 to replace a Board member who resigned
• Colonies bio in Annual Meeting Election Package (posted below) stated 13 year career in Property Management whereas his LinkedIn Profile cites 8 years experience; obviously these voters do not research their candidates before casting their votes as a five year discrepancy is more than a Presidential term in office
• Easy to conclude that either he or his neighbor Kelleher (elected incumbent board member who works in the smoke-filled Administration Office by day doubling as Treasurer and Finance Committee Member after hours) told his unit co-owner/roommate information about a candidate's lease situation and this is same individual who also made comments mentioned in a previous blog about how board will answer to him at a Candidate event on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 which is all captured on tape
• Made comment to effect of 'you just need to elect us incumbent candidates, put your faith in us and don't ask questions' during the Meet the Candidates session event held Tuesday, April 26, 2011 which again is all on tape (important to note the four other candidates platforms were all about transparency which apparently the voters do not care about)
• Works for a large real estate investment and development company including a property management division; the company manages all types of residential properties in over 120 communities in 21 states and the District of Columbia and not once during the campaign did he mention streamlining administrative operations

The Board could stand some personality as well. Kelleher, Levin and Lauricella sitting up there during the Annual Meeting looked like gnomes or Lord of the Rings Middle Earth elfin creatures (Lauricella a bit less so largely in part due to his 8 month Florida tan and extensive time on the golf course). I heard candidate Martin jokingly suggest a game of Colonies Jeopardy to some people to get crowd going while awaiting the vote results. Incumbent Devine looks also to be a lively one and did get a healthy share of the votes. Two redheads on that Board of Directors could have been dangerous (and/or made things interesting)!


The four candidates had done a thorough analysis of all budgets and audits dating back to 2003 or 2004 and were ready to serve the community with ideas.  I am sure they will get the last laugh come October when the 2012 Budget hearing occurs and everyone's wallet is affected!  There was that Board member last year who wanted to raise everyone's condo fees $100/month as Woollen or Carlton so blatantly stated at the October 2010 Budget Hearing when co-owners were questioning the $20/month increase; unless it was Hunter or then-resigning member Freitas, that board member is still a member of The Colonies Board of Directors.

Dominic, Nelson, Allison and Kevin - Thank you for trying to affect positive change in a community so badly needing a new perspective and even though you, along with all of the other Colonies co-owners will be affected come October, I know you will get the last laugh when all of those co-owners who voted for the incumbents are protesting about having to 'hand over more than a piece of the shirts off their backs' when the 2012 condo fee rate is announced.