In the interest of the
short window of time we have before the May 1, 2019 election of three new
directors, I am posting opening and remarks received from three of the six
candidates who spoke in the April 15 Meet the Candidates night. As time allows,
I will post additional comments. What follows are comments from: Zlatan Beca,
Alfred Muller, and Elisa Siegel. NOTE: added are statements by James Whalen. by Babs Eisman, and by Molly Frantz.
ZLATAN
BECA
OPENING STATEMENT
The biggest challenges facing our community today are
the following:
1. Assuring
the rest of the building is more in line with design of our lobby before the
Amazon wave hits the area. That means
completion of the garage, hallway, gym and pool projects within reasonable
means and time frame.
2. Abusive
behavior toward staff. We need to
continue handing out swift fines until people really start to feel them. Eventually it will stop.
3. Replacing
MaryAnn and Hollis with qualified professionals once they are ready to
retire.
4. Having
a healthy reserve and continuing to make drastic contributions to the payout of
the outstanding loan.
5. Keeping
the condo fees steady and in line with the Cost of Living Adjustment.
6. Improving
communication between the board, management and the residents.
7. Coming
up with fresh new community engagement ideas.
8. Underutilizing
in house resources.
You notice that I did not say anything about the Fire
Safety protocol and Storage & Bike Room Audits. That is because I fully believe those are in
line to be taken care of within months from now.
CLOSING STATEMENT
ALFRED
MULLER
OPENING STATEMENT
I have tried to follow that sensible advice in
relation to my non-professional life, including years of volunteer service, for
26 years as our village Mayor, --- when we paid off an inherited $2 million
debt, while simultaneously creating 2 parks, a shuttle bus service and a
community center, AND lowering the tax
rate to the lowest permissible by law. I
have followed that advice in service to The Elizabeth for the 27 years I have
lived here, both as a non-Board member
(working on committees), and at other times as the Board VP or its
Treasurer.
In all these positions I have gained much experience,
and have specific institutional memory which can prove helpful in future
discussions on the Board. I know our successes and I know our failures. We can learn from both.
I have tried to diagnose problems in our building by
listening and respecting the many diverse opinions but also trying to collect
facts and not be swayed by personalities or cliques. I compliment others when I
think they have done a good job, and I offer constructive suggestions when I
think there can be improvement.
A major responsibility of the BOD is its fiduciary
responsibility. I have always stressed the need to keep three goals in mind
regarding this responsibility: 1) to
maintain, repair and replace our building infrastructure; 2) to have adequate reserve funds for capital
improvements and unexpected emergencies, and 3) to assess condo fees which are
fair for our owners and competitive regarding sales and rentals.
(I was raised by parents who lived through the Great
Depression and have always been a proponent of " pay as you go". I believe we should borrow only in rare times
of an emergency, not simply to do a capital expenditure 1-2 years earlier than
when reserves would so allow.)
If you give me the privilege to continue service on
the BOD I promise to continue listening to every opinion and come to
conclusions only after an impartial analysis of all the facts that I can
obtain. I shall remain an independent
voice on your BOD and continue to work very hard on your behalf.
CLOSING STATEMENT
Thank you all for
attending this important meeting. I urge you to evaluate the following four
qualities in the candidates for Director:
1) experience:
mine is institutional memory from living in the building for 27 years and
serving at times as VP or Treasurer of the Board of Directors where I learned
the financial and intrastructure challenges of the Elizabeth;
2) hard worker: all
my present colleagues on the Board have worked extremely hard; many of you have
witnessed my hard work in bringing the smoke free amendment towards approval; I
would work equally hard to see corridor renovation completed during my term on
the Board;
3) analytical: my
training as a physician has taught me to base decisions on reviewing all facts
carefully before arriving at a conclusion, and not rely on emotional appeal;
4) independence: I
have voted with a majority of the Board more than 90% of the time, but am not
hesitant about voting in the minority when I believe it is in the best interest
of owners; I am not part of any of the cliques in the building who have
their own agenda. I weigh each issue on its merits, not on who is supporting or
opposing it.
If you agree that these
attributes are important for a Director to possess and that I have demonstrated
them for many years, please vote for me. I will do my best to vindicate your
support,
ELISA SIEGEL
OPENING STATEMENT
Good evening. I’m Elisa Siegel, and it’s my honor to
run for The Elizabeth Board of Directors.
I’ve owned my unit, 1813, and lived in the building
since 2015. When I was looking to
downsize from my home on Leland Street, The Elizabeth, with its beautiful lobby
and prime location, amenities, and sense of community, lured me in.
The four years since then have been difficult ones,
with a lot of repairs and disruption. I also
personally experienced the effects of the building’s disrepair when a flood
nearly destroyed my unit, just as I was completing a top-to-bottom
renovation.
Like many of you, I’ve watched our property values
decline, and our condo fees go up as the board took the necessary steps to turn
The Elizabeth’s finances around, stem the constant water damage, and make sure
we maintained our insurance.
While these changes were difficult, they were
essential. So I am grateful to recent
boards for their courage and the steps they have taken to restore the building’s
financial stability and crumbling infrastructure.
I am running for the board, because there is another
important step we need to take – restoring The Elizabeth’s reputation as a
well-managed, vibrant, luxury community in the heart of Friendship Heights.
If elected, I would contribute my skills and
experience from a 40-year career in communications and marketing to tell the
story of The Elizabeth’s renaissance. Together
with my colleagues on the board, and other interested residents, we could develop
a new brand for The Elizabeth that positions us much more competitively with
our neighbors at The Carleton, 4620 N Park Avenue, and The Willoughby.
I also would improve The Elizabeth’s online presence
by developing a mobile-friendly public website and improving our social media
reviews. Currently, The Elizabeth does
not have a public website, and our reviews on social media are poor. If our building is to remain competitive with
our neighbors, and compete successfully for new Amazon employees, we must have
a better online presence.
We have a great story to tell, but we need to tell it
ourselves; not leave it to others.
Before we can do this, however, we must renovate the
hallways as well as improve the condition and maintenance of our lobby and
other common areas, which are now showing signs of wear and tear.
These steps are all essential to improving our
property values, which is one of the board’s primary fiduciary responsibilities.
But even with our problems, The Elizabeth is a great
building.
So I am very optimistic about our future. I believe we have a unique window of
opportunity to increase our property values by continuing to restore the
building’s infrastructure, finances, hallways, and then, our reputation as a
vibrant luxury community in the heart of Friendship Heights.
Thank you for listening, and I hope I have the
opportunity to serve you as a member of the board of directors.
CLOSING STATEMENT
As owners, we have important choices to make in this
election for the board, and we are fortunate to have candidates who offer
diverse skill sets and experience.
With my background in communications, public
relations, branding, and marketing, I offer a skill set not yet represented on
the board.
In addition, as I noted in my candidate statement, I
have many years of executive and leadership experience for a large
organization, and know how to manage a large budget and staff, as well as serve
on a board.
I believe that my career success is due to an ability
to objectively consider all the facts and make decisions that take into account
diverse needs and viewpoints, for the good of the whole, without regard to
personal interest. I am also an excellent listener and believe strongly in the
benefits of transparency.
Recently, in a board meeting for my association, the
Association of American Medical Colleges, which represents all the nation’s
medical schools and major teaching hospitals, someone shared a quote about the
role of boards of directors that I’d like to share with you now:
The role of the board is to protect the future from
the present.
If elected, you can count on me to take a fiscally
responsible approach to balancing the essential needs we have today with the
important work we must continue to sustain our future, including rebuilding our
reserves, completing necessary repairs to our infrastructure, undertaking preventive
and regular maintenance, completing much-needed renovations to our hallways,
and rebuilding our brand as a luxury building.
These are the steps we need to take to ensure that The
Elizabeth once again becomes a growing asset in our financial portfolios, a
community that we all enjoy, and above all, a home in which we all are proud to
live.
JAMES WHALEN
OPENING STATEMENT
JAMES WHALEN
OPENING STATEMENT
The Elizabeth is an incredible community.
In my first year and a half living here I have met so many amazing people and
begun to cultivate relationships that I know will carry on long into the
future. The Elizabeth is the place I call home and I want to utilize the skills
acquired throughout my career in finance to help the community and the people
therein. I know that my experience in financial matters can help to improve the
Elizabeth’s overall profitability and positively influence the lives (and
property values) of its residents.
When I first moved into the Elizabeth
in September of 2017 I shared the same concerns that many residents have
surrounding our financials. I recognized that there was a significant amount of
work to be done in order to bring us back to a state of profitability and
positive cash flow.
I became Chairman of the Budget and
Finance committee in 2018 and over the past year have helped guide the
Elizabeth in financial decisions that have been crucial to our future. We have
reconstructed the Monthly Financial Reports received by residents and the Board
in order to make them more concise and easier to review. We have built out an
investment strategy for our excess cash which includes a laddered CD portfolio.
The portfolio consists of CD’s with varying maturities in order to ensure we
optimize investment return without sacrificing the liquidity required for
expenses. Most importantly, we have paid down a significant amount of debt and
have a plan in place to further reduce our liabilities by the end of the year.
I have experience in
budget creation/review, investment portfolio construction, asset allocation,
and plan implementation. My disciplined nature and eye for detail help to
ensure exceptional and consistent outcomes. I feel that my ability to bring a
personal understanding to complex situations can help ensure that the Elizabeth
continues to progress both financially and as a community even when difficult
times may arise.
I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in
Business and Economics from Rhodes College, where I played on both the Varsity
Football and Lacrosse teams and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order. I am a
Certified Financial Planner™ professional and passed the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Series 65 exam.
Outside of work, I enjoy being
outdoors and participating in community service activities. I am an active
member on the Board for the Autism Speaks National Capital Area and the head of
recruitment and development for the Autism Speaks to Young Professionals
organization. Over the past three years, I have helped to raise over $100,000
for autism and autism research.
BABS EISMAN
OPENING STATEMENT
BABS EISMAN
OPENING STATEMENT
The reason I am running
for the Board is there are areas that I would like to see
fine tuned.
. Sense of Community can
be fostered by having house rules that are enforced.
For
example, polite and proper behavior at meeting and dealings with staff.
. Considerate behavior
in the usage of the trash rooms.
. Have an updated
directory so you know who your neighbors are.
. Restart the
"Conversations with the Board" committee
Part of a wish list
would include:
.User's Manual for
how to handle various issues/problems, e.g. who to go to
for the
answers so we understand the roles and responsibilities of our staff.
. Have (2) people
on the front desk during peak hours
. We have a great
back patio, but access is difficult
. Odorless organic
cleaning products
. Improving
the layout of the gym - removing walls
Naturally, we have to
finish the garage, but before starting work in the halls,
I want to be sure our
infrastructure is sound, and that burst pipes do not undo
this investment.
Also, look into why there are such fluctuations in temperature in the hallways,
which might compromise finishes.
As a long time owner
with business, real estate and design experience, I ask for your
consideration.
CLOSING STATEMENT:
(best as I can remember, nothing was written)
I want to thank
everyone for coming and participating in tonight's event. This is our
home and everyone's responsibility. I have served on the Board of
Directors for HEROES INC., Hebrew Home - including Ring House and Landow House,
and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. All these Boards
had the same basic goals: where are we now, how do we maintain our mission and
how to plan for the future.
If anyone knows
non-resident owners, please contact them to send in their votes and proxies.
Thank you for your
consideration.
MOLLY FRANTZ
OPENING STATEMENT
197 5. During those
44 years I have twice served on the Elizabeth's Budget &
Finance Committee and
on the Board for 15 months; recently I Chaired the Ad
Hoc Committee on Air
Filters and- on behalf of75 Owners- submitted the
petition resulting in
the upcoming vote to change the Bylaws. This change would
require all Board
Directors to be owners of the Corporation. In addition, along
with Margie McNerney,
I coordinate the donations of the resident's no-longerneeded
furniture and useful
household items to A Wider Circle who, in tum, gives
these items to
families just moving out of homelessness. And I contribute Helpful
Hints to the
residents through the monthly Newsletter.
There are those who
ask me why do I want to serve on the Board at all. Others
point out that I did
not complete my term on the Board and question if I would do
this again. Both are
legitimate points of view. The atmosphere is quite different
than in 2011 and I
certainly have no intentions to resign early. I am sure others
did not expect to
resign early either.
The number 1 problem
in the Elizabeth is why is the environment still toxic. This
adversely adverse
impacts The Elizabeth's reputation. I believe I can help push
the Board toward even
more transparency, and more opportunities for the residents
to air their
concerns. The Elizabeth's return to financial stability and the recent
large capital
projects and with finally getting to the much-needed hall restoration
have and will go a
long way to improving our home's reputation. But it won't
solve the problem
without every resident and every employee and every leader
acknowledging their
role in this problem and the solution.
We all need to step
back and focus on the substances and legitimacy of the
problems owners and
residents raise. While it often seems the only successful way
to get resolution on
one's problem is to be the squeakiest wheel, getting to that
point is frustrating
for everyone involved. Having operating problems repeatedly
raised at Board
meetings rightfully makes the Directors feel under attack. Ideally
Board meetings should
be about major problems and policies. But what choice do
the owners and
residents have if they feel - rightfully or wrongly - that
their
concerns are not
being taken seriously. After all, putting
a "MY" before a
problem automatically
moves it up the importance scale. Right!!
In the first half of
The Elizabeth's life we had an Operations Committee that
serves as a buffer
between the residents and management and the Board. This
group met monthly and
had the time to hear the whole story, listen to see if others
had the same concerns
and - perhaps most importantly - to understand why this
person was so upset -
or ideally to address the concern before the person becomes
frustrated. This
Committee then formulated recommendations for either
Management or the
Board for action( s) to be taken. In my years living in the
Elizabeth I am
constantly amazed how many others have experienced the same
problems but never
raised them. And I am sure I am not alone in this feeling.
As you listen to each
of us tonight and read our statements, I want to urge you to
also read or reread
Z's remarks in the March Newsletter about what qualities a
Board member should
have. He urges you to do your own due diligence. And
while he didn't say
it this way, he is urging you not to stay in your information silo
-your Fox News or
MSNBC so to speak. Ask us questions about why we have
done things, if not
tonight then on a one-on-one. Board Directors have enormous
authority to make
decisions impact your finances and your quality of life. This is
one of the times you get to make the decision, not assign it to
someone else.
