The 2016 HRB Election is now underway, and will be open for voting until February 26 at 9:00am. The HRB has seven members, who serve staggered terms. Four seats are currently up for election, and four candidates have volunteered to run for these seats.
We are conducting the HRB election electronically. Electronic voting will avoid the expense of preparing and mailing paper ballots, will likely increase overall participation, and will be more reliable and secure than the paper-based voting process. After the election, we will be asking for feedback on ways the process can be improved.
Here is how this year's election will work:
Each homeowner should have received an email from ICHA on February 12th or 13th (using ICHA's official database of contact information for all UHills homeowners) containing a randomized voting code unique to each eligible household. This will prevent duplication of ballots and unauthorized voting, while also maintaining ballot anonymity. (Once the voting codes are assigned and distributed, personnel who have access to the assigned codes will not have access to individual ballot data, and personnel responsible for tallying the results will not have access to the assigned codes. This is not 100% conspiracy-proof, but neither is collecting a pile of anonymous paper ballots.)
If no-one in your household received an email invitation, please contact ICHA to ensure that your contact information is up-to-date, and to request your voting code.
Any homeowner without a valid email address or without internet access may request a ballot at the ICHA offices, which will then be entered electronically.
Voters will complete an on-line form, entering their voting code, as well as their ballot choices. After the closing of the voting period, any ballots with invalid or repeated voting codes will be discarded. (If multiple ballots with the same voting code are found, only the first will be counted.) The three candidates receiving the most votes will be elected to two-year terms, and the fourth-place candidate will be elected to a one-year term.
The ballot will allow each homeowner to cast 4 votes per household, since there are 4 seats to be filled. You may allocate all 4 to the same candidate, or distribute them among multiple candidates as desired.
Candidate Statements
Brad Conley [incumbent]:
While I’m a database developer, information architect, and lawyer—my prime occupation these days is father to three children (ages 5, 8 & 10) who attend LePort Montessori School. My wife is an assistant professor in the School of Education. Our family has lived near Gabrielino Park since 2007.
On HRB in the past two years, I've made certain that homeowners’ interests and concerns are considered and, where appropriate, acted upon. I have advocated for greater transparency, objectivity, and fairness at ICHA and HRB.
I’m particularly mindful of what’s best for children and families, and I give voice to their views at board meetings.
If re-elected, I'll ensure that University Hills continues to be a safe and fun place to live, work and play.
Jan Fisher [incumbent]:
I enthusiastically and respectfully submit my name for reelection to the University Hills HRB. Having lived here since 1998, I am passionate about fair and common sense access to our beautiful Community Center, playgrounds, pools, tennis courts, and Dog Park. Our HRB is forward-looking, thoughtful, creative, and pro-actively demonstrates respect and inclusion for our growing community. If reelected, I will serve our University Hills community with dependability and integrity. Thank you for your consideration.
Bill Schmitendorf:
I came to UCI in 1988 as a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. I served as Chair of the Department for nearly 10 years and then as Associate Dean of the Henry Samueli School of Engineering for 5 years. I retired in 2006.
As a retired faculty member living in a large home (2800 sq. ft) as an empty nester with my wife Mary , we would like to downsize to a one story home. I believe there are many other older, retired faculty in the same situation. I also believe there are younger faculty with growing families who desire a larger home. As far as I know ,there is no way to identify those who want to upsize and those who want to downsize. I would like to help HRB initiate a mechanism for bringing these two groups together to exchange homes.
In addition, there may be new faculty in the lottery for new homes who would like a larger home than their lottery position allows. Perhaps they would want to exchange their lottery position for a larger home and the seller would then have that lottery position to choose a smaller new home.
Thanks for your consideration.
Harry Briggs:
I am a 16-year resident homeowner of University Hills at 6 Curie Court and the spouse of a Merage School faculty member. My 40-year career has been in the publishing industry and I now own and operate a small independent publishing house.
I would approach HRB deliberations with no “agenda” other than to apply what (I hope) is common sense and good judgment to the daily issues that affect us all. As a regular user of a lot of the services of University Hills (playgrounds, dog park, tennis courts, swimming pools, walking trails, et alia), I have a vested interest in maintaining and improving all the good things our community has to offer.
Sabine Kunrath:
My name is Sabine Kunrath. I moved to University Hills from Austria in September 2008. My husband works for UCI, and I have mostly been home with our kids, now 6 and 4 years old. I have enjoyed greatly the amenities of our neighborhood. We have been using the parks, the pools, the sidewalks, and 'unmanicured' parts extensively. I have had great encounters with residents and I greatly appreciate our community when it comes to sharing things, knowledge, and talent. I like the community building efforts of the HRB (coffee social, park parties, forums) and would like to help with organizing these events. Also, I would like to learn more about and promote sustainability issues in University Hills.
Richard Haier:
I’d like to continue my community service with a new term on the HRB. I served three consecutive 2-year terms previously (4 years as chair). During my first year as Chair, I accomplished the long sought goal of having HRB representation at ICHA Board meetings. Subsequently, I was appointed to the ICHA Board of Directors for four consecutive terms (eight years—the maximum allowed), serving as Chair for the last 5 of those years. During that time, I led the effort to build the community center. This had some contentious aspects, but ultimately the effort was a successful collaboration between the community and ICHA. The community center is now a valued resource used by many residents for a variety of activities.
In my first year as Chair of the ICHA Board, I initiated presentations to the HRB that detailed budget issues and sources of income to ICHA that did not come from homeowners but nonetheless supported the community. Now, as UH nears final build-out, it is important for the community to understand how ICHA is funded beyond monthly fees and ground rent. For example, unspent contingency fees on new construction and income from managing university–owned apartments (by renewable contracts to ICHA) are crucial for maintaining UH facilities without increases in
homeowner fees. Income from shared appreciation (fees to ICHA when current homeowners sell) is used to support community activities. HRB input is important for ensuring the community’s share of these funds so they are not diverted to other uses. HRBs vary from year to year in their interest in financial issues like these. They will be a priority for me along with supporting initiatives on energy and water conservation. For those who wish more information on ICHA finances, here is a link for public access to some data reported by ICHA, as required by law for non-profit corporations:
http://www.faqs.org/tax-
to homeowners. With your support, I’d like to use my experience and knowledge of ICHA operations to help exercise HRB influence —especially as ICHA grapples to minimize potential negative financial impacts of build-out on current homeowners.
Greg Sarnecki:
My name is Greg Sarnecki and I have been living in Uni Hills for almost 10 years now. My wife, Barbara, is a professor of Cognitive Science: I work in industry as a chemist/microbiologist where I run the Analytical Lab for Behr (the Home Depot paint company). I've served on the board of a local youth soccer club (AYSO South Irvine) for over 5 years now in various roles, so I know how to work with a group of volunteers to get things done. Now that my 2 boys are older, I am happy to serve this community more closely, to the best of my ability. With that in mind, I see the need to create better channels for residents to express their opinions. The simple use of a Google Docs or Facebook site where residents can leave their comments and suggestions could be one easy way to bring Uni Hills representation into the 21st century, whilst freeing up the UHills list server for less political items.
My name is Andy Yun, and as the proud father of two wonderful little girls, I have a vested interest in seeing our great community thrive. I have already taken a great deal from this community, whether it is borrowing the occasional air mattress for an unexpected guest, borrowing a swing or a space heater for my daughter, or finding someone who is willing to part with a coffeemaker for my parents. I want to contribute and give back to this community.
Zach Nelson:
I'm interested in serving on the HRB for a variety of reasons:
(1) I am interested in helping residents find constructive ways of voicing their needs/concerns, airing their opinions, and driving toward resolutions that are reasonable/equitable for all concerned.
(2) I feel fortunate to have been given the opportunity to live (affordably) in such a beautiful location, and would like to do something to give back that uses my skills and experience.
(3) I'm new to UCI and the West Coast, I'm looking for ways to meet other people/families in our community, and help others do the same.
I feel I am well suited/prepared to serve on the HRB for the following reasons:
(1) I have extensive experience in community governance having served initially as a member and eventually as President of the Board of Directors of Belair Corporate, a 350-unit housing cooperative in New York City, from 2002-2006.
(2) I work well in group environments and value team-based problem solving having worked my entire career on cross-disciplinary teams in consultancies/agencies.
(3) I maintain a healthy perspectives on issues personal and business having earned an MBA from Columbia Business School with a concentration in Finance & Economics, and having been in the throes of raising two young, beautiful, exhausting children!
Thanks,
Zach.
Asha Radhakrishnan:
My name is Asha Radhakrishnan. I am the spouse of R.Radhakrishnan who is in the Humanities. We live at 70 MURASAKI ST. I have been a resident of this community since 2007 while he has been here since 2004. While I have not had the opportunity to serve the ICHA community, I have been an executive mentor for students for a number of years in the Paul Merage Business School. My professional experience is in the technology industry as a technologist, corporate strategist and an executive. This is such a lovely diverse community of people young and old. While I participate in the community more socially than anything else, I would love the opportunity to learn and contribute to the board and the citizens of the community in more ways than one.
Ballot
The ballot can be accessed here: http://goo.gl/forms/lsN69v96iM
or by clicking the customized link in your invitation email.