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ELECTION INFO + CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS
2022 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Election
YOUR VOTE MATTERS
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The 2022 Tahoe Donner Board of Directors Election is just around the corner. Four candidates are vying for two open seats. Ballots were mailed on May 25 to the address where you receive your Annual Assessments and should arrive in your mailbox any day now. Mail-in ballots are due to the accounting firm by June 24 at 5PM. In-person ballot return and replacement will be available at Northwoods Clubhouse on June 24 from 9AM-5PM and on June 26 from 10-11:30AM during the Annual Meeting of Members.
Don’t Forget
• Election Day is June 26. • Your vote will impact the direction of the association. Learn. Ask questions. Vote! • You must sign the red box on your return envelope if you vote by mail. Unsigned ballots will not be counted. • If you do not receive your ballot, please call (530) 587-9431 Monday through Friday, 8AM-5PM, or email electionscommittee@tahoedonner.com.
Once verified, a new ballot will be issued.
Each property gets one vote. Please work with your co-owners to cast your vote. A complete list of election FAQs can be found at tahoedonner.com/boardelections.
Key Dates
JUNE 4
Candidates Virtual Meet and Greet via Zoom Videoconferencing
JUNE 24
Mail-in ballots must be received by the accounting firm by 5PM to be counted (please allow time for mailing) Ballots can be returned or replaced at Northwoods Clubhouse from 9AM-5PM
JUNE 26
Election Day and Annual Meeting of Members from 10AM-12PM
Ballots can be returned in person at Northwoods Clubhouse from 10-11:30AM
Be Informed About Your Vote
Each candidate has an individual webpage to allow Tahoe Donner members to learn more about their individual positions regarding the future of the association. To read candidates’ position statements, visit tahoedonner.com/boardelections.
The candidates also responded to a series of questions to help shed light on each candidate’s qualifications, areas of focus and views. To allow comparison of the candidates, their individual, unedited answers are published side-by-side on the following page.
Annual Meeting of Members
JUNE 26 | 10AM-12PM | NORTHWOODS CLUBHOUSE
Visit tahoedonner.com/boardelections for meeting info
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Cheryll Cross
I have proven business experience, both as a tech professional and small business owner. I have been a leader for project teams in the tech industry, and have managed the selection, installation, and implementation of $25+ million projects. I have attended almost every board meeting for the last year, and many of the committee meetings.
Financial Discipline - We need to pause and understand the unprecedented changes to the economy, and make prudent choices as to how our association dollars are spent to provide the best value for our investments. Drive true and accurate understanding of costs and income for amenities. Ensure future amenity improvements are planned with financial discipline.
Controlling operating costs - While we have been focusing almost exclusively for the last year on the new ski lodge project, there have been huge changes to economic conditions that will also affect TD’s financial health, including increasing labor costs, materials, commercial insurance, food and consumables, utilities and inflation. Smart operational choices and IT investments to cut down on overhead should be implemented.
Development of a 5, 10 and 20 year improvement plan for each amenity. Use solicited member input in ranking choices for proritization of projects. Publish to all members so that the process is truly transparent, and members feel involved in the decision making process. In the past voting members were not viewed as the customers, and their satisfaction as to value for assessment dollar has not been the driving force for determining direction for the association. Previous member surveys included 10,000+ voters, and thus have not been the viewpoint of the voting homeowner.
Improving Tahoe Donner amenities in a financially responsible way while keeping assessment increases affordable for all members. Use member’s inputs to provide the best value for the benefit of all members and their families.
As your Board member, I have promoted fair and fiscally responsible solutions using my 35 years of experience in business, law, finance, and real estate, with J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from U.C. Berkeley. During my term, I’ve enhanced my effectiveness by:
• Carefully studying our covenants and bylaws • Serving as Board liaison to the Trails and Open Space, Finance,
Covenants, and Architectural Standards Committees, and to the Ski Lodge Task Force • Deepening my understanding of TDA owners through countless conversations with members and staff, reflecting on extensive member input, and bi-weekly meetings with our GM • Completing Community Association Institute Certified Board
Leader training
As a Board member, I’ve supported many key initiatives of Tahoe Donner, including:
• Creation of a Five-Year Strategic Plan • Wildfire Prevention and Preparedness • Trails Master Plan • Amenity Repairs and Improvements • Increased Member Input • Labor Recruitment and Retention • Stronger Long-Term Planning • Updates to Rules and Enforcement Procedures • Corporate Governance Improvements
I will continue to support many initiatives in a second term, including those above and the following three:
• Restoring Member Value • Improving Amenity Access and Pricing • Creating a Long-Term Master Plan
The biggest long-term issue facing Tahoe Donner is balancing competing priorities with limited resources in a fair and fiscally responsible way. This challenge is compounded by:
• The age of our association and many of our facilities • A doubling of the number of TDA members in recent decades • Owners spending more time in Tahoe Donner, on average
I’m advocating for creation of a long-term master plan addressing amenities, trails and open spaces, administrative offices, employee housing, mailboxes, internet service, a third access road, parking and transportation, and long-term funding. A master plan will help us address long-term needs and wants of our diverse membership in a fair and fiscally responsible way, while fostering our sense of community.
Benjamin Levine
Community Association Institute Certified Board Leader who consistently delivers practical results and effective solutions for the members.
• Chair the Trails & Open Space Committee and its predecessor subcommittee, working to protect and improve the members’ #1 recreational priority, 2018-Present • Drove Trout Creek expansion through board approval, modernizing our facility, promoting member enjoyment, addressing overcrowding, 2017-2019 • Co-authored Tahoe Donner campaign reform package, encouraging positive, fair, community-oriented elections, 2020 • Co-authored updated Director Code of Conduct, raising our board’s ethical standards, 2021 • Member of Private Amenity Access Working Group, helping to restore member satisfaction, 2022
• Rebuild Our Foundation: Reaffirm the values that make Tahoe
Donner such a special place, revitalize our common vision, and revive long-term planning to be responsive to our evolving membership, changing needs, and new conditions. • Members First Amenity Access: As extensions of our Tahoe
Donner homes, our amenities should be as inviting to us as our own living rooms. We must prioritize amenity access policy reform, so that we finally and effectively put members first. • Prioritize Member Involvement: As a member organization, we need to involve members more meaningfully in our decisions to ensure that our decisions are attuned to member expectations and align with our community’s values and vision.
Our fundamental long-term issue never changes: Preserving
and protecting the Tahoe Donner dream.
Two challenges stand out:
• Climate Change: Between increasing fire risk, smoke filled summers, and unreliable, diminishing snowfall, climate change is an existential threat to our property, our recreational enjoyment, and Tahoe Donner’s financial health.
• Community Relations: No matter what challenges lie ahead, we’re stronger united than divided. Recent years have frayed some of our relationships, contributing to an atmosphere of frustration, polarization, and distrust. Healing this division begins with the leadership I offer: open-minded, consensus oriented, and eager to listen to the full diversity of members.
I have both professional and community experience that uniquely position me to be an effective board member. I was founder and CEO of a logistics technology company, and I have led multinational teams to build large-scale infrastructure projects.
In addition, I have experience serving on boards and committees. As a resident of the City of Burlingame, I served on the Downtown Burlingame Improvement District Board, and as a Commissioner for a Public Oversight Committee.
My wife and I have been Tahoe Donner homeowners since 2013, and I have been regularly attending Tahoe Donner Board meetings about the downhill ski project, as well as meeting with Tahoe Donner staff and board members to better understand the complex issues impacting the community as a whole.
Downhill Ski Lodge
The Downhill Ski Lodge is in dire need of replacement, but it is not the only need. My goal is to ensure that this project moves forward in a way that best minimizes risk to our HOA by creating a risk management plan, as well as a contingency plan to address potential cost overruns.
Wildfire Mitigation
Our number one priority is to ensure the safety of our community, and that firmly rests on how we are managing our forest and defensible spaces.
Amenity Relief
Tahoe Donner members are the first priority when it comes to member access of our amenities. I believe we should price access in such a way that drives revenue from public access, but does not diminish member access.
Financial Health and Accountability
We need transparency and accuracy in all financial reporting so that we have a clear understanding of the costs and revenue from amenities. In addition, we must consider funding for replacement/reserve funds that is not based solely on member assessments.
