There was a steady stream of voters for the first stand-alone village association elections in The Woodlands Saturday to fill more than 100 positions at the neighborhood level.
“The RDRC (Residential Design Review Committees) and Village Associations elections have gone well in 2010,” said Don Norrell, president and general manager of The Woodlands Township. “We are encouraged to see new and continued interest in the RDRCs and Village Association elections."
Creekside Park elected its first village association members, filling an entire slate of officers and five representatives for the only Woodlands village located in Harris County.
In College Park, three residents of Windsor Hills were elected to the board of directors, the first time members of the active senior community could run or even vote in the village level election.
Grogan’s Mill had 15 candidates running for just eight spots for area representatives on its board in a hotly contest race.
Elections were held for eight village associations, including Grogan’s Mill, Panther Creek, Cochran’s Crossing, Alden Bridge, Indian Springs, College Park, Sterling Ridge and Creekside Park, as well as their respective Residential Design Review Committees, which are architectural review groups for renovation projects in each village.
“With the closing of the Community Associations, the Village Associations and the RDRCs play a more important role than ever in keeping the quality of our neighborhoods high,” said Nelda Luce Blair, chairwoman of the township board of directors. “We are pleased with the interest in these elections, and the Township looks forward to working closely with these elected leaders to ensure we remain one of the finest master-planned communities in the world.”
While officials reported a "steady" voter turnout, the local elections had the lowest voter turnout in recent years with 583 ballots cast.
Since 2000, elections for the Community Associations of The Woodlands, which previously included elected representatives for The Woodlands Association and The Woodlands Community Association, hit a low of 794 voters in 2001, with a high of 2,211 voters in 2007, said Karen Dempsey, management analyst for the township.
“It has been very steady,” Dempsey said. “We are very pleased with the voter turnout.”
Norrell said the RDRCs will help to preserve the covenants in the community and the village association will take on a new role of becoming advocates for its residents to the township board, which will be reduced to seven members representing 90,000 residents in May.
“The elected individuals for the RDRCss will serve key roles in management of community wide covenant standards,” Norrell said. “The individuals elected to the Village Associations also play a key role representing Village Association interests and providing feedback to the Board of Directors of The Woodlands Township."
In Creekside Park, a slate of officers who quickly ushered in the creation of the nonprofit village association and held a successful Winter Festival, will lead that community.
They include: President Nancy Decker Lent, Vice President Michael Ramsey, Secretary Matt Marrow, Treasurer Laurence D. Jadrych and Events Chair Susan Tedesco. Five other representatives will join that board.
In College Park, voters from Windsor Hill outnumbered those from the rest of College Park in the election, ushering in three new members to the board.
They include: Paul Martin, Larry Faith and Ron E. Brown, who will join six other elected area representatives. Scott Singletary was elected vice president of the group and Steven Reinmund will be treasurer.
In addition to new officers, several village associations welcomed former members of the two community-wide homeowner associations, The Woodlands Community Association representing older villages and The Woodlands Association, representing newer villages.
Among those were George Van Horn of Grogan’s Mill, Everett Ison of Panther Creek and Stuart Schroeder of Cochran’s Crossing.
The next election in The Woodlands Township will be held in May for four seats on the township board. The board will be reduced from 11 appointed and elected members to seven members, the first elected community-wide.
Only seven candidates have filed to date, with two contested positions.
VILLAGE ASSOCIATION WINNERS
Following is a list of people elected to positions in eight village associations. The list does not include those elected to the RDRC positions. A full listing of all winners can be found at www. thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov
Alden Bridge
Area Representatives (9)
Steve Leakey
Phillip R. Barker
Ronny R. Taylor
Michael Cannetti
Theresa Wagaman
Kendrick Skipper
Laurie Ricks
Michael (Barry) Newman
Ross Vickers
Cochran Crossing Village Association
Vice President -Marti Fox Meerscheidt
Treasurer -James Goldmeyer
Area Representative (14)
Clarence “CW” Wallace
Julie Duelm
Brian Duelm
Cynthia Kessinger
Lori Riley
Jerry Orebaugh
David Jesiolowski
Steve Perry
Gloria Moser
Douglas Cole Grijalva
Jeff Allen
Bebe Smith
Stuart L. Schroeder
Steven Tidwell
College Park Village Association
Vice President: Scott Singletary
Treasurer: Steven Reinmund
Area Representatives (9)
Richard L. Johnson II
Paul Martin
Ron E. Brown
Laura Dean
Larry Faith
Matthew Springer
Janet L. Reinmund
Kendall Bernstein
Ray Penton
Creekside Park
President: Nancy Decker Lent
Vice President: Michael Ramsey
Secretary: Matt Marrow
Treasurer: Laurence D. Jadrych
Events Chair: Susan Tedesco
Area Representatives (5):
Nicole Coulton
Emma Marrow
Michael P. Casey
Kirby Hopkins
David Packer, Sally H. Epton (tied with 32 votes)
Grogan’s Mill Village Association
Area Representatives (8)
Dana Denton
George Van Horn
Chris Wren
Joe Giovanniello
Robbie Brundrett
Rex D. Campbell
Patricia Goodpastor
Robert H. Leilich
Indian Springs Village Association
Vice President:
Loretta Colchin
Treasurer: Oscar Y Lui, Joan D’A’rexxo and John Scott (tied at 1 vote each)
Area Representatives (5):
Amy M. Lecocq
Eric Thomas
Michael Luman
Jose Valladares
Oscar Y. Lui, Shanna Davis (tied at 27 votes)
Panther Creek Village Association
President: Everett Ison
Treasurer: Kimber Lewis
Area Representatives:
Barby Carroll
Hartley Mackintosh
Mary Bootz
Kimber Lewis
Daniel E. Lewis
Merle Causey
Sterling Ridge Village Association
Area Representatives (8)
Kerri Steen-Chew
Kevin C. Casey
Charles Dressler
Richard Gregory
Stephanie Carlton
Michael Bass
Nick Norris
Stephen Chris Pappas