Here are the results to the very recent election of the OB Community Foundation Board of Directors that ended July 3.
The winners — in order of percentage of votes received — are:
- Nicole Murray (14 percent);
- Margaret Morghen (12);
- Dawnette Sheets, Karen Froehner and Angelo Devlin (all 11);
- Rouge Yusuf and Schuyler Winter Jr. (both 10); and
- John Carleton and Palmer Bajari (both 8).
The top seven finishers were elected to two-year terms. Carleton and Bajari will serve one-year terms. All nine newcomers begin their terms Monday, July 8. (For photos of newly-elected members, see below.)
A 10th candidate, Dave Lipscomb, received 6 percent of the votes, but given that only nine seats were available, he was not elected. (For photos of the candidates, go here.)
In their release of the election results, the OBCF did not disclose the number of votes that each candidate obtained, just the percentages, not the vote totals.
For undisclosed reasons, the seven board members previously seated did not run for re-election and they include:
- President Shelly Parks,
- treasurer Jenny Brengelman,
- corresponding secretary Gary Gartner,
- Engagement Committee director Anna Firicano,
- Events Committee director Stephanie Kane,
- Election Committee director Greg Winter and
- public relations director Aaron Null.
However, Greg Winter completed his term and will not continue on the board because of work commitments.
The nine new members allows the board to reach its full complement of 15 trustees.
“For undisclosed reasons, the seven board members previously seated did not run for re-election…..” Here’s the answer: The Ocean Beach Community Foundation, as did the previous Ocean Beach Town Council, has a total of up 15 on our Board of Directors. For continuity, it’s been a tradition to elect Directors for 2-year terms, alternating the time of service so that there will always be Directors serving every year. 8 Directors were elected in 2022 for two-year terms, and then 7 Directors elected in 2024 (this election) for two-year terms. Since there were two additional seats open we had the community elect 9 Directors total, with the top 7 Directors getting two-year terms and the 8th and 9th getting one-year terms. The previous serving 6 Board of
Directors will be up for re-election in 2025 along with the two new Directors just elected.
Gary, thanks for the clarification.
The explanation doesn’t do it for me. This is a brand new organization with a new name and a new 501c designation. The election should have been for all 15 members to demonstrate to the public that it is a new beginning. Retaining seven people from the past does not inspire confidence in anyone. And, not releasing the vote totals just continues past practices of secrecy that are not necessary. If this new group wanted the public’s confidence, they should have released the voting totals and elected a new group. This is just more of the same.
Geoff,
I’ve always respected your journalism and candid insights on local issues. But let me clarify a few misnomers in your comments. The OBCF is not a brand-new 501c3 organization. The OB Town Council and OB Community Foundation co-existed and worked hand-in-hand on positive projects for our community for some time. The OBCF was the primary fundraising arm for the community. When the OBTC had to reorganize earlier this year, the OBCF took the lead as the organization best serving the community with a solid Board of Directors. We held off on holding elections until the OBCF had new updated bylaws and things were stabilized to have an organization continue to produce great community events and direct assistance to those in need in our Ocean Beach community. When the bylaws were updated the Board decided to release the voting percentages for the first time in the history of the OB Town Council or OB Community Foundation. The Board decided to release the percentages rather than the vote totals which was a step in the right direction. I hope this clarifies some of your comments. I must say that the majority of comments from the OB community expressed in our public meetings and emails and online support the work we have done as volunteers to move forward and keep the positive events that we all work so hard to produce continuing in our community. We could have all just walked away from a situation caused by likely one bad apple but we chose to right the ship and give our all for the community we love.
I ahd thought we were cleaning house here and to get the bad smell of even one member causeing all of the embarrassment that became our board for the OB Town Council. Very strange indeed. I was glad I dodged a bullet not running last term, but with 5 remaining questionable members still in the balance, I am full of questions and doubt
I was excited to be involved in the process, but with the website being down it was quite a chore to finally get my candidate statement put together. I would like to thank Gary Gartner for all of his help in going out of his way to make my submission finally happen. What he didn’t know was, I has been dealing with Pneumonia for the last 13 days and I had gone to the doctor to get a new chest x-ray to determine if I needed another round of medicine so I could not be contagious while being at a public function, and to finally knock it out. I was getting ready to go to the library for the events and after a shower I began coughing and could not stop. Long story short, I wound up in the hospital with a partially collapsed left lung, and they kept me there for longer that I thought necessary. I figured I had blown my opportunity and did not follow up by emailing so many friends a link to vote and let them know I had made it into the election with Gary’s help.
I would very much like to still participate in the process and do what I can as my faith and un-wavering commitment to our community has not and will not change. Congrats to the new board members, and may they have much success in making a difference in our community. I am right here behind you all and will do my best to help in any way
Of course, the Pt Loma high grad who is actually from OB doesn’t get elected, but some transplant who has lived here 3 years, does. How did some of these kooks get more than 6% of the votes? Herein lies the problem. Renaming what has turned into an absolute joke of an OB community org solves nothing. Keep on allowing Jen Campbell to let OB rot and welcoming in the not-homeless violent thugs. Keep allowing the City to ignore countless “Get It Done complaints” about months-long violations of the Unsafe Camping Ordinance to continue. Not a fan of this right wing Supreme Court, but they did the right thing in this regards to these public nuisances, and their huge drain on resources.
Correia,
I can certainly relate to your frustrations with the city and especially with their “make it happen” useless consumer app that leads to absolutely nothing. I am currently dealing with the building code enforcement office with similar to absolute failure, even to go as far no response and no record of me even contacting their office. They are horribly understaffed and poorly funded, but speaking as a long term taxpayer here, that’s not really my problem or concern.
This goes to my next point. Ocean Beach has always been a close knit community and has always welcomed visitors and people of all walks in life. We have the only hostle that I can recall anywhere else in town, and I have thought that says so much our welcoming and open minded spirit.
If we have a chance at being heard heard and making a difference for the better, we need to do what we can to come together and renew the unity of love and respect for each other right here in at home in OB first.
I have always wanted to be more involved and that along with my mother’s passing last year, prompted me to run for the board here. Regardless of the vote, I have spoken to members of the existing 6 board members who have weathered the storm of the one bad apple that brought shame to us all by sullying the dignity of our only binding and active organization that has served us adequately for so long. Trust me when I say I have made my intentions clear and been welcomed to participate as if I came in 9th and the new board members will fulfill their duties or can reconsider and withdrawal.
Cheers, and I look forward to working with everyone to better our lives.
Dave Lipscomb