Congratulations to Wei-Li, James and Besty!
The final, certified vote tallies were:
#3 Wei-Li Tjong 461
#5 James Mastroianni 441
#8 Betsy Jacobson 424
#6 Leah Strock 397
#1 Arnold Sandler 360
#7 Tina Reiter 344
#2 Marc Albaum 151
ABSTAIN 3
Based on these numbers, at least 861 shareholders cast votes.
Thanks also go out to Marc Albaum, Dave Pass and Dia Shepardson for their service over the past three years.
Following is the text of a flier that was circulated by former director Jodi Zagoory, who is also an occasional contributor to the Seward Spark.
When I served on the Board of Directors, we rebranded the co-op as “Seward Park Cooperative” instead of “Seward Park Housing Corporation.” We believed fully in the cooperative character of our community, and wanted it to be the first impression we gave to the outside world. But as directors, we also never lost sight of the fact that our cooperative is in fact a business corporation.
As shareholders, we elect directors to the Board to be the stewards of a corporation that today has a $25 million annual budget and over $1 billion in assets. They are charged with making decisions for our benefit, and it is crucial that they have the qualifications, work ethic and temperament to tackle this difficult assignment in an informed, collaborative fashion.
We absolutely need directors who will remember every day that they are overseeing a cooperative consisting of neighbors who call the cooperative home, not faceless shareholders who can simply dump their stock if they don’t like the corporation’s direction. And I can happily say that I believe that all of the candidates running for the Board this year fit that bill.
But we also need directors who are willing and able to do the work of a director. They need to engage with and develop a deep understanding of the important and complex issues we face, like restructuring our debts, handling offers to buy air rights, responding to lawsuits, and more. It is not enough to want peace. Past Boards led by directors who chose to stick their heads in the sand led us to big budget holes (and big maintenance increases), bungled contracts and long-deferred necessary capital projects.
At Meet the Candidates Night, there were three candidates who had clearly done their homework. They were familiar with the issues, had studied the co-op’s financial statements, and gave thoughtful and informed answers to questions. These three candidates stood out for their mindfulness of the needs of all cooperators, and also for their positivity and their knowledge and eagerness to serve.
On June 15th, please join me in voting for #3 Wei-Li Tjong, #5 James Mastroianni and #6 Leah Strock, for a board that is truly cooperative, and also effective.
Jodi Zagoory
Former Member
Seward Park Cooperative Board of Directors
Seward Park Cooperative shareholders return to the polls on Wednesday, June 15. Please remember to vote! If you are unable to vote in person on Wednesday, you can vote online using the codes you should have received in the mail from Election America. If you have misplaced your codes, please contact us and we will send you a proxy form that will allow another shareholder to cast a vote on your behalf.
This year’s Seward Spark endorsements come from Kate Nammacher, who recently served on the Board as a director, president, and treasurer.
After reviewing the candidates’ biographies and hearing their presentations at Meet the Candidates, I believe that the following three candidates stand out for their high levels of engagement, knowledge and professionalism, and their complementary skills.
#3 Wei-Li Tjong – Wei-Li previously served three terms on the Board and distinguished himself as a leader in making improvements and finding cost savings for the co-op. As a practicing corporate attorney his professional focus is spotting potential problems and figuring out cost-effective ways to avoid them. At Meet the Candidates he said his proudest achievements from his prior Board tenure include settling major lawsuits that could have cost us millions and slashing our legal bills by changing the way we engage with our lawyers. He is responsible for replacing our prior management company with Greenthal/ Frank Durant, resulting in enormous quality of life improvements for all shareholders. Wei-Li grew up in the co-op and chose to return here as an adult, representing concerns of both lifelong residents and new arrivals.
#5 James Mastroianni – Jim is a relative newcomer to SPC compared to many of the other candidates, but has jumped right in to volunteer as an active member of various co-op community groups and celebrations. Jim is a corporate tax attorney and a partner at the accounting megafirm PWC, bringing skills that are crucial in the Boardroom. His knowledge about co-op issues was on full display at Meet the Candidates, where Jim cited financial figures from memory and explained bylaw provisions that seemed completely unfamiliar to other candidates. With skyrocketing real estate taxes, we strongly need Jim’s level of expertise.
#6 Leah Strock – Leah has lived in the co-op since 1989. She is a nurse practitioner with extraordinary listening and problem solving skills. A frequent and always positive participant on various online community forums, an enthusiastic volunteer for GASP (Gays at Seward Park), children’s programs, Hurricane Sandy response and more, she is a model of neighborliness and cooperation. At Meet the Candidates she had smart and informed answers to every question that was sent her way. She will be a force for moderation, consensus and progress in the Boardroom.
Whether or not you agree that these candidates are the best, please exercise your shareholder right to vote! We need strong representation and good voter turnout.
Your neighbor and former director, president and treasurer,
Kate Nammacher