After an extensive search of coastal retirement communities from Virginia to Florida, my wife Debbie and I feel incredibly lucky that our search led us to the vibrant, warm, and welcoming community of Seabrook. After three years of full-time residence, Seabrook now feels like home, despite more than 35 years in Connecticut. My goal as a board member is to maintain and improve the special place Seabrook has become for all of us.
After graduating from West Point, I served on active duty for eleven years followed by twelve years in the reserves. Learning how to listen, how to have a good relationship with different viewpoints and allowing subordinates to expand to their full potential were the most important lessons from my military experience. My experience with two years on Long Range Planning and a year on the Safety and Security Committee, indicates we have nine hard-working and diligent committees that work as an extension of the Board. It is important to listen to those committee recommendations and ask the appropriate questions for the Board to reach decisions. The effective use of these committees expands the base of twelve Board members to more than seventy hard-working Seabrookers.
My Army engineering experience led to another 35 years in the construction industry, working on the planning, design, and construction of over one hundred projects. For thirteen of those years, I owned an engineering consulting firm, learning hard HR and finance lessons. Most recently, I served as an expert witness in numerous construction litigations. Applicable lessons learned include how to run a business and how to coalesce a group of facts into a coherent conclusion. I look forward to applying my engineering and construction experience towards ongoing projects on Seabrook.
The Board needs to be responsive to the various stakeholders on Seabrook, including part-time and full-time residents. In addition, SIPOA needs to work with the Club and the Town of Seabrook Island as we coordinate and make wise decisions on the master plan. My work on the TOSI Planning Commission last year and the TOSI infrastructure and construction committee next year should help in that coordination.
Another guiding force in my life has been giving back to the community. For more than 30 years, I have run scholarship golf tournaments for CMAA and SAME, helping to raise several hundred thousand dollars for their scholarship programs, as well as serving on their board of directors. In addition, I have served on the committee to build a church sanctuary, a town playground and park improvements. As I retired at the end of 2024, my focus shifted from work to opportunities to give back, to include continuing to support TOSI and SIPOA. As part of the construction advisor committee for the new Ronald McDonald House, we are going to construction this fall in Charleston.
We enjoy travel, golf, spending time with family and friends, and the wonderful recreational opportunities Seabrook has to offer. My vision for Seabrook is one of maintaining the island we have all grown to love with smart maintenance and capital budget decisions, while identifying areas where we can continue to improve our island.