Candidates for EHHOA Board

Below are brief bios of incumbents and nominees running for East Hills HOA board of directors for 2013 and 2014.  The election will be at the annual homeowner meeting on Wednesday, November 28, 2012 7:00 p.m. at the Colonie Town Hall, 534 Loudon Road, Loudonville, NY 12128.

INCUMBENTS:

Anne Conolly, 1 Callaway Circle, (current board secretary)

I taught in public and private schools for 25 years in Albany while raising my four children and living in Kinderhook.  My son and his wife live in San Francisco.  My oldest daughter is a doctor in Vermont, I’m planning a December wedding for my middle daughter who is a third year law student in San Diego, and my youngest daughter is a junior at Boston University.
 

Currently I run a summer camp in Hebron, NH.   Camp Onaway is a non-profit and has been around for 101 years; it is a traditional camp program for girls with all the usual camp activities: sailing, canoeing, tennis, hiking, dance, drama, arts and crafts etc.  The focus is on skill building but more important character and community building. With an emphasis on simple living, it is great to see girls unplugged for the summer. No cell phones, TV or computers.  They actually learn to talk to each other!

Here in Albany I enjoy tennis, golf, bridge, walking my dog, reading, and being with friends. I’d love to see East Hills continue to become a community where neighbors know neighbors.

Tommie Palladino, 18 Yardley Ct. (current board treasurer)

After so many moves over the years, John and I settled in East Hills 7 years ago.  Situated in a lovely setting, with great schools and easy access to so much, we have never been happier. 

I have 6 grandchildren and when not taxiing them to their activities, I enjoy gardening and RPI Hockey.  I am also very active in the local figure skating club where I am proud to be an official of the sport.  I retired from RPI after 24 years of service. I ended my career as an Assistant to the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences. 

Having served as EHHOA treasurer for the past four years, I have met so many new residents.  Recently I joined the Beautification Committee and helped with many other residents to plant flowers at the mail kiosks.

Bill Reynolds 24 Cheshire Way (current vice-president, chair of social committee and blogmaster)

My wife Carol and I have lived in East Hills since 2005. We have two daughters. Our daughter Beth and our three grandsons live in Delmar. Our daughter Catherine lives in Seattle. I enjoy a number of outdoor activities including kayaking, biking, downhill skiing and snowshoeing. I also enjoy classical music, plays and museums. I am interested in environmental conservation and historical preservation. I love reading, particularly American history.

I have degrees from Northwestern University and the University of Michigan. During the 26 years I worked for the New York State Department of Health my roles included directing the Bureau of Standards Development. Since retiring from the Department of Health I have consulted for a number of states including Florida and California.

I have served on the boards of many national, state and local organizations. I currently serve on the board of Family and Child Service of Schenectady and the steering committee of the Capital District Senior Issues Forum.

I love living in East Hills and appreciate the special qualities of the community. I am anxious to contribute what I can to maintain it through effective stewardship by the EHHOA board in collaboration with the residents. I am committed to fostering the maintenance and improvement of the common areas.  In addition the board must actively encourage compliance with the protective covenant provisions by residents. I am working to foster the creation of a stronger community through more social interaction and a sense of connectedness through planned social activities sponsored by the EHHOA and effective use of our blog for sharing information. 

Bernie Schunicht, 58 Cheshire Way (current board president)

Retired chemical engineer with 40 years at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory. At KAPL I Was a lead developer of nuclear reactor software writing over 100K lines of Fortran for a complex multi-modular system. The bulk of my career was spent developing mini- and micro-computer data acquisition and device control software in several assembly languages and included the development of the underlying operating system. This latter phase of my career positioned me as the laboratory's primary consultant and reviewer of vendor developed software dependent systems. I hold a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Speed Scientific School of the University of Louisville and a masters degree from RPI.

My wife, Ellie, and I have four children and enjoy traveling to Oregon, Houston, Richmond and Rochester to visit them and our seven grandchildren. We are cruise enthusiasts for enjoying our elder years and have cruised over 340 days.

I was a competition cyclist for 25 years earning seven Empire State Games gold medals and multiple other medals. I am an avid flower and vegetable gardener, woodworker, past tropical fish expert and pursue multiple other hobbies. 

One hobby is the EHHOA board of directors where I was covenants compliance chair for two years and served as board president for five years.

Michael Sheldon, 10 Yardley Ct. (current chair of the landscape committee)

My name is Mike Sheldon and I am running for the East Hills Homeowners Association Board. My wife Diane and I reside at 10 Yardley Court where we have enjoyed living in the East Hills community since 2004.

We have two sons, Kevin and Brian, a daughter Anne and two grandchildren, Anthony and Annalise.

I am a graduate of Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) in Albany and Marist College in Poughkeepsie. I am presently employed as the Director of Operations for the CSEA Capital Region Office in Latham.

I am seeking a second term on the EHHOA Board and I am looking forward to serving you primarily as the EHHOA Grounds Representative. 
           

NOMINEES:

Wendy Horn, 13 Shelbourne Drive  (nominee).

I am a stay-at-home mother to three children (ages 5, 8 and 10) and have been living in East Hills since 2001.  I was asked to join the Homeowners Association Board in order to add the perspective of a younger family to the group.  We have a wonderful mix of people living in East Hills and I will offer my thoughts on how the Board serves each household.  I believe East Hills is a fantastic neighborhood with friendly neighbors and a beauty and uniqueness that is hard to find.  

Currently, I am very active at Blue Creek Elementary School.  I am the committee chair of the school’s yearbook and help out with the P.T.A. and in the classrooms.  I've also been active in the past with regard to keeping our neighbors updated on the development that was proposed to border East Hills.

Until a few years ago, I worked as a Director of Marketing for MetLife.  I have my M.B.A. in Marketing from The University of Connecticut and grew up in Clifton Park.  In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, trying new restaurants and skiing (all of which happened way more often before the three kids came along!).  My husband, Chris, and our kids, Connor, Nolan & Lily (and our dog Colby) reside at 13 Shelbourne Drive.

Walter Rivera, 10 Cheshire Way, (nominee)

Most of career Surgeon, private practice and VA experience, 30-plus years, medically retired due to combat deployment related injury. Three combat deployments plus 9-11. Devoted to teaching young medical students and surgical residents as well as military medicine. Leadership experience as commander (military), chief of surgery (private practice) and VA leadership. Still in military part-time.

Resident of East Hills for over 10 years and no plans for leaving...this is home. Have time to contribute positively to our community.