DIRECTORS ELECTION

Questions? Email Elizabeth Simpson at esimpson@pdpoa.org.

Board Candidates

Nominating Committee selected candidates:

Kurt Faires, 468 Captains Walk

I have had two careers, the first in business and the second in law where I have served professionally as the President of three POAs for an overseas client as well as providing legal counsel to several other POAs.  It is that particular experience which led me to seek a PD board seat after having served on the PD Nominating and Security committees the last two years.  I attended Vanderbilt University for my MBA and Washington University in St. Louis for my J.D.  My business background includes investment banking and turnaround consulting before purchasing a manufacturing company out of bankruptcy and restoring it to profitability in one year.  I understand financial statements and am willing to challenge the status quo if needed.

A sampling of my non-profit civic board activity includes the United Way, Rotary, Tennesseans for Student Success, the Salvation Army and various other education and arts groups.
We first came to HHI 26 years ago.  I am married to a judge and we have four children.  We are daily pickleballers and bicyclists at PD.

Why do you want to serve on the PDPOA Board of Directors?  Is there anything in particular you would like to accomplish?
As noted in my bio, my professional experience as either the paid President of three POAs or legal advisor to numerous others provides a relevant skill set to offer to PD.  The particular goals I would like to see accomplished start with ensuring best practices in terms of board governance, providing transparency to owners on the front end of major board decisions, allowing owners a forum to be heard and striving to treat all parties fairly.  Ideally, we would also establish a culture of trust among all groups.

What do you see as the most important challenges facing PD in the next 5 years?
Dunes House versus alternatives where owners can gather and socialize.  How to best address the competing concerns of the greatest number of people.
Security – after having served during the past year on the PD Safety and Security committee, there is an important issue regarding how to manage or control non-paying third parties into PD via Dunes Buggy, Marriott, etc.
Striking the right balance between permanent owners and short term renters.

Bob Talbot, 66 Full Sweep

Bob and his wife Sue have owned three different properties in Palmetto Dunes over the 20+ years they’ve been visiting the island. As their three children have grown, they have invested in and improved each property while they moved around the world. Prior to retirement, Bob worked for the consumer products company Unilever for almost 30 years as a Vice President for Supply Chain and Finance in various business units and locations. Palmetto Dunes has been the constant in their lives as they have always vacationed here and rented out the properties when they were away. They plan to spend more of the year in Hilton Head; but the Chicago area is home as long as their growing family still lives there. They also maintain a successful real estate LLC based in Illinois. Bob has served on the PDPOA Finance committee for the last 18 months and learned about its operations. He has six years of experience in various leadership roles on the Board of Literacy DuPage and on the Omni Hilton Head Advisory Board.

Why do you want to serve on the PDPOA Board of Directors?  Is there anything in particular you would like to accomplish?
Our own investments in Palmetto Dunes have always been with an eye towards the long term. I want my children and eventually grandchildren to enjoy Palmetto Dunes as much as we have. I would make certain that decisions that we take ensure that it is around and in solid shape for them. My experience in strategic planning, capital projects, and financial management can help make good use of owners’ resources on the most important projects. In particular, let’s make the Dunes House a world class amenity and work to improve security and network access across the property.

What do you see as the most important challenges facing PD in the next 5 years?
We are coming off a few years of very solid financial results. We should use these strong years to continue to build our reserves and deal with any items that have been put off rather than try to take on new, large projects. Also, we should continue to make Palmetto Dunes the best community for our owners, for all those who vacation here, but also for those who work here to provide for their families through continued monitoring and enhancement in the employer of choice programs.

Chad Terefenko, 2 Lee Shore

Chad’s been coming to HHI & PD to enjoy many wonderful family vacations for 35+ yrs. Wanting their children (Ryleigh  – 12), (Locklyn  – 3) & (Tobyn – 2 months)  to also experience the charm & beauty of PD, Chad & his wife (Emily) purchased 2 Lee Shore in 2021. They’re ecstatic to officially be part of this amazing community and have enjoyed getting to know many other property owners! For now, Chad & Emily will continue to reside in PA, but will also be spending significant time in PD. They’ve made their house available as a short-term rental in the near-term and are planning to move to Palmetto Dunes full-time within the next few years.

Chad’s experience includes having served as a member of his local community HOA in PA for the last 6 years (serving as President from 2019-2021). He ran as a petitioned candidate for the PDPOA BOD in 2021 and is currently active in PD as a member of the PDPOA STR (Short-Term Rental) focus group & the Safety & Security committee.

Why do you want to serve on the PDPOA Board of Directors? Is there anything in particular you would like to accomplish? 
I want to work towards improved alignment of the goals & vision of ALL PD property owners to create a greater sense of harmony, balance & satisfaction in our community. As a STR (Short-Term Rental) property owner, I look to bring an additional voice & perspective to the Board which better represents the nearly 1,200 STR property owners. While short-term properties account for approximately 50% of owners, many STR property owners would like to see more Board representation. I am confident that I have the proper perspective to improve our community for all to enjoy for many years to come.

What do you see as the most important challenges facing Palmetto Dunes in the next 5 years?
It’s a critical time for the PDPOA, with mounting frustration & a growing divide among owners. In speaking with multiple owners on both “sides” (STR & primary owners), the dissention appears to be getting worse as PD is experiencing unprecedented growth. With many people desiring to visit & live in PD, it’s placing a significant strain on our community. One specific challenge is guests and visitors not observing community rules & regulations. As a Board member, I would offer creative solutions to communicate with guests while identifying mutually agreeable ways for all owners to better support & enforce the rules.

Petitioned candidates:

Dacia Allen, 59 Offshore

Dacia and her husband, Don, bought their home on Off Shore in 2013 and have been full-time residents for the past six years. She has four children and two grandchildren. Her family started vacationing yearly in Palmetto Dunes back in 1995. The beauty of this island paradise was the main factor in choosing to live here.

Dacia has had a well-rounded career that has always centered around serving people. Dacia’s first career was in education, where she served her students for 23 years. Her current profession centers around her real estate clients. Her main drive is to know the market and find the right property and neighborhood for each of her clients. She diligently works to help welcome them into Island Life!

Dacia is extremely active in our community and on the island. She is a proud member of the Palmetto Dunes Women’s Club, WAHHI (Women’s Association of Hilton Head Island), the Audubon Society and the Turtle Trackers. She understands the importance of community, volunteering, and caring for those that are in her neighborhood.

Why do you want to serve on the PDPOA Board of Directors? Is there anything in particular you would like to accomplish? 
I want to advocate for ALL of our membership! I would like to accomplish a true balance between all that live, work, and play here. I believe this can be accomplished by open and effective communication, studying traffic patterns, monitoring daily parking practices, becoming a truly “gated” community, opening invitations for all committees, establishing a democratic procedure for voting on certain issues and to become a truly transparent board publishing detailed monthly meeting agenda with member comments sections that are included in the meeting’s recorded minutes. We should listen to our members’ comments and ideas and explore them thoroughly.

What do you see as the most important challenges facing Palmetto Dunes in the next 5 years?
*Decreased Sense of Community. Need to establish a Palmetto Dunes Neighborhood Planning Committee to schedule monthly owner activities. We need to start a Welcome Committee that will “meet” with new owners to explain procedures in our community and truly integrate them as new neighbors.
*Lack of Compliance Standards on commercial entities. Establishing compliance standards on all properties in PD.
*Increasing security patrols and equally enforcing communities rules and regulations. Making all accountable for infractions.
*Proactively purchasing areas for Owner Owned Amenities. Research and create a master community plan. Owners need to be the main focus in our community!

Maureen Glass, 33 Port Tack

• Lived full time in Palmetto Dunes for over 20 years.
• Licensed Registered Nurse working in various hospitals and doctors’ offices across the country.
• Volunteered at the Veterans Victory House – Curry Unit, Walterboro, SC.
• Military Officers Association of America, Hilton Head Chapter, MSP Vice-President. Where I started fundraising program in support of the Curry Unit.
• Red Cross – Recruited and trained volunteer nurses.
• Member Palmetto Dunes Woman’s Club.
• Volunteered at preschool for visually impaired as an assistant teacher.
• Owned business investigating medical insurance fraud.
• Sales associate.
• Served on multiple boards:
  • Great Lakes Naval Hospital; and Fort Sheridan Medical Clinic.
  • Thrift shop boards – Fort Sheridan and Fort Monroe in addition to acting as a staff member and manager.
  • Fort Bragg Womack Army Hospital.
  • Officers Wives Club boards at various military installations over a span of 20 years.
  • Community mayor – Fort Monroe.

Why do you want to serve on the PDPOA Board of Directors? Is there anything in particular you would like to accomplish? 
It is my philosophy, that when you sit on a board, you represent the community not yourself. I have practiced that on every board on which I have participated.  I would bring forward any ideas that someone in the community suggests, not just the ones that appeal to me.  It is my feeling that participation on a board should be a collaborative effort.  We should be a team working towards a common goal of keeping Palmetto Dunes the special community it has become.

What do you see as the most important challenges facing Palmetto Dunes in the next 5 years?

• Enhance board transparency and trust among all owners. Further open more lines of communication.
• The need to make sure that the board is fiscally responsible, and insure that we prioritize needs of the community before wants.
• In the face of growing inflation, efficiently manage operational and infrastructure costs in effort to reduce costs.
• Provide for effective security measures in these times of potentially rising crime in our community.
• Improve the sense of community by balancing the desires of full time residents, part time residents, investment property owners, and all commercial activities in Palmetto Dunes.

* Dale Dawson has removed her petition to run for the Board.

Meet the Candidates

Nominated Candidates

Petitioned Candidates