BOARD ELECTIONS - October 22 @ GENERAL MEETING

PUT YOUR IDEAS INTO ACTION. Each year, half of the Board seats come up for election to a two-year term. Caretakers in good standing may vote in the election and are eligible to run for Board positions.  

Persons wishing to be candidates should email westgrovepack@gmail.com with a recent photo and a short biographical paragraph for inclusion here. 

​Caretakers who can not attend the General Meeting in person may designate another Caretaker who will be attending as their proxy for any vote taken at the meeting.  Proxies must be designated by sending an email from your address of record to westgrovepack@gmail.com prior to the start of the meeting.  No Caretaker may hold more than five proxies. For more information about the voting process, click here to view the bylaws.

CandidateS:

The following have announced their candidacy:
​CHAIR:
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Mark Thomsen
You’ll find Mark hugging and kissing all the dogs, even dogs drooling buckets of slobber! His terrier/boxer-mix, Daphne, isn’t a fan of this, but she's still a happy pup and gets her parent’s attention nearly non-stop, especially during agility practice.

Mark works for the Federal Government as a CyberSecurity subject matter expert, and leads several agency-level projects in that area. Mark has also served as President of the Board of Directors for a 96-unit community in Maryland. During the summer, Mark teaches Whitewater Kayaking and Stand-Up paddle boarding for Valley Mill Kayak School. He has served as Vice Chair since October 2017.
VICE CHAIR (Special Election):

In the event that Mark Thomsen is elected Chair, the position of Vice Chair will become vacant and a special election to fill the remainder of the term (which ends in October 2019) will be held.  Candidates are encouraged to run on a contingent basis.
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​Melissa Pandin
Melissa is the co-owner of Porthos, a rescue beagle.  She is the bookkeeper of a dental office in Huntington.  Melissa served as Membership and Fundraising Director from 2015 to 2016 and as Vice Chair from 2016 to 2017.
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SECRETARY:

Emma McAlary
Emma is a proud and obsessed owner of a Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Auggie.  If you see them in the park together, Auggie is the cutie!  They have been regulars there for more than two years.  Emma is a freelance photographer specializing in commercial and editorial work except for the occasional snapshot of her short sidekick.  When not taking photos and hanging out at the park, Emma can be found cuddled up with a good true crime story, or traveling the world. Emma was elected Secretary in February 2018 and is running for a full two-year term.
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​TREASURER
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Jeff Pandin
Jeff Pandin is the co-owner of Porthos, a rescue beagle. He's a history teacher at Edison High School with extensive experience in non-profit management. He's been a regular at the park since Spring 2014, and can frequently be seen manning the grill or fryer on Hot Dog Fridays.  He was elected to the Board in March 2015 and his term expires in October 2018. He hopes to continue efforts to actively manage the turf,  improve drainage in the north end, and implement the Strategic Plan.
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MEMBERSHIP AND FUNDRAISING DIRECTOR:
Marissa Vesay
Marissa is the proud owner of Cairo, her beloved golden retriever who has saved her more times than Marissa can count. Marissa loves her furry best friend and has been a regular volunteer for the PACK since moving to Alexandria in 2015. She loves staying involved and helping make Westgrove Dog Park a long standing gem of the Alexandria community. Marissa has been an At-Large Member of the Board since October 2017.

At-Large member (Special Election):

In the event that Marissa Vesay is elected Membership and Fundraising Director, the position of At-Large Member will become vacant and a special election to fill the remainder of the term (which ends in October 2019) will be held.  Candidates are encouraged to run on a contingent basis.
​Scott Erb
​Scott is the owner of the famous (or infamous) Astro, who is two or three dogs at once.  Scott is a 'freelance' architect and also an inventor with several licensed patents.  He lives in New Alexandria, about 1/4 mile from the dog park, which is important because Astro's twin nuclear power plants need to be drained on a daily basis.   Scott discovered the park a year ago and immediately volunteered to work with the board on developing a long range plan of improvements for the park.  He has been working behind the scenes listening to park goers on the constantly evolving Concept Plan, which can be viewed on this site. He has served as Operations Director since September 2016. He has resigned that position effective at the General Meeting and is seeking election as an At-Large Member.

​Operations director (SPECIAL ELECTION):

Scott Erb's resignation has created a vacancy in the position of Operations Director.  At this time, no candidates have announced for this position.  If one or more candidates announce at or before the General Meeting, a special election for this position will be held at that meeting to fill the remainder of the term (which ends in October 2019).  If no candidate steps forward, the Board will appoint an Interim Operations Director and a special election will be held at the next General Meeting.
Positions open for election:
CHAIR: 
​The Chair prepares and distributes meeting agendas, conducts meetings, and facilitates discussion and flow of information to members. The Chair is the primary spokesperson of the P.A.C.K.
SECRETARY: 
​The Secretary maintains records of all Board and general meetings.
TREASURER: 
​The Treasurer is responsible for preparation of all legal documents including quarterly and annual financial statements and all required government filings. The Treasurer assists in development of the P.A.C.K. budget, chairs the Finance Committee, keeps track of all revenues, and disburses funds according to the approved budget.
​MEMBERSHIP & FUNDRAISING DIRECTOR: 
This position is responsible for maintaining the list of voting members, recruiting new members, and raising funds for operations and capital improvements.
AT-LARGE MEMBER:
These board members assist in the management of the organization and perform other duties as determined by the Chair in concert with the Board.
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