Members-At-Large WHAT IS A MEMBER-AT-LARGE and what’s their role? Our Board of Directors currently has three committees specific to a department, or specific to an area in which we need an advisory committee of Board Members and members-at-large. In this issue and future issues to come we will highlight these members-atlarge so you can get to know them and see what all they are up to. These members-at-large are the
glue that holds these committees together. They help develop processes, make conclusions, and execute plans to further better our community. Most committee members use their professional backgrounds to help advise their specific committees. There are committee applications for members in good standing to fill out if they are interested in being on a Board Committee. It’s a great way to get involved and be part of the
process! These committees consist of Strategic Planning, Finance, and Architectural Control. Today we take a look at the Lot Default Committee (LDC) membersat-large. The LDC currently has three members-at-large: Jo Alex, Bob Halpin, and Linda Tilley. Read below to see what they have to say about their committee and what they have to say about themselves.
Jo Alex MEMBER-AT-LARGE
W
hat makes Canadian Lakes a wonderful community? The various private lakes for fishing, boating, swimming or just enjoying nature are great. Or the choices of golf courses and the fact that Canadian Lakes offers many amenities such as pools, community events, and even a Castle. The area also offers local restaurants, doctors and even shopping boutiques. All of these wonderful things enhance our community. But what makes it really great, is the variety of people who have chosen to make Canadian Lakes their home, and who are driven to help make our community better. With an MBA from Grand Valley State University, I spent 38 years in the food and beverage industry, with about 30 of these years working at Coca-Cola, in a variety of positions in Finance, IT and project management positions. My husband Bill and I decided to retire in 2015. We are Michiganders at heart but spent the past 20 years in Chicagoland area. While Chicago is a great city, it wasn’t home. Therefore, when we decided to ditch the rat race, it was an easy decision on where to move. After one day of looking, we found our fulltime year-round home on Lake Laura. What an adjustment it was from working for 60 plus hours a week to fishing at leisure. It didn’t take long 16 |
THE CANADIAN LAKER
for me to become restless and decide to look around to see how I could participate in our new community. I started by joining the Canadian Lakes Association in 2017, and soon was Membership Director where I have helped the CLA expand its membership base and support community events. My term with the CLA will end this year. Then in 2019 until it’s dissolution in 2021, I accepted the position as Member-At-Large of the Lot Default Ad Hoc Committee (LDC). As a member of the LDC, I had the opportunity to create a Canadian Lakes property database
which allowed the committee as well as the State Land Bank to mine data to identify opportunities, create plans and ideas to address future status of various lots. Then this year I started as Member-At-Large for the Strategic Planning Committee. My participation in the Strategic Planning Committee is new, but I am amazed to see how many plans or projects are in review or are being considered by each department of Canadian Lakes. These plans offer improvements for our community. Some are very noticeable, such as the beach improvements, and some are more behind the scenes, such as the cooler for the Royal Grille. All three of these roles have allowed me to contribute to our community by volunteering my skill sets and to offer ways in which I can help enhance our community. But more importantly, these committees have allowed me to meet many other dedicated volunteers, dedicated board members and members of our community who recognize the value of volunteerism, and who are also committed to make this community the best it can be.
