2019-2022 Brochure
Resume of Candidates 2019—2022 Board of Governors
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2018/2019 Nominating Committee John Cohen, Chairman Jane Feinstein, Non-Voting Board Member James Anchin, Non-Voting 2017/18 Committee
Resume of Candidates
Martin Cohen **
Brett Handler *
Wendi Adler Maxine Aigen Judith Cosentino Susan Fuirst Paul Konigsberg Ellen Lattman
Kevin Kramp **
Krista Nicklaus *
Robert Scherer *
Ethel Schultz *
David Leven Laura Lustig Judy Rubin
Herbert Selzer *
Gerald Shaw Susan Shaw Melvin Shuter Lewis Steinberg Carol West
* Nominated by the Nominating committee
** Nominated by Petition
Martin Cohen
Martin, and his wife, Nancy, have been members of Frenchman’s Creek since 1990, and full-time members since 2001.
His career is summarized:
Raised in Eastern Connecticut and served in Japan as a Marine Corps Lieutenant. Graduate of Brown University and The Wharton School (MBA).
CPA with Price Waterhouse and appointee to US Treasury Dept. (tax legislation). CFO and Board member of the Washington Post Co. (33 years, including Watergate). Officer or Board level volunteer positions with Children’s Hospital National Medical Center, Philip L. Graham Foundation, Palm Beach Gardens Firefighters’ Pension Fund, Maltz Jupiter Theater, Woodmont Country Club and Coach of Montgomery County Champion Western Jr. High Soccer team. Frenchman’s Creek Board member (1994-2001) and President (two terms), during which time the original Strategic Plan was adopted and the Club/POA merger completed. Finance Committee Chairman (2002/2003). 1. What do you consider to be our community’s greatest strengths? There are too many to mention, as with others of like nature. However, none has our crown jewel—the Beach Club; and perhaps no other has our single-membership/low density size which so perfectly fits our extensive facilities. Absent significant debt and combined with the engaging, innovative attitude of our professional management and staff, this is a place where expectations are readily met. With pru- dent enhancements, surely that should continue. 2. How can your talents best serve the community as a Board Member? Simply put, our wonderful community is unsettled by confusing, ineffective communication from a Board that, among other things, must regain the members’ confidence. I think my analytical skills, experience, maturity and civility can help reset the Board and reconnect it to the membership. This requires the an- ticipation and appreciation of differing views, and a willingness to reconcile (not overcome) them. Moreover, issues and recommendations need to be communicated to the membership fully, in clear terms unencumbered by bias or the presumption of others’ needs. That’s because Board members are not only representatives with a special vote, they also act as trustees for the common good, recognizing that for important measures broad community acceptance—not a slim majority, is the purposeful goal. That means flexibility, attentiveness and, foremost, accommodation to substantial disagreement, are integral to a sound deliberative process. The issue of repair/refurbish is specifically what brings me here, but its my love of Frenchman’s Creek that causes me to continue residence and serve again. Properly handled, a satisfactory resolution can be fashioned. I therefore choose to return to the Board to restore sensibility and, yes, harmony to this wonderful place. It deserves no less.
Brett Handler
Brett, and his wife, Chris, have lived in Frenchman's Creek since 2016. Resi- dents of Palm Beach Gardens since 1994, Brett and Chris enjoy the wonder- ful Frenchman's Creek lifestyle year-round. Upon graduating from Towson University with a bachelor's degree in Busi- ness Finance, Brett, a native of Baltimore, moved to Florida and began a ca- reer as a stock broker until he eventually joined his family's construction busi- ness. After spending 13 years developing communities and building produc-
tion homes, Brett founded Dreamstar Custom Homes in 2000. Specializing in new home construction in country club communities and waterfront areas, Dreamstar eventually evolved into the design-build firm that it is today. While Brett is still at the helm of Dreamstar, he has passed the responsibilities of the daily operations to his son, Scott. Brett has made a point to attend almost every Board meeting and has shared many ideas with Board members. He visited several committee meetings and has recently found a home on the Club Building Committee. 1. What do you consider to be our community’s greatest strengths? Frenchman's Creek is an incredibly kind community and our members enjoy a very special way of life. The service based management philosophy continues to guide us as a leading club community in South Florida. Our staff's dedication to our safety, well-being, comfort and enjoyment is unlike any oth- er. 2. How can your talents best serve the community as a Board Member? As a State of Florida Certified Building Contractor, I bring 30 years of experience in South Florida con- struction to assist the Club in consultations and negotiations with our trade professionals in our various construction projects. I am able to help navigate the Board through the construction process by inter- preting the information that is given and breaking it down so that it is easily understood by all, in order that informed decisions can be made.
Kevin Kramp
Kevin, and his husband, Mark H. Hurd, joined Frenchman’s Creek in May of 2015. They are currently full-time residents and have no plans to change their full-time residency! He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Public Relations. While working at various companies full-time during his edu- cation, he landed a position with the University of California, Irvine Medical Center in 1986 and, subsequently the main Campus of the University.
His civic Board service included:
Financial support—The LGBT Center OC of Santa Ana, California, for several years.
Additionally, his University service included: Chair of the Budget Committee.
Campus Representative to the Campus Budget Advisory Committee. Campus Representative to the UC System-wide Academic Business Officer Group Steering Committee. Member of the Workgroup to create a new Accounts Payable System for the Campus. Co-Chair of Managers of Academic Business Offices. Principle Investigator Report Work Group Member. At Frenchman’s Creek, Kevin has been a member of the Finance Committee for two years and has served on the Tennis Committee, which he continues to be very active in and supportive of the tennis program. 1. What do you consider to be our community’s greatest strengths? We have terrific members that are really caring, considerate and work toward making a wonderful com- munity. 2. How can your talents best serve the community as a Board Member? As I have never lived in a community setting such as this, I am, in a lot of ways, the perfect person to be a Board member. That is, a fresh set of eyes is one of the most important things for an organization or community to have. We should never forget that while we are a community, we are also a business and questioning our current processes and policies is a good practice. As well, I believe my analytical skills and financial background would be very useful as we enter into a very tricky time of making our largest financial investment to date for the community and its membership.
Krista Nicklaus
Krista, and her husband, Steve, moved to Frenchman’s Creek in July 2014 and are full-time members. They currently own two homes at Frenchman’s Creek, recently moving into their newly constructed custom waterfront home. They have three children, two of which attend The Ben- jamin School and their oldest is at Florida State University.
Krista currently serves on the Frenchman’s Creek Board of Governors (2016-Present) and as a member of the Board of Trustees at The Benja-
min School. She is actively involved in all her children’s school and sports activities, as well as vol- unteering in the classroom and as a “team mom”. Together, Krista and Steve have co-chaired the Benjamin School B.A.S.H. fundraising Gala for the past two years. Krista moved from Rice Lake, Wisconsin in 1990 to attend the Southeastern Academy of Travel and Tourism in Orlando, after which she relocated to North Palm Beach to manage the Travel Incorporated Agency, an industry leader in executive, individual and group travel. In 1997, she opened Eloquence Fine Jewelry & Gifts in North Palm Beach, the area’s most trusted and recommended jeweler, offering custom-designed pieces. 1. What do you consider to be our Community’s greatest strengths? The casual but elegant living that Frenchman’s Creek continues to offer to its residents is one of the community’s greatest strengths. We are unique in that we stay open year-round while many other clubs are closed during the summer months. This provides us with the opportunity to enjoy our many venues including the Sports Bar, Beach Club, The Grille, 19th Hole and the Poolside Ca- fé as well as our amazing recreational facilities which are also available 12 months a year. Our low density continues to be attractive and adds to the value of our future membership and home sales. Our staff provides above and beyond services that other clubs may not offer. Frenchman’s Creek is unique in every way. 2. How can your talents best serve the Community as a Board Member? With the construction of my second home at Frenchman’s Creek, I have gained considerable knowledge of the construction process and feel that this is a very important time for the future of Frenchman’s Creek. I believe that my fresh ideas will contribute to the growth of new memberships as well as enhancing the existing membership. This will be my third year as a Board member and fifth as a full-time resident. My husband and I are committed to the future of our Club. It is an honor and privilege to serve on the Frenchman’s Creek Board of Governors.
Robert Scherer
Bob, and his wife, Candy joined Frenchman’s Creek when they started their home renovation in mid-2016. They became active participants in the com- munity almost immediately and moved into their new home in March of last year. Bob is currently serving on both the Finance and Golf Committees while Candy contributes as a member of both the Fitness and Tennis Com- mittees. They are Florida residents and plan on spending approximately 7 months at Frenchman’s Creek and 5 months at their northern residence in Potomac, Maryland. They have three sons.
Bob is a founding partner and currently a Managing Director at Graystone Consulting, a major insti- tutional and fiduciary investment consulting practice and a wholly-owned business of Morgan Stan- ley. He currently leads the Metropolitan D.C. practice of Graystone. He has been at the firm since 1983 as an advisor to retirement plans, endowments, foundations and ultra-high net worth families. He has served on the Graystone Consulting Board of Advisors, and the Graystone Foundation, since their inception. Bob's previous experience includes consulting and mergers & acquisition work at Tenneco, Price Waterhouse, and Arthur Andersen. He graduated from Bucknell University with a degree in psy- chology (1973) and received his MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (1975). Bob was one of the original founders of the Association of Professional Investment Consultants (APIC) in 1989 and served on its Board of Directors for 12 years. He also previously served for 8 years on the Board of Governors for Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland. Bob is cur- rently on the Investment Committee of the Washington Hebrew Congregation in D.C. 1. What do you consider to be our community’s greatest strengths? Our strengths are obvious and plentiful: Our membership, their hospitality, their charitable nature and the close-knit sense of community that is Frenchman’s; Our management and their staff are hardworking, accomplished, accommodating, creative and caring; Our low density, while bearing an extra sense of communal and economic responsibility, is a major plus for all of us in our day to day lives and in our access to Frenchman’s many wonderful facilities and amenities; and, of course, the beautiful property and golf courses which surround us. 2. How can your talents best serve the community as a Board Member? I have spent the vast majority of my career consulting to committees. A large part of my efforts revolves around taking a wide variety of views and outlooks among committee members and helping them to forge a strategic consensus regarding their investments and spending policy. In addition, I have a substantive financial background. Both of these skill sets should be particularly well suited to the needs of the Frenchman’s Creek Board and the community.
Ethel Schultz
Ethel, and her husband, Harvey, have been residents of Frenchman’s Creek for 22 years and have enjoyed all of their time here. They have two sons and four grandchildren who have spent much holiday time and have collected many wonderful memories at the “Creek.”
At Frenchman’s Creek, Ethel currently serves on the Board of Governors and is a Co-Chair of the Entertainment/Special Events Committee. Ethel participated in the past two Club shows and is currently a member of the Frenchman’s Creek Ladies Golf Association where she has served as the Ladies Tournament and Ladies Golf Chair. In the early years, Ethel participated in her family businesses, including retail jewelry stores and en- tertainment venues. She also sold residential real estate in New Jersey and then became involved in an upscale clothing line sold nationwide. She continues to be involved in this business with her daughter-in-law who took over the Worth Collection agency. In New Jersey, Ethel served as President of the National Council of Jewish Women and was a mem- ber of the Board. She also served as the President of Sisterhood, Temple Beth El, Chaired the Women’s Federation and was a founder of the Women’s Foundation for Breast Cancer at Monmouth Medical Center. At Hollywood Golf Club in New Jersey, Ethel served on the Ladies Golf Committee, Chaired the House Committee for several years, and served on the Board of Trustees. 1. What do you consider to be our community’s greatest strengths? This is a community that actively participates in the amenities and events provided at the Club. There is something here for everyone but not everyone uses everything. I believe some of our great- est strengths continues to be in maintaining our fully-occupied community with a casual elegance and lifestyle that differentiates us from our neighbors. Our family friendly environment and long last- ing relationships that have been forged here make us a desired community. We also have the best staff who strive to provide us with the highest quality service and who are committed to maintaining the standards of excellence we have all come to enjoy. 2. How can your talents best serve the community as a Board Member? I have always been involved in both charity and club work and enjoy working with others and being part of the many aspects of an organization. I feel that I have much experience to offer as well as the ability to see both sides of an issue and then come to a consensus that satisfies the majority.
Herbert Selzer
Herb, and his wife, Roberta, have resided in Frenchman’s Creek since 2003, and continue to increase their time spent in Florida as Herb’s participation as a partner in his New York law firm significantly decreases. Herb and Roberta have three children and five grandchildren all of whom spend their holidays and vacation time as much as possible with the family at Frenchman’s Creek.
Herb graduated from Brooklyn College in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in economics, received his Juris Doctor degree from The George Washington
University Law Center in 1971 and obtained his LLM in Taxation from the New York University Law School in 1976. He began his career at Ernst & Young as tax specialist in 1971, and since 1972 has been an attorney and senior partner at his law firm in New York City. He now serves as of counsel to his firm. In addition to the practice of law and specializing on international corporate and tax matters, Herb has served on the boards of a member of international based investment and hedge funds, as a board member and officer of foreign based industrial companies engaged in the plastics and petrochemical business areas, and as trustee of numerous trusts for clients of his firm. He currently serves as US counsel to a prominent Swiss private bank. Herb has been a member of The Old Westbury Golf & Country Club since 1985, has served as its Pres- ident and been a member of its executive committee for over six years, served as its Secretary and Vice President as well as its legal chairman. He is currently a member of the board of the Genesis Founda- tion, which is dedicated to providing enhanced educational opportunities and programming to disadvan- taged children in Colombia. He is also a member of the board of the US Friends of the Cardio Infantil Hospital, located in Bogota, Colombia, which provides world class medical services and hospital care to a wide range of children located throughout Latin America. Herb has been a member of the Frenchman’s Creek golf committee and assisted with the planning of the inaugural Veterans Day golf outing in 2018. He has embarked on his retirement path at his law firm and is spending increasingly more time in Florida and looks forward to full retirement shortly. This will give him the opportunity to devote his energy and expertise to serve the Frenchman’s Creek communi- ty. 1. What do you consider to be our community’s greatest strengths? The greatest strength of our community is the long established sense of community as evidenced by our numerous charitable efforts and activities, our annual community art show hosted by our community volunteers, our varied children’s activities during holidays and the many cultural and educational activi- ties that the community supports. My five year old grandson was once asked where he would like to spend most of his time and without hesitation said ”Frenchman’s Creek”. 2. How can your talents best serve the community as a Board Member? As a former president of a New York country club and member of its executive committee for many years, I understand the challenges confronting boards of this type and our community. I believe I have the talent and experience to work effectively to build a consensus to address the community’s is- sues. My financial background has equipped me to be able to participate in a meaningful way to assist the board to fulfill its mission of serving the community.
Frenchman’s Creek, Inc. Annual Meeting Saturday, March 16, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. in the Main Dining Room
13495 Tournament Drive Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410 (561) 622-8300 www.frenchmanscreek.com
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