THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE

What do we seek from our St. Augustine Shores Service Corporation? (Service Corp) That is the most important question I asked myself in deciding to seek election to the board.

Over the past seventeen years our family has been so busy with careers, and career changes, children and children's children, health and financial challenges, and all the struggles it takes to keep home and family secure. I have come to the realization that when you are busy building a family and a life, the Service Corp may not be a high priority.

When my best friend and wife, Linda retired, however, she was approached to consider serving on the board. Linda's skill and talents in the areas of land development and customer service, along with her uncanny ability to reason and work well with people, made her an excellent candidate and an extremely competent board member for the past two and a half years. I am proud of her contributions to the board and hope to be as successful as she has been.

Linda's tenure on the board has been a positive experience, however, this is also a critical time in the development of our two grandchildren we are raising, so Linda has chosen not to run for re-election. Witnessing her term provided me with great insight as to the challenges of the directors' responsibilities.

Public service is a virtue we all need to address. We have one of Linda's children, Debbie Franczak, her husband Frank and their two children, are homeowners in the Shores in unit one. Also, a nephew, his wife and two sons, owns a home in unit eight. Our ties are strong in contributing to a better Shores.

As a child I witnessed heated debates between my father, uncles, and others over politics. No area was out-of-bounds; church politics, local, state, and national politics. All were "cussed and discussed!" The pattern was always relatively the same--heated arguing and then an agreement to agree, or to agree to disagree, and then, always a hug.

I asked my father once, after a very heated argument with my Uncle John, why the screaming? My father calmly explained to me that politics is "the art of the possible." Debating ideas and views heatedly, clears perception, challenges, and makes ideas stronger. The two elements, my father told me, necessary for arguments to be valid are truth and respect. Without these two values man cannot argue rationally. That discussion was influential in my selecting to focus on history and politics in college.

So I am seeking the opportunity to delve into "the art of the possible" . To seek truth, integrity and honesty in meeting the needs of the Service Corp. My goal is to distract you enough from your more than busy lives to gain your trust, so we can build a community together.

There are extremely difficult issues facing us that may have an impact on the very existance of the Service Corp. I am offering you leadership that will invoke your will, not mine. It is my hope to build trust and harmony in meeting the difficult challenges ahead.

Over the next few weeks I will be posting issues I feel important for the betterment of the Shores. Please share your feedback.