Many of you may not know this, but this year was the LWIA’s 70^th anniversary. Since its humble start by a group of owners on West Shore Road in 1947, the LWIA has been a formal steward for:

• Preserving the water quality and the land’s natural beauty;
• Promoting the safe, courteous and sensible use of the water;
• Encouraging friendly relations among members through social activities

Upholding the LWIA’s mission is the role of its board of directors. Over the years, we’ve been very fortunate to have had many dedicated lake owners volunteer to join our board—some serving 10 or more years—and chair vital committees.

Unfortunately, last year the nominating committee, when it needed to fill three board vacancies, found a strong disinterest among owners in taking a more active role with the LWIA. This is a worrisome trend the nominating committee hopes to change to ensure the future of the organization.

Uncovering Concerns & Misperceptions

What’s holding owners back from getting involved? What misperceptions exist about the LWIA and the role of the board? What changes may be needed to ensure the LWIA meets the needs of today’s lake owners?

These are some questions the nominating committee, chaired by Althea Dunscombe, have posed. She and Nora Foster plan to survey owners this winter to get their views, and hopefully clear up some misperceptions and concerns holding some of you back from joining the board.

The nominating committee will also identify and contact owners about joining the board and work to have a slate of officer nominations ready for the 2019-2021 term. To do this, the committee seeks two more volunteers – a time commitment of 3-5 hours between January and June with work to be conducted via email and phone. Having representation from around the lake gives the committee a better view of officer potential within our membership.

Interested? Please call Althea Dunscombe at 239-877-2613 or email her at althea568@gmail.com.

Secretary and Vice President Positions End Aug 2018

In 2018, the terms for the Secretary and Vice President will conclude at the August meeting. Anyone may retain their position at the end of their term if they so choose and anyone may challenge for a position at any election. By January 30, 2018, the Secretary and Vice President must tell the President what their intentions are.

What does this mean for the Nominating Committee? By February 1^st the committee will know which offices need to be filled. Through email or phone calls the committee will discuss potential candidates and then move forward contacting members of the association to see if they are willing to step up. The goal is to have a slate of candidates by the June meeting, otherwise the committee may need to continue its work in June and July to have a slate for voting at the August meeting.

This process will begin again the end of January 2019 when the terms for President, Treasurer and Communication Director will conclude.

As the saying goes, many hands make like work. Please consider joining Althea and Nora in their efforts to reinvigorate the LWIA and find candidates who will successfully uphold the organization and its mission. If you are interested in getting involved or have questions, please call Althea Dunscombe at 239-877-2613 or email her at althea568@gmail.com.