May 31, 2007 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

New president Vardakis outlines ambitious agenda for association; new officers named
by Pete Mazzaccaro

The Chestnut Hill Community Association kicked off a new fiscal year at its annual organizational meeting, May 24, with a new administration and a lot of sanguine talk about where to take the association in the future.

Outgoing president Ron Recko, set the tone with unrestrained praise for new president Tolis Vardakis.

“He’s a man of integrity,” Recko said. “I’m sure that we are both on the same page and that he will complete all that we have tried to accomplish this year.”

Vardakis served on the board and Executive Committee for several years starting in 2000. He was a friend of the late Maurice McCarthy, former president of the association.

Vardakis spoke broadly about an agenda he called “large.”

“We have many challenges before us,” Vardakis said. “The agenda I have will be extremely demanding. We need to get our house in order.”

Vardakis said that, first and foremost, he wanted to continue working to improve the fiscal responsibility of the organization and reestablish trust with the community.

“We need to show the community that we will not squander their money,” he said.

Regarding the internal culture of the association, Vardakis said he hoped to tone down hostilities between board members and to ease tensions between the board and the Local, which the association owns.

“We have many challenges ahead of us,” he said. “We have to voice our opinions but do so civilly.”

Vardakis had just become the president of the association that evening after he and five other officers nominated by the association’s nominating committee were accepted without challenge. Because no one ran against the nominees, a motion was made to affirm the slate and it passed. In addition to Vardakis, new officers include: Jeremy Heep, vice president, Physical Division; Dina Hitchcock, vice president of Operations; Moss Disston, treasurer, and Nancy Hutter, secretary. Jane Piotrowski retained her position as vice president, Social Division.

Although there was no election necessary for the officers, two board members submitted their names to be considered for the CHCA Executive Committee. Board Members Howard Lesnick and Meredith Sonderskov asked to be considered as possible alternatives to the five candidates nominated by the Nominating Committee: Lou Aiello, Tom Fleming, Ed Berg, Jane Becker and Anne McNally. A vote of all board members present confirmed the proposed slate.

After the officers and makeup of the Executive Committee were settled, the board engaged in a lengthy discussion about moving the association forward. Ideas included everything from developing a five-year plan to organizing a regular training session for new board members.

The only hitch in the mostly collegial discussion was a suggestion by Vardakis that the public not be included in board business until the last 15 minutes of the meeting, preventing non-board members to speak about business before the board and potentially eliminating their input before votes are taken.

After a majority of board members asked Vardakis to reconsider, he withdrew the proposal.

As the meeting concluded, new board member George Spaeth said he felt the civil way the first meeting was conducted under Vardakis was a good sign for the CHCA. Speaking specifically about Vardakis’ concession to withdraw his proposal without a contentious vote, Spaeth said: “What just happened bodes well for our association in the coming year.”