2015 Board of Directors Election
Lawrenceville United hosts Board elections each year to ensure that the Board of Directors of the organization is elected by the current membership and truly representing the priorities and needs of the community. LU has staggered elections, which includes at-large seats and by-ward seats, to ensure all areas of Lawrenceville are represented.
This year Lawrenceville United announced an open call for interested members to become a part of our Board of Directors. We hosted a Board Open House at our offices, where interested members were able to attend to learn more about the organization and being on the Board. Interested candidates submitted their applications, and LU’s Governance Committee reviewed those applications against our by-laws and conflict of interest policies to create a nomination slate for this year’s Board elections. Below you will find information on those candidates as well as a ballot that can be completed online, or download a hard copy and returned to LU in order to cast your vote. Candidates will be on hand at the General Membership Meeting on June 23, 2015 to introduce themselves. More information on our General Membership Meeting can be found here. Ballots can be submitted through the form below, in person at LU by June 30, 2015, or submitted at the Membership Meeting on June 23, 2015. The candidates elected will join our current members at the July 1st Board of Directors meeting. For a list of the current Board of Directors, click here.
2015 Board of Director Candidates:
As part of our application, candidates answered a series of questions. Full applications will be available by Tuesday, June 23rd. Complete bios are available (click each name for the link). We included their residency, occupation, and their response to what would they like to work on within the community below:
- Tim Lavoie: Upper/10th, Assistant Public Defender, “I’d like to help with Responsible Growth issues to keep the neighborhood character and charm as it grows economically.”
- Becky Thatcher: Central/9th, Business Development and Research Manager, “In a dream world, I would like to reactivate Lawrenceville’s riverfront and its accessibility for the community. Given some of the political and large-scale perimeters that come with that sort of initiative, I would also like to work short-term on better education, infrastructure, and relations between pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles.”
- Cory Ricci: Upper/10th, Attorney, “I would like to continue to work in neighborhood beautification because it can lead to improvement in all aspects of the neighborhood.
- Molly Szramowski: Upper/ 10th, Physician Assistant, “Monitoring the constant growth and development in the neighborhood to hopefully keep it in line with the best interests of residents.” (current board member)
- Tony Ceoffe: Lower/6th, Site Manager, City of Pittsburgh Housing Authority, “Affordability in the housing market, public safety concerns, and responsible hospitality issues.” (current board member)
- Steve Sokoloski: Central/9th, Regional Account Executive, “Affordable housing options, because I’ve seen too many of my own neighbors forced to relocate due to increased costs of housing in Lawrenceville.” (current board member)
- Susan VanAlstine: Lower/6th, IT Professional, “Ensuring quality of life as we grow and making sure everyone has a chance to be heard.” (current board member)
- Dora Walmsley: Upper/10th, Pittsburgh Food Policy Council/Outreach Coordinator, “Bringing our minority population into the fold. There is really no representation of these communities in our organization. Their needs, wishes, etc, are unknown to community planners.” (current board member)
Election Process:
LU issued an open call for interested members who were interested in serving on the Board of Directors. Those interested members appear on the ballot below. All current general members of Lawrenceville United who are at least 18 years old are permitted to vote in this election. 2014 dues must be paid in order to be considered a “current” general member (renew membership of sign-up here). You have three opportunities to vote:
- You can complete your ballot at the General Membership Meeting on June 23rd.
- You can complete the hard copy of the ballot and drop it off or mail it to Lawrenceville United so it is received by June 30th.
- You can complete the online ballot below before June 30th.
All General Members in good standing (residents who are current on their membership dues) are allowed to vote in our annual board elections. Please review the candidates below and vote for no more than 8. Any ballot with more than 8 votes selected will not be counted.