From The Blog

Cast Your Ballot in the 2019 Directors Election

This year, the association will elect two new directors to its board. Lynn Morgenstern and Rajan Govindan are completing their terms and will leave the board after the annual meeting.

The Nominating Committee conducted interviews with each of the candidates to get a full understanding of their qualifications, unique skills and knowledge of Kiawah.

The 2019 board candidates, to fill two open seats, are David DeStefano, Brendan Magee and David Morley. The Nominating Committee has chosen to recommend David DeStefano and David Morley to fill the two seats. The candidates are introduced in their own words below and on the following pages.

Voting opens on Jan. 7 and concludes on March 8. Your ballot will be emailed or mailed according to your preferences on file. A Meet the Candidates event will be held Feb. 21 at The Sandcastle and the KICA Annual Meeting will take place at The Sandcastle on March 15. There will be no voting at this year’s Annual Meeting.

Find biographies, voting information and short video interviews at kica.us/vote.

Board Candidate: David Stefano

PERSONAL
Wife: Diane J. Angelini
From 1989 to 2006, we were half owners in a two bedroom condominium in the Tennis Club. In 1997, we purchased a lot at 31 Burroughs Hall. In 2009, we completed the construction of our home at 31 Burroughs Hall. Diane and I have been full time residents since Nov. 4, 2014. My hobbies include golf, flying, biking, boating, and soon – fishing.

PROFESSIONAL
For the past 30 years, I have been an attorney practicing law in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. My practice concentrates in the areas of general business law, construction and real estate law. Prior to practicing law, I held executive positions in the general building construction industry. I am currently chairman of the Public Works Committee of the Town of Kiawah. During my career in the construction industry, I managed residential, commercial and industrial projects including single family homes, residential and commercial condominium projects, municipal buildings, and industrial facilities. I have successfully dealt with
architects, engineers, developers, governments and all of the associated regulatory agencies. My construction industry experience and legal career have helped formulate my view that all voices be heard and taken into account in resolving the issues that arise in any endeavor. I take pride in my ability to define issues and work toward resolution in a logical and professional manner.

Volunteer/Committee Work:
Chairman, Public Works Committee, Town of Kiawah
Building Committee Town of Kiawah Town Hall project
Chairman of the City of Providence, RI Housing Board of Review 1982-1985
Chairman, Building Committee, Sigma Chi Fraternity, 2011 – 2015, University of Rhode Island

Statement of Focus

I have been coming to Kiawah Island since 1985 and have witnessed the multitude of changes over the years. I want to ensure that Kiawah continues to be the wonderful community that we know it is and to enhance the governance of KICA so it becomes a more transparent association for residents and non-residents alike. Since I became a full time resident of Kiawah, I am aware of how under-informed residents, particularly non-residents, are about the governance of KICA. My goal is to assure that all members are fully informed as to how the KICA board and its staff manage and maintain this island.

The events of the past years, specifically the Rhett’s Bluff matter, caused some discord among the members of KICA. Much of this discord was the result of lack of transparency and misinformation. We must strive to ensure that the existing infrastructure on Kiawah is maintained at a level that the community expects and deserves. If elected to the KICA board, I will strive to ensure that any proposed new projects, large or small, be fully and accurately explained to all KICA members so that any future votes are based on complete and accurate information.

Board Candidate: Brendan Magee

PERSONAL
I was born in Boston, MA but grew up in the Washington, DC area. The first time I ever heard of Kiawah was when I watched the 1991 Ryder Cup at The Ocean Course. It reminded me of links courses I’ve played in Ireland and I couldn’t believe a course like that existed in the U.S.! As fate would have it, I accepted an assistant basketball coaching position at the College of Charleston and, except for a few years spent working in New York City, have been a Charleston resident ever since. My family and I have owned property on Kiawah Island since 2003 in the Inlet Cove, Turtle Cove, Turtle Point and Mariners Watch neighborhoods. I am a full-time resident of Charleston and enjoy Kiawah regularly by participating in Governor’s Club golf events, enjoying the new improvements at The Sandcastle, and taking advantage of the fine dining options Kiawah Resort provides. I’ve also participated in the Kiawah Half-Marathon but my real passion is fishing and boating all over the island!!!

I have served on numerous homeowners association boards. On Kiawah I have served on the Turtle Point HOA and currently work closely on projects with the Mariners Watch Board.

PROFESSIONAL
After earning my Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Business Administration degrees from Winthrop University, I went on to be an assistant basketball coach at Boston College and the College of Charleston. I then had the opportunity to work on Wall Street for Dean Witter before ultimately moving back to Charleston and working for Smith Barney.

Since 1998, I have been involved in Real Estate having served as vice president of Acquisitions and Asset Management for two publicly-traded Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT). The first REIT I worked for involved the acquisition and management of a hospitality portfolio comprised of golf courses and resorts across the country while the other REIT focused on the acquisition and management of a national portfolio of medical office buildings. Currently, I am a broker for a real estate company here in Charleston. I have also had the pleasure of working with thousands of local youths by running an annual summer basketball camp in Charleston for the past 20 years.

Statement of Focus

I believe we are at an exciting and critical point in Kiawah history and have a great opportunity to enhance the value and stature of Kiawah given all that’s currently happening not only today but through the PGA Championship coming in 2021. In my opinion, KICA’s mission is to protect property owners’ and the islands’ best interests at all times and is accomplished two ways: 1) by being
fiscally responsible and 2) working collaboratively with Kiawah Development Partners and Kiawah Island Golf Resort. I believe my past experiences would add value to the KICA board and as a KICA director my focus would be to work closely with fellow board members and the community in continuing to carry out its mission.

Board Candidate: David Morley

PERSONAL
My wife, Cheryl, and I have owned on Kiawah Island since 2000. We built a house and vacationed here for many years and, in 2010, we began splitting time between Kiawah and St. Louis. In 2012, we made Kiawah our permanent home. My wife and I love the island and are interested in helping to maintain the quality of life that we so enjoy.

In retirement, Cheryl and I travel, play golf and spend time in the summer in Michigan. I also contribute a substantial amount of time to local and national boards focused on improving the education of disadvantaged children. I serve on the boards and executive committees of programs serving children ages 0 to 5, elementary school, and middle school through high school. I also chair the Dean’s Advisory Board to the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University.

We have two adult children. Our son is a risk management consultant to the banking industry and our daughter is a doctor and third-year resident at The Mayo Clinic. They, in many ways, grew up on the island and their time here is a significant part of our
family history.

PROFESSIONAL
I spent a majority of my career with the Monsanto Company. I started in financial management and moved on to be the CFO of its largest division. Subsequently, I moved to line management and was responsible for all commercial activities in North and South America and global manufacturing for the agricultural sector of the company. Finally, I was the corporation’s chief strategist.

Statement of Focus
I have been a member of the KICA finance committee since 2012. I have been involved with several projects including the rewriting of the financial controls policy and the decision to invest longer-term assets rather than hold them in low-returning bank accounts. I believe the island is in good overall financial condition. However, I think it is important to look at the longer-term implications of rising sea levels and what appears to be a trend of increasing storm activity. I was recently asked to lead a task force for the community association to develop a strategy for storm water management and, in particular, areas prone to flooding. This work will be shared with the board and broadly with the community.