This year’s Sun City board of directors election promised to be lively and competitive, but a key decision last week changed all that.
Bill Ziletti, a past board president and past finance advisory committee member, withdrew as a candidate on August 5, reducing the 2015 election slate to five candidates seeking to fill five open seats on the board starting in 2016. At press time for this report, the association’s election advisory committee was reportedly discussing whether to proceed with the initial plan for balloting, or pursue other options to select the board members for next two years. The number of open seats and the number of candidates now match.
Ziletti told the Sun Day he has “lost his passion” for association leadership service after 10 years, and is seeking other options for 2016 and beyond. “I believe God is leading me in a different direction, but I don’t know what that is yet,” he said.
Three of the open board seats are for two-year terms. The other two are for one-year terms. In the initial “six seeking five” format, it was envisioned by the election committee that the top three vote-getters would serve two-year terms, and the two lowest vote-getters would serve one-year terms.
Three of the five are incumbents who are either seeking re-election or seeking to continue serving for additional time. A fourth candidate is seeking to return to the board after a recent hiatus. The fifth candidate is a newcomer to a possible leadership role. The five successful candidates will begin their new terms in January 2016.
Normally, there would be three vacant seats on the board this year. The two additional vacancies have been caused by the death in January of James Van Fleet, and the resignation in April of Eugene Rhodes.
Here, in alphabetical order, is a short description of each candidate’s professional background and Sun City participation:
Ken Andersen – Appointed to the board this past spring, Ken Andersen spent 43 years in high -ranking product and operations management for Skil Power Tools and Echo Inc. In Sun City, he is the immediate past president of the Neighborhood Watch and Neighbors Helping Neighbors group, and the rep for Neighborhood 21. He has served as a president of two condominium associations and as an alderman for the City of Rolling Meadows.
Bonnie Bayser – A board member since June, 2011 and president for the past two years, Bayser has been a Sun City resident since 2002. She served on several advisory committees as an officer and member and has participated in numerous lifestyle activities. She is a Registered Nurse with graduate degrees in health administration and business management, and possesses more than 20 years experience in hospital administration. She is currently employed part-time by Centegra Health System.
Bill Berendt – A former board member and president, he also has served 11 years as a member and chairperson on the Finance Advisory Committee. He spent more than 30 years in corporate and finance management for several companies corporate America. He was board president and played a major role at the time of the transition from a developer-directed system at Sun City to a resident-directed one.
Steve Bytnar – A resident of Sun City for nine years, Bytnar worked 47 years in the repair and maintenance of computers and worldwide network systems. He was responsible for maintaining all of the computer-controlled printing and distribution systems necessary for the production and distribution of the Chicago Tribune, using a five-million-dollar annual budget. For the past seven years, he has produced the Model Reports that list the property value assessments for all homes in Sun City, that are posted on the PTAG property tax assessment website under special interest groups.
Linda Davis – Completing her fourth year on the association board, she is a retired elementary school teacher and a professional teacher-trainer. She has been the Sun City board vice president for the past three years. A resident of the community since 2000, she was the first rep for Neighborhood 8, a VTEC Committee member, and board member of the Theatre Company for three years and president for three years. She has served as vice chair of the Charter Club Presidents Council and vice chair of the Facility Advisory Committee.
