SUN CITY – Dennis O’Leary thinks that thirty people attending Sun City board of directors meetings is a very good sign.
“If I came to a board meeting, and there were 500 people there, I would start worrying ,” he joked. “I believe small groups attending meetings is a good indication of a high level of satisfaction of board leadership and activities, even though some residents may disagree with us on specific matters,” he commented last week after he was re-elected president of the Sun City seven-member board for the fourth consecutive year. This year, 2020, will be his sixth year serving on the community’s governing body.
He is the longest serving board president in the community’s history. He was first elected as a board member in 2015, and was elected board president by his peers for the first time in 2016.
He reflected a bit for the Sun Day about his service after the election.
“I think we have become more business-oriented to insure fiscal responsibility with our resources,” he said. ”I believe that approach benefits our residents.
O’Leary, whose career background was in manufacturing engineering and management, was nominated as president by fellow board member Marilynn Berendt. He won on the written ballot, 4-3.
Elected vice president of the board for the first time was Vito Benigno, who served in 2019 as secretary. Bob McGouey was re-elected treasurer, a post he held in 2019. He was also nominated by Berendt. She and returning board member Bob Wainscott were nominated for the office of secretary. Wainscott was elected. Wainscott served on the board in 2017-18, took a year off in 2019, and returned to the board for 2020.
Voting for the nominated members is conducted among all seven members of the board at the first meeting of the new year annually. Terms are for one year.
