Open Seats on LARMAC Board
The Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corporation (LARMAC) is holding an election on Thursday, November 5, for two seats on the LARMAC Board, currently held by Alex Vellandi, Board President, and Jim Schmitt, Member-at-Large, both of whom are not seeking another three-year term.
Four candidates are running for the two open positions, including two non-voting LARMAC Directors, Brian Kittredge and John Novak, and Jeff Hamilton, and Joe Marcin.
Jeff Hamilton recently lost in his bid to join the Ladera Ranch Civic Council Board (click here for the story on that election).
LARMAC will be sponsoring a Meet the Candidates Night at the Oak Knoll Clubhouse on Thursday, October 22. The event is open to the public.
The election will be held at the Oak Knoll Clubhouse at 7:00 pm, November 5. Ballots will be mailed to LARMAC members in good standing in October and must be returned to the Avendale Clubhouse by 5:00 pm Thursday, November 5, or hand-delivered to the Oak Knoll Clubhouse by 7:00 pm that same night. The following are excerpts taken from the candidates’ statements:
Jeff Hamilton
I would like to serve on the board of directors because I am both excited and concerned about the future of Ladera Ranch. I want to be a part of that future.
If selected I would both continue and add to the efforts of maintaining a quality budget. I would pursue to increase our solar energy production within the aesthetics guidelines.
The mission of LARMAC is to manage and improve Ladera Ranch as the premier community of Orange County.
I have been a homeowner in Ladera Ranch since 2005. My wife, Loretta and I love Ladera Ranch and plan on not only raising our 3 children here, but also any future grandchildren we may have.
I am a graduate of the University of California at Riverside with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Geophysics. I have been an air traffic controller since 1987 with 10 of those years as a supervisor.
Prior to moving to Ladera Ranch, I lived in Santa Ana where I was president of my homeowners association for two years, representing 700 homes. I was a member of the Orange County Grand Jury from 2002-2003.
I have been a neighborhood representative in Ladera Ranch since 2008. I am committed to this community, its success and its future.
Brian Kittredge
I would like to serve on the LARMAC Board of Directors to ensure that our community upholds the highest standards in maintaining our master planned community.
As Ladera Ranch continues to mature, maintaining our community, common areas, and club houses is critical in preserving our lifestyle. We continue to see a rise in home foreclosures and delinquent accounts. I know that my experience as a CPA and a LARMAC Board Officer, help make me an excellent Director.
My goal would be to enhance the positive quality of individual, family, and community life by providing excellent management and maintenance to Ladera Ranch, and to work with the community to contribute, facilitate, and promote Ladera Ranch as a premier master planned community.
As a Director, I would leverage my professional background to ensure that the organization continues to remain financially secure during this economic recession.
This could be achieved by continuing to build on the experience I have gained as a current LARMAC Board Officer, in which I assisted the Board Treasurer in establishing the 2010 LARMAC budget.
Furthermore, I would like to enhance the Board’s exposure to the sub-associations and neighborhood representatives and work with them in dealing with concerns of the residents.
My wife and I moved to Ladera Ranch in 2003 where we decided to start our family. We now have two beautiful children and live near the Flintridge clubhouse in the Tattershall community. Since graduating from the University of Southern California, I have worked for Deloitte & Touche, LLP, and I am currently an Audit Senior Manager.
Although the LARMAC Board does a great job today, I see a tremendous opportunity to do more as our community continues to grow. I've heard many thoughtful ideas from the people in our community and have several of my own. Serving on the board will enable me to have an active leadership role in the community to implement these ideas and the ones that will come in the future. Many of us chose to live in Ladera because we shared a common vision. Our community is filled with talented, smart people who want to see Ladera continue to be the benchmark from which others measure. As a LARMAC Board member, I want to make it easier for everyone in our community to contribute to our progress by further opening communications, adapting to the changes happening around us, and embracing a simple philosophy: dreams are simply a blueprint for reality. My Mission Statement for LARMAC what would it be to maintain and uphold the vision for a safe and acclaimed community that we can all be proud to call our home. I have10 years helping executives from Global 1000 companies solving complex business problems with technology I also have 14 years of experience in elected organizational leadership positions in both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, and three years driving federal, state, local, and tribal government entities to question why they've always "done it this way" and institute evolutionary change. 
Joe Marcin
John Novak
Serving on the LARMAC board is an opportunity for me to give back to this community.
I have enjoyed living here for the past five years and want to ensure we maintain proper financial stewardship of our community assets, particularly as we work through the current strain on revenue from homeowner delinquencies.
As an Officer of the board in 2009 I developed a foundational understanding of our finances and other issues LARMAC encounters on a regular basis. Serving as a Director is a natural extension of the volunteer hours I already have devoted to LARMAC.
I also believe my professional background in finance and insurance is a skill set that complements the existing board and I can provide meaningful input and perspective as the board sets policy.
During my term I would like to apply my professional experience to closely monitor our operating budget and ensure adequate reserve funding. I would also like to develop a transparent framework whereby local business owners have an opportunity to bid on projects contracted by LARMAC.
Finally, I want to find healthy outlets for our teenaged children; Ladera has great amenities for pre-teens but as our youth demographics evolve we need to support forward thinking initiatives that engage our teenagers in activities that build character and support our community.
LARMAC maintains the community property and facilities in Ladera Ranch. LARMAC also provides oversight and administration of the aesthetic review process and adherence to the Community Guidelines. LARMAC is extremely important for an aesthetic and well maintained community. LARMAC is funded by assessments.
LARMAC's Mission Statement: The mission of LARMAC is to manage and maintain Ladera Ranch as one of Orange County's premier master planned communities.