Although North Shore Towers shareholders will still need to cast their votes for the Board of Directors, the results have already been decided due to an uncontested election.
Board incumbents Phyllis Goldstein, Murray Lewinter, Phil Plafker and Bob Ricken will each serve another two-year term. The other members of the Board are Herb Cooper, Mort Gitter, Claire Levitan, Shelley Sander and sponsor representative Jim Short.
Phyllis Goldstein
Goldstein first was a member from the Board of Directors from 2001 to 2003 and returned to it in 2007. She said she was “pleased” about the unopposed election.
“I was very pleased about that because I think it says to me that the community is very satisfied and believes the Board is doing a good job,” said Goldstein, who most recently has been chairing the Screening Committee. “There are no contentious issues out there.”
Having members who “come from different places” on issues is something that Goldstein sees as important.
“I think that each Board member brings something different to the boardroom so we have a diversity of ideas and approaches to problems,” she said.
One of the greatest accomplishments Goldstein said she has seen as a Board member was the passing of the mandatory general membership for the Country Club. She noted that each year this measure generates income.
“I think it has helped tremendously and every Board since the inception of that relies on that revenue,” she said. “It makes a major difference.”
Looking to the next two years, Goldstein said that she “would like to see a continuation of getting a multi-generational group in here, a very active group in here.”
When it comes to the rewarding part of her work, Goldstein said it is when people thank her for the time she spends helping the community.
Murray Lewinter
This marks the fourth term that Lewinter has been elected to serve.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank all of my friends and neighbors for again giving me the opportunity to represent them,” Lewinter said. “I am your voice in representing North Shore Towers at all levels of local government. Believe me, it is now more important than ever.”
When it comes to the current Board of Directors, Lewinter said that the members all listen to each other and that they take what the others are saying into consideration when making decisions.
Over the course of the next two years, Lewinter plans on remaining a voice for the North Shore Towers community to help address their concerns.
“I hope to be your strong hand in influencing city and state leaders whose policy-making efforts impact our daily living,” he said. “All important issues are debated at all levels of government. I will continue to be a reliable and strong voice for you on these issues, such as health reform, property tax caps, Medicare reform and senior benefits and all quality of life issues which affect us every day.”
Lewinter said that his motivation for serving on the Board of Directors is similar to why he joined the Assembly.
“I always liked to try to help people and here I can try to do the same,” he said.
Phil Plafker
Plafker first joined the Board of Directors around August of 2010 to fill a vacancy.
Of his time so far on the Board, Plafker said, “There are a lot of issues that we have to address and I think the Board is working with management in such a way that we are resolving those issues to the benefit of the residents, maybe not all residents but certainly to the majority.”
Plafker has been chairing the Country Club Committee and said there have been many accomplishments thanks to management and the committee members.
“And those accomplishments should be visible to all the members and more so by the end of the year,” he said, noting that some of them are changes to the VIP Room, new gym equipment, outside improvements, a suggestion box, new activities and new entrance doors that will be installed.
The diversity of the Board members is what Plafker sees as their biggest strength.
“We’re a very diverse Board, which tends to have many different opinions, but usually arrives at the most beneficial decision for our residents,” Plafker said.
Plafker said that the proudest accomplishment during his Board service has been working towards improving the quality of life, which is something he wants to build on during the next two years. He also said another goal of the term will be to further improve the financial stability of the cooperative.
Bob Ricken
Ricken has been a member of the Board of Directors for about the last five years and currently serves as its president. He said he hoped the uncontested election was a sign that the community has been satisfied with the Board. While speaking with residents, he said the sense he has gotten is that they think the Board is doing “a very good job.”
One of the strengths of the current Board, Ricken said, involves their communication with residents.
“I think the biggest strength is the responsiveness that we’ve had as a Board to the community’s concerns,” Ricken said.
Additionally, Ricken said the Board has been able to do well in terms of keeping maintenance charges and Country Club dues down while continuing to increase the cooperative’s reserve funds.
As he begins his new term, Ricken said there are many things that will need to be addressed. First of all, he noted that the cooperative’s mortgage will be due in the next year or two. The restaurant lease will also be up in 2013.
Another issue is the current litigation between the Towers and sponsor over parking spots. The management and security contracts will also be expiring in the next couple years.
For Ricken, the most rewarding part of serving on the Board is the satisfaction of knowing he is helping his community and fellow residents.
“There’s no greater reward than that,” he said. “For me it’s better than any financial reward.”
During a June Board meeting, the members will vote to select a president and then committee assignments will be made.
The Towers will still hold its Annual Shareholder’s Meeting on Thursday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the movie theatre. It will be the final chance for shareholders to cast their votes.
“While the outcome of the election has been predetermined by the four candidates running unopposed, it remains extremely important that you vote your shares, by proxy or in person, at the annual meeting in order to establish a quorum in order for the cooperative to do all other business required by corporate documents and the law,” Towers General Manager Glen Kotowski wrote in a letter to residents.
