DHCA’s Nominating Committee Announces Slate

The DHCA Nominating Committee is pleased to announce its slate for the Class of 2018, as well as nominations for officers and replacements for the classes of 2016 and 2017 .

The following individuals will have their names placed in nomination at the DHCA Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 31, 2016, at 1:00pm at the Fernbank Museum. Please note that Frances Finegan, Kelli Taylor, Tom McGuigan, Claudia Keenan, and Ken Gibson have served previously in their positions.

Officers

Anne Wallace – President

Phil Moise – 1st Vice President

Frances Finegan – Administrative Vice President

Kelli Taylor – Treasurer

Tom McGuigan – Assistant Treasurer

Claudia Keenan – Communications VP

Ken Gibson – Secretary

Class of 2018

Allan Ballard

Bill Clark

Becky Evans

Wendy Heaps

Robert Hughes

Larissa Teunis

Leon Von Gelderen

Cynthia Waterbury

Class of 2017

Dan Frymire

Clinton Tankersley

Class of 2016

Angela Orkin

Bill Stiefel

Mike St. Louis

Ryan Watstein

 

About the 2018 Nominees

Officers

Anne H. Wallace has lived in Druid Hills since 1996 and joined the DHCA board in 2012. As chair of the Cityhood Committee, she worked closely with government officials and local residents, organized a major Town Hall meeting and oversaw the execution of a community survey. She also chairs the DHCA’s National Wildlife Community Certification Project and is a member of the Board’s Executive Committee. A former Realtor, travel agent, and developer, Anne holds a B.S. from Louisiana Tech, and currently works as a paralegal for her husband, Henry Turner, in his law practice in Decatur.

Phil Moise was in the private practice of law for nearly 30 years, representing public and private companies in the technology, life sciences, and medical products industries. Since retirement, he has remained active in community affairs including the DHCA, The Alliance Theatre and the National Association of Corporate Directors. Phil and his wife Caroline have hosted the Druid Hills July 4^th party on their front lawn for more than two decades.

Frances Finegan is a non-practicing attorney who works part-time as an assistant to chefs at the Cook’s Warehouse cooking school in Decatur. She and her husband, Mike Galifianakis, have lived on West Parkwood Road with their Cairn terrier, Abby, since 2008. Their home was featured in the 2013 Tour of Homes & Gardens.

Kelli F. Taylor is an attorney with Taylor & Weber LLC and a mediator with Modern Divorce Resolution LLC. She has been involved with the Druid Homes Tour of Homes & Gardens since 2011 and has served on the Home Selection Committee and as chair of Ticket Sales. She joined the DHCA board in 2014 and became Treasurer in 2015. Kelli is also on the board of directors of Freedom Park Conservancy. She and her husband, Chuck, have lived with their three daughters – Cate, Lilly and Abby – on Fairview Road since 2004. Cate attends The Paideia School and Lilly and Abby attends Springdale Park Elementary. 

Tom McGuigan grew up in Marietta, GA. A graduate of Oglethorpe University with a dual major in Accounting & Economics, he is a CPA and the Chief Operating Officer for an ERP software implementation company. Tom and his wife, Jenny, have lived in Druid Hills since 1999.

Claudia Keenan has served as DHCA Communications VP since 2013 and was active in the Tour between 2011 and 2014. She wrote An Informal History of the Druid Hills Civic Association in honor of the association’s 75^th birthday. Claudia and her husband Jeffrey moved to Druid Hills in 2006. She holds a BA from the University of Chicago and a PhD from New York University.

Ken Gibson moved to the corner of Ridgewood and Vickers in 1989 and teaches physics at the Westminster Schools. He has degrees from Swarthmore College and the University of Washington, and lived in Trinidad and the Philippines before coming to Atlanta.  He has been the DHCA secretary since 2009.

Class of 2018

Allan Ballard has been a Druid Hills resident since 1975. A retired employment statistician with the U.S. Dept. of Labor, he is a past member of the DeKalb Planning Commission, the DeKalb Natural Resources Advisory Committee, the DeKalb Community Council, and the DHCA Board of Directors. Allan is especially interested in issues of local governance as reflected in the recent cityhood movements in DeKalb County and proposals to change the structure of DeKalb County’s government.

Bill Clark grew up in DeKalb County. A graduate of Emory University (1985) and the University of Georgia School of Law (1988), he practiced law in Atlanta for 11 years before going into government relations. Bill has been a fulltime lobbyist at the State Capitol since 1998. During his first term on the DHCA Board, Bill served on the Transportation and Cityhood & Annexation Committees. He and his wife, Robin, have lived on Oakdale Road for more than 15 years, where they reared two children and are active members of the Druid Hills Golf Club and Glenn UMC. As a lawyer and a lobbyist at the State Capitol, Bill brings to the Board a wealth of knowledge about politics and government.

Becky Evans and her husband David have lived and reared their three children in Druid Hills since 1992. Becky has served on the DHCA board and the Tour Committee for 11 years, and as DHCA Admin VP (2006). She currently serves on the Nominating and Transportation Committees and as chair of Tour Friends & Patrons. Becky also serves on the Emory Village Alliance board and as Global Missions Chair at N. Decatur Presbyterian Church. Becky coordinated DeKalb Commissioner Kathie Gannon’s 2012 campaign, currently works as Senator Elena Parent’s legislative aide on local issues, and is a member of Leadership DeKalb. Becky is proud of her work in support of Burbanck Park and passionate about planning strategically for the future, especially in making Druid Hills a more Walk and Bike Friendly community.

Wendy Heaps is a new resident of Druid Hills but already very active in the community through her work on the DHCA’s Transportation Committee. She was a catalyst for involving the Georgia Dept. of Transportation in traffic and pedestrian safety issues along the Ponce corridor. Her work facilitated the Department’s recent Road Safety Audit. Wendy works at CDC in the area of public health policy, tackling issues that range from nutrition to transportation and communications. She lives on Clifton Road with her family and is an Army mom. Wendy was a member of the City of Decatur’s Active Living Board and founding chair of its Pedestrian Advisory Committee.

Robert Hughes works in real estate development and studied Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech. He has experience in land use, zoning, design, and real estate finance and development. Robert is keen to protect the historic nature of Druid Hills and to participate in the community. He and his wife, Ginger Ann, and two young daughters have lived in Druid Hills for about two years. They love historic homes, architecture, and gardens, and are big fans of the Tour.

Larissa Teunis grew up in the Florida Panhandle. She holds a Master of Public Administration degree from New York University and a BA in International Affairs from Florida State University. Currently a stay-at-home parent, she has nearly ten years of professional experience in program design and management for local, state, and federal agencies. She moved to Druid Hills in 2014 with her husband and daughter; they welcomed a son last summer. Larissa is particularly interested in involving new Druid Hills residents in the DHCA and preserving the historic nature of the neighborhood. She enjoys Dutch language and culture, travel and cooking.

Leon Van Gelderen and his wife moved to Oakdale Road from Morningside in 2011. He is a semi-retired, practicing attorney specializing in real estate law and litigation. Leon’s most rewarding legal experience was assisting the attorneys in the original Presidential Parkway cases while in law school. He has lived in gentrified neighborhoods in Seattle and Atlanta for more than 40 years and rehabbed at least a dozen homes. Leon’s concerns include the breakdown of DeKalb government protections for Druid Hills amid multiple DeKalb County scandals, along with increasing crime in the neighborhood. He has been a Tour volunteer for several years.

Cynthia Waterbury lived in Druid Hills through her 5^th grade year at the Fernbank School. She returned to the neighborhood six years ago with her husband and son, a student at Paideia. Since then, Cynthia has enjoyed giving back to the community she has long loved. During the past five years, her work has included chairing several subcommittees of the Druid Hills Tour of Homes & Gardens, chairing the Druid Hills Yard Sale, and a term as DHCA board member. She has also been active on the Deny Clifton Ridge Committee.

Class of 2017

Dan Frymire (pending)

Clinton Tankersley, an attorney specializing in cultural heritage law, is the founder and executive director of Presonomics, a global nonprofit that promotes the economic benefits of saving historic places. Clint also holds a graduate degree in Historic Preservation and a BA in Business Management. He moved to Druid Hills in 2015 with his wife, Jill, and two young daughters, Evie and Annika. Clint enjoys hiking, live music, exploring old buildings, and discovering the latest high tech gadgets.

Class of 2016

Angela Orkin is an attorney and consultant in the areas of child advocacy and child welfare. She has lived in Druid Hills for five years with her husband, Brian, and children, Sam and Julia. Currently, Angela serves on the board of the Fernbank Elementary School Foundation where she is chair of marketing and development. The family belongs to Glenn Memorial UMC, where Angela also volunteers. Prior to consulting, Angela served as the Director of Development and Strategic Planning at Voices for Georgia’s Children, 2010–2011.

Bill Stiefel is a pediatrician in private practice. Before starting medical school in 1985, he was a “Road Buster” and arrested with about 30 other protesters for blocking a crane in Goldsboro Park. Bill loves older homes and had interesting experiences, particularly with woodworking, while expanding his family’s home on Oakdale Road. He has a great interest in sustainable living and hopes to bring that and other strengths to the DHCA board. Bill and his wife, Marilyn, have four teenaged children.

Mike St. Louis and his wife Donna have lived and reared their three children in Druid Hills for more than three decades (except for two tours of duty in Africa working on HIV/AIDS). Trained as a pediatrician, Mike works at CDC overseeing its global health work in HIV, especially in East Africa. During the past several years, he has served as the DHCA’s Division 4 Chair and on the Cityhood and Transportation Committees. Mike is a beekeeper with an organic garden, orchard, and native flowers in his backyard. His interests include making Druid Hills more walkable and connected with slower traffic through careful and deliberate investments in streets, sidewalks, and related infrastructure.

Ryan Watstein is a practicing lawyer with experience in general dispute resolution, real estate litigation, and intellectual property. He is an active provider of pro bono legal services in the Metro Atlanta area, a member of the United Way DeKalb County Advisory Board, and a participant in Leadership DeKalb, Class of 2015. Ryan and his wife plan to send their children to public school.