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Meeting Essentials
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Candidate Bios and
Position Statements
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In this report you will find information about KICA’s upcoming 2014 Annual Meeting.
This year the association will elect two new directors to its board. As a reminder, the
association’s board is comprised of six members of the community and one developer
representative. Dan Hubbard and I are completing our terms and will leave the board after
the annual meeting in March. Dan has been an invaluable contributor to the community
and the board, and will be missed. When KICA hired a new chief operating officer (COO)
in 2012, Dan chaired the search committee. He has also been especially involved with
our Governance Committee, leading the charge to reaffirm KICA’s commitment to a
“strong COO” model that focuses the board on strategic planning and leaves operations to
our staff. Along the lines of strategic planning, he was instrumental in the formation of a
nominating committee to identify candidates for the board. In its first year, that committee
worked very hard and nominated two excellent candidates for member director, Art Jones
and Marilyn Olson, and I thank them for their willingness to offer their time and energy to
the community. Please review the enclosed report, which includes information about each
candidate and a review of 2013, and submit your votes for director by either voting online
or returning the enclosed ballot.
KICA Year in Review
Pages 6 - 14
The past year was a good one for Kiawah Island and the community association. The most significant action by this board occurred
at the first meeting of the year when we approved the Supplemental Annual Assessment (SAA). Designed to stabilize the revenue
stream for our major repair budget, the SAA ensures that KICA will have the resources to replace major infrastructure such as roads,
bridges, drainage, boardwalks, etc., many of which are nearing 40 years old. No one likes to spend more money, but most agree that
KICA’s overall assessment structure is comparably low to similar communities, and that protecting property values by maintaining
our community infrastructure is a high priority.
Another significant change occurred on Kiawah in 2013 with the sale of Kiawah Partners. With much of the previous management
team intact, the developer’s on-island activities have appeared largely the same. Clearly the new ownership is focused more exclusively
on Kiawah, as it has sold off some of the assets it acquired, most notably Christophe Harbour in St. Kitts and Freshfields Village.
Another ramification of the sale was Buddy Darby’s departure from the KICA board after 25 years of service. Buddy was a valuable
contributor and we wish him nothing but the best in his future pursuits. Buddy’s replacement on the board is Patrick Melton, and
he has jumped right in as an active and productive member of the board.
Upcoming Events
Pages 15 - 16
Over the past year we have continued to work on several multi-year strategic initiatives, including West Beach revitalization, KICA
amenities, and our community outreach efforts. Our West Beach efforts have really begun to pay off. We hear from our friends in
the real estate business that sales volume in areas where revitalization efforts have occurred now outpaces other like-kind property
types. Many of you participated in focus groups and/or an opinion survey on the adequacy of our amenities, and your feedback
is now driving a planning exercise to look at various options. As options are identified, we’ll come back to the membership for
additional feedback through public meetings, surveys, and other communications channels to be sure we are on the right track. Also,
we continue to work with our members to improve Kiawah’s involvement in the broader Johns and Wadmalaw island communities
through the Kiawah Cares program. I was especially proud of the way our membership responded to the Lowcountry Open Land
Trust campaign to preserve land around the Angel Oak Tree on Johns Island.
Finally, last year we moved the annual meeting date to a Friday afternoon from its former Sunday schedule. The change was well
received with one of the largest turnouts in recent memory. As a result, we’ve scheduled the 2014 meeting for Friday, March 7 at
the Sandcastle. This year’s Celebrate Kiawah will be held April 26 from 4 - 7 p.m. I hope to see many of you at both of these events.
Kiawah Cares
Year in Review
Pages 17 - 18
John Connolly
Chair, KICA Board of Directors