SUN CITY – Every face in the 2014 Sun City association board of directors election is a very familiar one.
Five candidates are competing for four open seats in this fall’s balloting. The four successful candidates will serve two-year terms beginning in January, 2015. Two of the candidates, Bill Bendick and James Van Fleet, are incumbents seeking re-election. Two others, Dennis O’Leary and Eugene Rhodes, were candidates in 2013 and are trying again this year. A fifth, Larry LaBeau, is a former member who seeks to return to the board.
Following are biographical and historical profiles of each candidate’s Sun City and professional experience. They are listed here in alphabetical order.
Bill Bendick: After earning degrees in engineering and human resources development, Bendick spent the next 40 years in various management and leadership positions in which he was responsible for sales, finance, engineering, manufacturing, employee relations, and maintenance. In his first term during the past two years, he has served as the association board’s treasurer. He also is an AARP tax counselor and has helped hundreds of Sun City residents with their taxes. He also volunteers at the Grafton Food Pantry.
Larry LaBeau: He pursued a diverse 40-year career in the financial services industry. He was vice president and regional sales manager for a firm that provided fee income improvement and also was a director of business development for the Financial Services Market for a firm that specialized in corporate performance management solutions. He holds a degree in management and completed graduate courses in marketing. He is a member of the Computer Club, is a past chairman of the Finance Advisory Committee, a member of a former marketing committee, and served on the ad hoc 2014 committee that solicited and reviewed proposals from firms seeking to be Sun City’s management company starting in 2015. He served on the Sun City board for 18 months in 2011-12.
Dennis O’Leary: His professional background is in manufacturing operations management and manufacturing engineering. During that time he managed finances, established a clear project vision, set goals, and worked in a team environment. His academic background includes study in business management. He served four years on the Sun City Finance Committee, two years as vice chairman; served three years on the Facility Advisory Committee, two years as vice-chairman; and two years on the Financial Reserves Sub-committee of the Finance Committee. He is a member of the Computer Club. He was a candidate in the 2013 board election.
Eugene Rhodes: He owned and operated his own company, Rhodes Services Inc. (jewelry and gifts, furniture, data entry-keypunch) for 40 years. He attended Memphis University, majoring in journalism and business administration. In Sun City, he is a member of the Civics Committee, active in Vtec tours, past president of Prairie Singers, and is active in the Current Events and Symposium Clubs and the Theatre Company. He was a candidate in the 2013 board election.
James Van Fleet: He was a laboratory supervisor, coordinating all lab projects and writing final lab reports for BP-AMOCO Chemicals R&D. At Sun City, he served in transition governance, helping guide the changeover from developer to resident. He also served four years on the Fitness Committee, two years as chairman of the Lifestyles Committee, eight years as Neighborhood 17 rep, and eight years on the Neighborhood Advisory Council, one year as chairman
Holdover board members not involved in this year’s election are President Bonnie Bayser, Linda Davis, and Bill Ziletti.
In a future report, the Sun Day will publish the candidates’ views on the major issues facing the community and how they suggest they be addressed. Balloting among all Sun City households will be conducted in late September-early October. At least one candidate forum will be held in September.
