Beachway’s Shirley Baldwin took on the job of the executive board president after only 11 months in her role as vice president. The trajectory of the learning curve, beginning as a newly minted board member, sharply increased after Richard (Dick) Leach resigned in December 2023. With expertise honed through years of long service in various roles as a board member for the Beachway Park community, Dick’s legacy is much admired and would be difficult to duplicate. So when The Beachcomber caught up with Beachway’s President Shirley Baldwin for an interview, we had a few questions for her about the challenges ahead.

The Beachcomber: Shirley, can you tell us a little about your vision and priorities for your committee in 2024?

Shirley: As president, I don’t have a committee. I consider the board of directors to be my committee. Having said that, I think it’s important to attend and participate in all director’s committees. There is so much going on; if you don’t attend, there is no way to be aware of everything going on. 

We currently have a remarkably cohesive and dedicated group of people serving on the board, and I’m proud to serve with them. My vision is to ensure that this continues throughout 2024 as we bring in new board members. My priorities are to serve the residents of Beachway Park in such a way that they can expect transparency, open communication, and regular updates and to actively listen to and address the concerns of both board members and Beachway residents.

The residents of Beachway make an important decision when they fill out their ballots and entrust this group of seven individuals to work in the park’s best interest.

The Beachcomber: What accomplishments or achievements of the past year would you especially like the park residents to recognize?

• Developing the mission and vision statement in partnership with Todd Maye and Linda Kuhn.

• Creation of the “Resident Volunteer of the Year Award”

• Development of Beachway Park Emergency Preparedness protocol. This was prepared during the summer of 2023 and rolled out at a resident meeting in early September.

• Development of an orientation program for new board members. This is a work in progress, but the goal is to create a full “job description” for each director position, including president and vice president. Ideally, residents will better understand what’s expected of them when considering whether to run for the board and what a new board member can expect to do in his/her role. In addition, cross-training may need to occur in the absence of a board member.

The Beachcomber: What have been your biggest challenges as a board member? For example, are there things you didn’t anticipate, are there difficult lessons you are learning, and is there anything that gives you special satisfaction in your role?

Shirley: There is definitely a learning curve when one is new to the board. Hindsight being what it is, I wish I had started out as a volunteer on a committee to understand better how things really get done rather than jumping right into running for the board. As a year-round resident, I strongly felt that someone from the board needed to be here to “oversee” projects and problems that occurred between May and November. Agreeing to serve as vice president was a practical choice so that checks could be signed, etc. I spent a lot of time emailing and calling other board members during the summer and relying on assistance from other residents. Our office manager, Ann Ford, was also new to her role, so we were able to help and support each other.

I wish every resident knew how hard each board member works to make Beachway such a great place to live.

The Beachcomber: If you are to list the top three things you wish all residents understood or are aware of about the operation of the park, what would they be?

Shirely: I wish every resident knew how hard each board member works to make Beachway such a great place to live. I don’t think I fully understood how many hours board members put into their roles.

No one on the board is doing their job out of an ego-driven motivation to “leave their mark,” as one resident communicated to the board members via email. We do this because we love Beachway, and we don’t want to allow it to pass into the hands of a private management company. We sometimes have to make difficult financial decisions due to the aging park infrastructure and our desire to keep residents safe. These are priorities not shared by every resident, nor are they decisions everyone can agree with. The residents of Beachway make an important decision when they fill out their ballots and entrust this group of seven individuals to work in the park’s best interest.

This is a board that truly respects one another and is committed to doing our jobs well.

This final point shouldn’t have to be said, but I’ll say it anyway. The members of the board are human beings trying their best, and when hurtful things are said about any member of the board, it does sting. Please remember to treat everyone with dignity and respect.