Congratulations to Tom Herrick and Cheryl Jacobs, who were elected to the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors on Saturday. The voters themselves also deserve recognition for making a pair of excellent choices.
The addition of two people who ran as independent thinkers should bring balance to the board and do well by the community, especially considering that Herrick addressed the need to represent the “unique diversity of our community” while Jacobs ran as a “fresh face” and nonaligned candidate.
Judging from what both have said along the campaign trail this summer, both understand how the system is supposed to work.
Considering that Herrick is retired from the New York State Police and that Jacobs, following a stint in big business, was an assistant prosecutor in Baltimore City for many years, both know how structured working environments should function and that clear communications are critical.
Of interest, of course, will be how the new board shakes out in terms of its leadership positions in the next two weeks. No matter how that turns out, however, it should not be taken as an indication of anyone’s support of a particular side over another.
No one can know what kind of board will emerge once Herrick and Jacobs get settled in, but their styles and approaches during the campaign suggest that this will be a less volatile body than its predecessor and less inclined to sway one way or the other based on personalities.
Again, it appears at the outset that voters have done themselves and the community a favor by putting these well-qualified individuals in office. Only time will tell how this will work out in the long run, but it does appear to be a promising start to a board that should be more pragmatic than it is dogmatic.