Introducing your 2020 Board of Directors candidates

Layne Varney

This year, the SunBird Golf Resort homeowners association will have three open director seats. Five homeowners have expressed interest in becoming candidates for these positions on the board. The two candidates receiving the most votes will be elected to three-year terms, and the candidate receiving the third number of votes will be elected to a one-year term. The candidates will be present and available at SunBird Community Day on Wednesday, Nov. 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The ballots will be mailed the second week in November, and the deadline for voting is Monday, Dec. 16. The Election Committee will be meeting on Dec. 17 to verify and tally the votes for the final results. Please get to know each of the candidates and, most importantly, don’t forget to VOTE. Thank you!

Jeanne Johnston

Having worked 35+ years in critical care as a registered nurse, I’m well versed in compromise and diversity. I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Grand Canyon University. I’m licensed to practice nursing in Arizona and Michigan.

Currently, I provide private duty home care by referral. I volunteer as a “nurse on hand” at SunBird Pickleball tournaments as well as providing wellness checks on request in our community. I’m a member of the Chandler Elks Lodge #2429.

I’ve been a full-time resident since 2015, and I’m thrilled to have found SunBird. As a member of the SunBird board of directors, I would welcome the opportunity to give back to our community. I’m eager to network with residents and brainstorm for SunBird’s continued success. I admire the efforts of prior board members who have strived to keep SunBird aesthetically appealing, financially sound, and affordable.

I would appreciate your support and encourage all residents to vote. Thank you!

Bill Ley

Being that I’m a full-time resident, I’m very lucky to be living in a place like SunBird. Serving on the board of directors would give me the opportunity to contribute to the future of our community.

Soon after I graduated high school, I joined the U.S. Marines. I served 13 months in Vietnam and climbed to the rank of E5 Sergeant. After receiving an honorable discharge, I worked in the telephone industry for more than 35 years, primarily in the state of Washington. In addition to being on several committees, I was appointed to take on the role of training various departments on new operational and technical procedures that I created. In our SunBird community, I’ve been serving on the architectural control committee for the past year. Also, I’ve been volunteering my time on many projects in the clubhouse.

My wife Kimberly and I love living here in SunBird. As a director, my first responsibility to this community will be to listen to the homeowners and keep an open mind before forming opinions that are aimed to keep SunBird a thriving and friendly community. I would appreciate your vote.

Frank Nechvatal

I am seeking election to the SunBird board of directors. In the past, I have served on the finance committee, the rules committee, and the crime prevention task force. I have previously served on the board of directors.

I have taken classes on hoa leadership, through the city of Chandler and The Leadership Centre, that covered HOA dynamics in the areas of law, finance, insurance mediation, transition, parliamentary procedures, meetings operations, and other related topics. I have served on the Chandler City Airport Commission for nine years, the Chandler Build Out Committee, and the Neighborhood Advisory Committee’s Rental subcommittee.

In my past career, I was a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and director of adult education. As the leader of the adult education program, I cared for and fostered a $6 million budget which provided for adult retraining, GED instruction, pregnancy program, delinquent student high school diploma program, and two night school programs for high school classes.

Please consider me as you vote. I am schooled in HOA fiduciary responsibilities and organizational budgeting.

Lisa Onyx

I have been a SunBird resident since 2008—full-time starting in 2018. I am a second-generation homeowner of SunBird, visiting the community since 1998. Both my mother and mother-in-law are current residents of SunBird.

I grew up in Minnesota and spent the past 25 years living in Illinois. I received a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from St. Cloud State University and an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. My background includes sales and account management in the commercial insurance industry. For the past 15 years, I was self-employed as a manufacturer’s representative.

I am a member of the SunBird marketing committee and active in the Ladies Golf League, water aerobics, water volleyball, pickleball, and bocce ball. I volunteered for more than five years on the North Barrington Parks and Recreation committee, helping plan and organize events for our community.

I am interested in serving on the board of directors because I think SunBird Golf Resort is a great community, and I want to help keep it a great community. I believe my skill set will allow me to make a positive contribution to the future of SunBird, and I would appreciate your vote.

Steven Seel

As a second-generation SunBird resident, I’m excited to be part of a community that I have indirectly and now directly been part of for 25+ years! I was raised in Michigan, graduated with a Business Management degree from ASU, and recruited to Boeing in Southern California before being led back to Arizona!

My wife Shelly and I moved in full-time last year and are actively involved in our SunBird life. I quickly got engaged with the marketing committee, where I led the effort of publishing the homeowners brochure and the pass-along cards, all before co-coordinating our street’s first annual block party. Currently, I work in the pro shop where my duties include managing the webpage. With an interest in becoming an HOA board member, I was invited to a SunBird Director Training Workshop, and then attended off-campus recommended courses for HOA board of directors.

Looking forward, if I have the opportunity to be part of the SunBird board of directors, I promise to take the roll as seriously as I did my 32-year career at Boeing, where as a project engineer, I managed people, projects, and schedules, all with fiduciary responsibilities. I look forward to serving you as part of this amazing community within SunBird.