2021 DHARA Board of Directors Candidates
SAM ALEXANDER
Hey folks. I’ve been on the board for 3 years, serving as the head of grounds, helping lead our online presence during the 2020 “Summer of covid” and providing both motions and seconds to a host of votes. The summer of 2020 was an especially challenging one and the experience gained will help navigate challenges in the future. Our son Jacksen, while is a reluctant swimmer loves the water. My greatest joy with the kids is when I’m a stroke and turn judge and nail a solid DQ! :-). In my alter ego, I run network teams and do my best to provide positive motivation and sage wisdom.
I’m looking forward to another term on the board to bring more awesomeness to the pool. Food trucks, bocci, and getter grounds utilization will be on my agenda. You’re going to want to vote for me because honestly, I’m a pretty good guy, a consensus builder and a wikid good Mohawk shaver.
MATT BACHRACK
I have been on the Dominion Hills Board for the past three years and served as Vice President of the Board for the past year, which was just terrific timing on my part. My family moved into the neighborhood and joined DHARA in 2006. We enjoyed the pool for a few years before taking a six-year detour to Hong Kong. We returned in the summer of 2015, and the time we spent at the pool that summer helped us to reconnect with old friends and make some new ones. My youngest, Kayli, learned to swim at the DHARA pool that summer, and is now a proud member of the swim team. My middle child, Jeb, has spent his summers on the swim and dive teams. Harrison, my oldest, also enjoys the swim team. I enjoy swimming with the kids, playing tennis (when I find the time!), reading, and UVA sports. I spend my days working as an attorney at Cleary Gottlieb.
In addition to analysis and application of the law, this requires collaboration, attention to detail, client service, and patience. Those skills were put to the test over the course of this past year. I was very proud to be a part of the Board and a member of DHARA as we all worked together to overcome unprecedented challenges. I hope to continue working for the membership, as the club and its Board address a number of issues over the coming years, including evolving policies, capital projects, and existing and new member outreach efforts. I hope you will give me the chance to continue my involvement in this organization that has provided my family with such great opportunities.xdwae32
GREG LANGSDALE
My name is Greg Langsdale and I would welcome the opportunity to serve you and your family as a member of the DHARA Board of Directors. My wife Libby and I have four sons ranging from 12-4 years old (Griffin, Asher, Beckett, and Tanner). We have lived in Boulevard Manor since 2007 and became DH members in 2013. Our three oldest boys are proud members of the DH swim team (we look forward to Tanner joining the Minis!) and two of them had a blast practicing with the dive team this past summer. We have had fun becoming part of the swim team family; Libby has spent a lot of time working on the pool deck during meets and I have enjoyed setting up the pool the night before home meets, trying to make sure those time boards are hung up evenly.
I am encouraged by the Board’s response to concerns I raised about the use of Native American imagery on the pool grounds and website and in connection with the swim team. As a board member, I would continue this work to help ensure that DHARA is welcoming to all people. I’ll use my experience as an attorney to help DHARA assess and minimize risk as we continue to navigate through the pandemic and look ahead to a bright future.
STUART MCFARREN
I’ve lived in Arlington almost 30 years, 24 of which have been as a resident of Dominion Hills. We are an avid swim family, DH members for five years, our daughter Riley has been a Warrior since 2017, and both Tamara and I have been (and expect we always will be) active members and supporters of the club! My background includes U.S. military and government service, management consultancy (program management, business process, policy development, etc.), and a very active sporting life. We love Dominion Hills, and the friendships we have made. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute further to the Association
DAVE MESSMAN
My family and I have been members of DHARA since 2016. Grace (10) and Davis (8) have been members of the DH swim team since first starting out as mini-warriors, and my wife Becca and I have been happily volunteering since then, usually as a B-meet timer and runner. We missed the meets tremendously this last summer, but were incredibly happy with the efforts of the swim team coaches and volunteers in having some level of team activities. Similarly, I was very impressed with all the work by members of the board and other DHARA volunteers to get the scheduling system up and running this summer. Considering how many other things were falling by the wayside, I thought the way DHARA tried to make last summer as normal as possible was a great success. The efforts of those superstars last summer has encouraged me to want to contribute beyond getting my shoes soaked on Monday evenings. While I don’t have much experience with pool boards, I am a hard worker and love to learn and tackle new problems.
I grew up mostly in the Alexandria area, and am happy to see any year when Hollin Meadows or Waynewood comes up on the schedule. I was an officer in the Navy for 9 years, leaving active duty in 2004. Following 3 years in the contracting world, I joined the Government Accountability Office. I’ve been with GAO for over 12 years, conducting performance audits on a wide variety of federal programs, but primarily energy production and nuclear security areas. I think that I could bring the skills I’ve learned leading teams and solving problems in a cooperative manner to the board.
THAD ODDERSTOL
My wife (Sahar) and I joined DHARA in 2020, have three kids (June – 10, Thad – 8, and Eleanor – 6), and have been Arlington residents for 15 years. Our family strives to be an active member of the community; whether its participating in Jamestown PTA (specifically chairing the new family committee), coaching for Arlington Soccer, or serving as a Girl Scout Troop lead.
In my professional life I serve on the senior leadership team at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security National Risk Management Center, and have years of experience leading initiatives in the areas of strategy, budgeting, governance, engagement & communications, performance management and process improvement – from which I can draw on as a board member.
Additionally, I served on the board of directors for the Clarendon Child Care Center for 5 years, during which I was the Church/Community liaison (which included community relations as well as managing the scholarship fund), Building and Grounds Committee Chair (which included oversight of co-op ongoing activities and projects, school repair projects and related capital planning), and spent 2 years as President.
If elected, my focus would be on maintaining a vibrant community at DHARA, and helping to reinforce efforts to ensure that our pool remains a competitive, attractive offering for both existing and prospective members.
