2022 DHARA Board of Directors Candidates
JACKIE GIAMBALVO
My name is Jackie Giambalvo, and my family (husband John, Sophia 14, and Rocco 12) started swimming at Dominion Hills in the summer of 2009. When I think of summer, I think of swimming in the Dominion Hills pool. The clubhouse is charming, the established landscaping is beautiful, and the overall setting is bucolic in such an urban area. Two of my favorite things in the summer are meeting friends at our pool and swimming laps. My children loved growing up on the steps of the tank pool and learned to swim from Dominion Hill instructors.
My summer job in high school and college was as a Red Cross certified swimming instructor, so I have been an avid lover of water my entire life. I’m an avid volunteer who helped start and successfully managed five Silent Auctions/Socials at McKinley Elementary school. In doing so, I have demonstrated my ability to plan large-scale social events with many volunteers, raise funds, and oversee finances. In my professional life I’m a CPA in the Finance Department of an Internet Company.
I believe I can lead the pool in expanding our social options for kids, families, and adults so that we can come together as a community, welcome new members, and meet other members of our pool. I look forward to being a part of the planning of the future of our pool by learning from the survey responses from our members (Thank you, DH Board, for creating such an extensive survey to determine member interests.) and turning those responses into more concrete actions.
BEN HELLER
Hello, my name is Ben Heller and I am interested in working with our board to fulfill its obligations to membership. My family has been a member of this pool for 5 years. My wife, Emilie, and our two kids, Sam and Reid have enjoyed the pool and our swim team. For the last 15 years I have been working in the commercial real estate industry and have been involved with hundreds of complex projects. When done right, real estate is a process, not a commodity. Our club stands at an inflection point. Anyone who has gone to other pools for dive or swim knows that our facilities lag behind those of other clubs in the region. Our amenities are lacking but we have a very important asset in our land including the ENSCO property. It is the right time to plan for changes to the facility that align with the goals of our membership. The process of evaluating our goals, understanding what we have and how best to achieve our goals will be my primary objective. I look forward to putting my expertise to work for the club and making Dominion Hills the best club that it can be.
ROBERT (ROB) KINDER
My family and I have been members of DHARA for almost ten years. My children have enjoyed participating in swim and dive teams in the past and the entire family has enjoyed hot summer days at the pool.
My vision for the future of the pool is to see the pool become more member-centric, and less management and Board focused. Although I recognize the fiduciary duty to preserve the resources of DHARA, the Board should be more focused on the well-being and experience of the membership as a whole. The members (and future members) of DHARA are the greatest asset and that is how I would approach my role.
I believe my background in project management as a US Army Corps of Engineers Officer would be helpful for planning and executing upcoming capital improvement projects at the pool. Being a mechanical engineer, I also have experience interpreting and understanding project blueprints and architectural drawings. Prior to being appointed as a federal administrative judge, I owned and helped run a real estate investment company where I oversaw buying run-down properties and fixing them up for sale or rent. I managed smaller property improvement projects and, being an attorney, I did the legal work for the company, including the contracts for sale and lease.
I would like to see a more cordial atmosphere amongst the Board and the pool membership. We need to be in person for all meetings and events to develop and maintain a fellowship. Decisions should be open and dissent should be heard and respected even if not adopted. As a judge, I make tough decisions every week and balance difficult choices while still maintaining civility and respect with those I disagree.
I believe we have taken for granted our long “wait-list” and I envision implementing a few annual events to show our appreciation for “future members” who have been waiting years to join. A few of our proposed long-term property improvement projects seem to imagine an expanded pool footprint that would allow for increased membership, but I would also like to explore ways we could expand our membership in the short term for gradual growth and financial stability. On a larger strategic level, I would like to explore the long-term use of the current rental property and determine if any other use could be made of that area that would be beneficial to the membership and potentially the community.
I appreciate your support to serve on the DHARA Board for the next three years.
DAVE LASSITER
My name is Dave Lassiter. I have been a member of the Dominion Hills Area Recreation Association since birth, I have spent all my summers around pools as a Swimmer, Lifeguard, and Coach. I have worked at DHARA under all four of the Resident Managers during my Aquatic Career. I was the Assistant Manager during the reconstruction of 1988. I have seen Dominion Hills go from a “I cannot give away a membership, to a long wait list”. Have experience in budgeting for pool supplies as pool personnel. I was Head Coach of the DHARA Swim Team from 1995-2000 leading the Swim Team to Division 4 of the NVSL. I am looking for a season (on and off) of safe, fun, successful, and memorable as possible. Would like to see more events, including Tot parties, Kid’s nights, Teen nights, and Adult and Staff activities. I look forward to adding extra enthusiasm to the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter activities around the Pool and Community.
NATHAN McQUEEN
Nathan has served on the DHARA Board for the past 3 years on the Finance Committee and as Treasurer for the past 2.5 years. He and his family love to enjoy the pool and have been members since moving to Arlington in 2014. Nathan appreciates the support of the membership as the Board has navigated several challenging years with COVID operations and hopes the good ideas keep coming!
KRISTEN REILLY
A DHARA member since 2014, this past spring I agreed to serve as an interim Board member to fill a vacant position. I have enjoyed my short time on the Board, getting a firsthand look into the significant time, energy and collaboration that goes into making each summer a success.
Summer 2021 presented unique challenges as we navigated the ever-changing COVID guidelines. We were determined to have DHARA open as a safe but fun destination and worked hard to bring back everyone’s favorite summertime events while also adding new activities and events like the food trucks, yard games and poolside music.
If elected, I look forward to continuing this work in progress. I will carry on our efforts to provide fun and engaging events and activities, preserve the current pool grounds and plan for the pool’s future. This upcoming season I am particularly excited to help launch DHARA’s very first snack bar.
When I’m not at the pool perfecting my belly flop, you can find me hanging out in Dominion Hills with my husband Joe and our four kids, ages 11, 10, 7 and 4. Our three daughters are active members of the swim team and our son eagerly awaits his turn to join them. I am an attorney by trade, practicing business litigation at the Faegre Drinker law firm, but I aspire to someday be a professional bowler.
I hope you will give me the opportunity to continue serving the membership in the upcoming years.
GEOFF VAUGHAN
As a member since 2010, my wife, Kristen and I have been enjoying Dominion Hills for over 10 years. We have 3 wonderful children: Annabell (8), Liam (7), and Colton (4). For the past 2 years we have been a part of the swim team and our kids have really enjoyed the swim meets, social events, and the snack bar of course! We spend several days a week at the pool to burn off some energy and relax with friends.
I grew up working at pools as a lifeguard/manager and started out my career as a paramedic working in both New Jersey and Virginia. I understand the challenges with balancing safety with making the pool a fun place for friends and family. I work in federal technology consulting, leading work for the Department of Defense and other government agencies. In my free time (when I’m not driving my kids to sporting events or at practices), I enjoy swimming, tennis, woodworking, and landscaping. For DHARA, my wife and I volunteer for swim team, and I have spent a lot of time helping to improve the rear area of the pool by creating a walking path with stones, cleaning up the creek, and clearing the invasive ivy that is took over the fence line and trees.
With my experience as a first responder and business leader and passion for improvement, I would value the opportunity to work with the DHARA members and the board to continue the great programs our pools offer while finding new ways we can improve experiences for our members. I hope to be considered for a position on the board and make an impact with DHARA for years to come.
