Dominion Hills
2023 Board Nomination Candidates
Pete Bentson
My wife (Jill) and I have been members of DHARA since we bought our first home in Westover. We are lifelong Virginia residents and have lived in Arlington for almost two decades. In recent years we’ve had the opportunity to watch DHARA grow and evolve as our own family has grown too. Today we are parents to three boys (Charlie, Andrew, and John) who are proud members of the Thunder Ducks.
In my professional life, I manage a team of financial services professionals and strive to bring the requisite budgeting, strategy, and communication skills to my role as a board member. I also chair the Scholarship fund for a family non-profit, and our household is active with local charity organizations.
If re-elected, my focus would continue to be on maintaining the inclusive sense of community that already exists at DHARA, while focusing on smart, efficient ways to improve our facilities both immediately and for the long term. Above all, my goal would be to ensure that our pool remains a competitive, attractive offering for both existing and prospective members.
Kendra Ervin
My family joined Dominion Hills in the summer of 2022. My husband Brad and our three children (Allie 11, Nate 8, and Zach 6) spent countless hours at the pool this past summer, and we were struck by the sense of community that DHARA has built. Our family dove headfirst (pun intended!) into many Dominion Hills activities and events. All three children participated on the swim team, and our family enjoyed the holiday cookouts, movie nights, kids nights, and adult socials. And with three swimmers, I could often be found on deck volunteering at swim meets. I was impressed by how the DHARA Board has worked to solicit input from members and to make improvements based on member feedback (e.g., the Quack Shack, wifi access, parking lot repainting). I would welcome the opportunity to continue these efforts and to give back to the DHARA community by serving on the Board.
I grew up in Virginia Beach so love being by the water, even if man-made pools are the closest thing we have to the beach in Northern Virginia. Although we have only been DHARA members for the past year, we were members at a large pool in McLean while on the Dominion Hills waitlist. With this perspective, I recognize the varied challenges neighborhood pools face depending upon the size of their membership and the layout and age of facilities. If elected, I would strive to continue DHARA’s efforts to provide a range of activities and events to all members and to think strategically about the pool’s future.
In my professional life, I work as an attorney for the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. I lead a team of seventeen attorneys who prosecute intellectual property crime, conduct domestic and international training and outreach, and help to develop policy initiatives.
In my non-work life, I coach fifth-grade girls travel basketball, and serve as the Vice President for External Affairs of Cardinal Elementary’s PTA. Prior to serving on the PTA, I served on the Board of our children’s preschool, US Kids Child Development Center in DC. These activities have been important ways for me to engage with and to give back to the various communities that have been significant parts of our family’s lives.
I hope you will give me the opportunity to continue to improve DHARA and to serve the DHARA community in the upcoming years
Greg Langsdale
I’ve been on the Dominion Hills Board for the past two years and currently serve on the Executive Committee as Secretary. My wife Libby and I are enthusiastic Thunder Ducks supporters. Our three oldest sons—Griffin (14), Asher (12), and Beckett (10)—are on the swim team, and our youngest son Tanner (7) is getting his toes wet, too. We are an active sporting family and I have loved coaching various soccer and baseball teams over the years. In my working life, I am an attorney at Cadwalader and a member of the firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility Committee.
I’ve enjoyed working alongside my awesome colleagues on the Board, including quality time with the Water Sports Committee, as well as engaging with more of the nuts and bolts as Secretary and the Contracts Committee. I look forward to continuing to work to ensure that the pool is fun, safe, and welcoming to all people.
Owen Simpson
My name is Owen Simpson, and my family (wife Elizabeth, Jack 12, and Stella 10) have been members of the Dominion Hills pool since 2017. Jack and Stella love being a part of the swim team, Elizabeth enjoys volunteering at the swim meets, and, as a family, we love spending time at the pool during the summer.
If I became a member of the DHARA Board, I would like to work and partner with Board and pool members to continue the recent improvements at Dominion Hills. As a former federal law enforcement officer and former Soldier, I recognize the importance of keeping the pool a safe environment for its members. More so, as a career federal employee serving in the Department of Defense, I have experience with leading and participating in working groups and committees that develop and implement large-scale and impactful changes.
As a Board member, I would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with the other Board members to continue to make the pool a great place for our members and families to relax and have fun. I appreciate your consideration and support for this and look forward to the potential opportunity to serve on the Board.
Rob Smith
I have been on the board for the past three years, where I currently serve as Vice President and chair the long-term planning committee. At the pool, you’ll find Kelly and me volunteering at swim meets and cheering on proud Thunder Ducks Henry (11) and Everett (6). We’ve loved being part of the DH community since joining in 2019, and I think its best years are still ahead. If re-elected, I hope to help build on the board’s recent success of bringing new amenities to the pool like last year’s snack bar, and continuing our long-term planning projects.
