March 28, 2009 – The nine candidates running this year for eight seats on the Marina Towers Condominium Association board of directors include eight incumbents and one challenger.

Michael Michalak, a real estate broker and contributor to Marina City Online, says his goals, if elected, are to give owners full and accurate financial statements when they request them, foster a sense of community, and improve relations with commercial ownership.

A unit owner and resident for five years, Michalak (left) has been a broker with RE/MAX Vision since 2005. Before that, he was a project manager for Nortel Networks.

Michalak believes commercial property owners at Marina City can help the condo association with its fitness and meeting room issues.

“Instead of spending significant association money rebuilding the 20th floor,” writes Michalak in his statement of candidacy, “we can work to give our building residents access to Hotel Sax’s fitness room. We can host our board meetings at the hotel meeting facilities. We can eliminate the expense of a meeting room that is only used four or five times a month.”

Michalak says he will keep owners updated on his blog, marinatowers.blogspot.com.

The other candidates running in the 32nd annual election are…

Harold G. Bellamy, an Air Force and National Guard veteran originally from East Chicago. He is 75 years old, has owned at Marina Towers for 24 years, and has been a resident for 12 years. He was appointed to the board in November 2007 to fill the remaining term of Berry Stevens, who resigned in October of that year and died in February 2008. Bellamy is chairman of the Security Committee.

Bellamy is seen here competing in the 2007 National Veterans Golden Age Games, the largest sporting event in the world for senior veterans.

Ellen Chessick is a financial manager and serves as MTCA secretary. She has been a resident for 18 years.

She and her husband, Ken, combined three units at Marina City into one large condominium unit. Last November, the Chessicks purchased a one-bedroom unit from the estate of Sandra Lapping. They were both active in the effort to obtain official landmark status for Marina City.

The Chessicks have made significant donations to Northern Illinois University. They are seen here (left and center) in a 2004 photo, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the Kenneth C. Chessick Legal Skills Training Center.

Peter Desch is a telecommunications technician. He owns a one-bedroom unit in the west tower and has been a resident for 14 years. He has been a board member for four years.

Phyllis M. Hartford is a resource manager for Illinois Department of Natural Resources. She was president for two years of the Society of Government Meeting Professionals. She has been an owner and resident for 16 years. On the MTCA board, she is chairman of the Social Committee.

Gautier G. Laude is co-chairman of the Audit Committee. He is a software development manager and has lived at Marina Towers for eight years.

Donna M. Leonard, MTCA president, works for the Illinois Secretary of State, Jesse White, in the Office of the Inspector General. Before that, she was White’s general counsel. In April 2000, she was fired in what many believed was retaliation for assisting federal prosecutors with their corruption investigation of former Illinois Governor George Ryan.

Other state officials protested the firing and Leonard returned to work two weeks later. Leonard (left) is also a licensed real estate broker.

Dr. Michel R. Louvain is treasurer and co-chairman of the Audit Committee. He is a retired psychiatrist. An owner and resident for 31 years, Louvain has been on the board of directors for the past eight years.

Daniel M. Starr was appointed on February 19 to fill a seat left open by Sandra Lapping, who died on July 3, 2008. A lawyer who specializes in landlord and tenant law. Starr was suspended for six months by the Illinois Supreme Court for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme to delay an eviction. More recently, the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission recommended censure in another complaint against him.

Each candidate will be allowed a three-minute presentation at the MTCA annual meeting on April 27.