BY LAURA DOUGLASS, SLI REporter
The election in March of three candidates running for the Seven Lakes Landowners Association (SLLA) Board of Directors is mostly symbolic since there are three open seats.
However, in the spirit of transparency, the Nominating Committee has scheduled two Meet the Candidates events in February and provided written introductions of each candidate in the weekly E-blast email and Interlake newsletter that is distributed to property owners.
“We are treating them the same and having them go through the same process we would if there were 10 candidates,” said SLLA Director Heather Guild.
Lawton Baker Jr., Deb Sikes and Will Webb are seeking a two-year term on the SLLA Board to replace outgoing directors Kim Doolittle, Donna Cantwell and Mike Casey. Current SLLA directors Mary Farley, Heather Guild, Bruce Runyan (president) and Jay Wareham will retain their current seats until the 2023 election.
Meet the Candidates events are scheduled Thursday, Feb. 10, from 6 to 7 p.m., at the North Clubhouse, immediately prior to the SLLA Board meeting; and Saturday, Feb. 19, at 10 a.m., also at the North Clubhouse. Donuts and coffee will be served at the second, more informal candidate forum.
Election ballots will be mailed out in mid-February. The annual meeting will be held Saturday, March 26, 9:30 a.m. Election results are expected to be certified at that time, and the new Board members will be announced.
Lawton Baker Jr., a military veteran, retired from a 29-year career in the telephone industry as a plant engineer with Southern Bell. In his work, he monitored and designed cable facilities, and also coordinated with state, county and city authorities. He and his wife, Robin, decided to relocate to Seven Lakes because it is equidistant from their adult children. Baker has served on the community’s Judicial and Standards Committee.
“Seven Lakes was an ideal location. As a retired family, we desired to live economically in a secure and attractive neighborhood. To ensure these features, attention must be given to maintenance and expenses of the infrastructure,” Baker stated, in the written introduction he provided to the SLLA office. “We are all responsible to make this area visually attractive along with supporting our sport and recreational facilities.”
Deb Sikes said she first visited Seven Lakes in 2017, “and I immediately fell in love with it for its beauty and friendly residents.”
She and her husband, Steve, purchased a home in Seven Lakes South and own the Pack, Ship ‘N Moore store in the Seven Lakes business village. Sikes began her professional career in finance before shifting to education where she rose from the teaching ranks to leadership roles, eventually serving as a school superintendent in Texas. She currently works at Sandhills Community College in the Career Readiness office.
“My goal as a board member is to continue to keep Seven Lakes a desirable place to live and to serve the residents in a transparent and honest manner,” Sikes stated, in her written introduction.
William Webb had vacationed to Seven Lakes North, visiting his in-laws, for three decades before he and his wife, Kay, retired to the community in 2019.
A graduate of West Point and Harvard Business School, Webb served in the U.S. Army for 28 years. Among other assignments, he spent eight years in command of helicopter and armored cavalry units, taught at West Point, and served three years as legislative director for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. After retiring from the military, he served as president and CEO of a wireless communications company and was the founding chairman and CEO of a veteran service organization. He currently serves on the SLLA Security Committee.
“After living all around the country and world, when I retired in 2019, we chose to move to beautiful Lake Sequoia. So, I’m committed to keeping Seven Lakes great,” Webb stated, in the written introduction provided by the SLLA office.
Contact Laura Douglass at (910) 693-2475 or laura@thepilot.com.
