San Elijo Hills Association Board candidate statement from Adam Riffe

EDITORS NOTE: All candidates are welcome to send San Elijo Life your bio, platform and a picture and which we will post. Readers may email us or post your questions for candidates.

Here is statement from Adam Riffe Candidate for San Elijo Hills Association Board. Adam is also responding to questions submitted by San Elijo Life readers.

My wife, Carol, and I moved to San Elijo Hills from Hermosa Beach, CA in early 2009 as a result of my business relocation to San Diego.  As we searched several cities and communities within San Diego County, we fell in love with the San Elijo Hills community.   The community reminds me of the small town in Oregon where I grew up.  It has small town qualities where everyone waves or says “hello”, where kids can play outside, and neighbors get together for different occasions.

I have a Bachelors degree in Accounting from Chapman University and a Masters degree in taxation from Golden Gate University.  Upon completion of my undergraduate degree, I went to work in the field of public accounting and earned a CPA certificate.  I currently serve as a Chief Financial Officer for a management and development company of outpatient surgery centers.

For the past 12 years, I have been involved with several organizations primarily in the area of alumni relations and higher education.  I served for 10 years as the chapter adviser for my fraternity.  I also served for 8 years on Chapman University’s Alumni Board of Directors, with 6 years on its executive cabinet, and 3 years as its President.  In addition, I served for 5 years on Chapman University’s Board of Trustees.  I believe that my years of experience serving on these boards has strengthened my leadership skills with volunteer organizational boards and qualifies me as a candidate for our Homeowners Association Board.

During my free time, I enjoy hiking in our trails, golfing, and volunteering for organizations to beautify our city.

My vision for the SEH Board:

• Diverse representative board of homeowners who have moved to our community at its various stages of development.
• Members should have demonstrated leadership with prior service to San Elijo Hills or other non-profit boards.
• Members should encourage active participation of the Neighborhood Representatives and make themselves available to the community.

How I see myself fit in my vision to the SEH Board:

• As a new homeowner in the community, I would hope to represent the interests and perspective of new members to our community.
• I have served in various roles including executive roles on non-profit volunteer boards primarily in student development, alumni relations, and higher education.
• I will seek to get to know the various Neighborhood Representatives and encourage their active involvement with their community to bring issues affecting their community to the Board for consideration.

My commitment to the SEH Board:

• I will listen to homeowners regarding their concerns for our community.
• I will answer questions posed to me regarding my opinion on matters affecting our community.
• I will work with fellow Board members to assess the needs to reform our community by-laws with respect to future elections of our board members.
• I will serve for only one term and work with my successor on a transition plan to bring that person up to speed for their first board meeting.

1. 1: If elected, what would be the top three actions/resolutions you would push for adoption by the board? What would be your 100 day agenda?  The first matter will be to work with the board and possibly create a committee of homeowners and board members to consider changes to our by-laws.  This process needs to be done very carefully to ensure we can create a proposal that homeowners can agree to so that time and energy spent on the review and any proposed change is not wasted.  Second, I would like to review with my fellow board members the budget and contracts that the association is connected with to ensure a thorough understanding by each board member of what our responsibilities and opportunities are to make any changes necessary through the appropriate process.  Third, work with the board and neighborhood reps to identify opportunities to enhance the essence of community in SEH.

2: Are you, any immediate family or household member, close personal or business associate; an employee, partner, director or other fiduciary; shareholder or other economic beneficiary; contractor or vendor; of HomeFed, Wells Fargo, Walters Management, any company with a current contract with the SEH HOA or any of the foregoing, or any company that would likely bid for any contract currently held by the same or any of the subsidiaries, affiliates, or entities substantially controlled by, any of the foregoing?  I would consider myself completely independent with respect to all of the above except for the fact that I have within my investment portfolio shares in Wells Fargo along with other financial institutions.

3: What education or experience qualifies you to serve in a fiduciary capacity as director of a HOA with over 9000 members?  My education and professional experience in Accounting, provides an excellent qualification to understand financial statements and budgets, which I believe is a core component of a responsibility of a board member.  Working in public accounting allowed me to work with numerous businesses and organizations with respect to financial policy as well as business development.  In addition, I served as President of the Chapman Alumni Association for 3 years (with a 42 member board plus 5 ex-officio members).  We served on behalf of over 40,000 living alumni.  In addition, I served for 5 years as a member of Chapman University’s Board of Trustees.

4: Have you ever been on a board of directors: of a HOA, Corporation, Charity, or other entity? If so, what were the assets/annual operating budget of the same?  I have never been on an HOA board as my home in SEH is my first home.  As mentioned above, I served on the Chapman Alumni Association Board as both a member and in executive leadership capacities.  Our annual budget was in the 6 figures with that organization.  As member of the Board of Trustees of Chapman University, we had a substantial budget that we oversaw.  I’ve also served on several committees of charities for fundraising purposes, but not in a formal BOD or BOT capacity.

5: What are your current and most recent last two jobs?  Currently and for the past 6+ years I have been the Chief Financial Officer of Innovative Healthcare Management, a company that specialized in the Development and Management of Outpatient Surgery Centers.  Prior to that for about 2.5 years I was the CFO of a national plastics manufacturer.  Before that position, I was a CPA for an Orange County based CPA firm for 5.5 years.

6: What is the largest number of direct reports and budget or P&L you have held direct personal responsibility for? When and for how long?  In both my roles as CFO, I have had direct personal responsibility for the budgets and financial statement reporting for all the related entities.  The entities have annual revenues in excess of ten million dollars.  In my previous role as a CPA, I’ve been responsible for audited financial statements of clients with substantial assets and revenue as well as the tax compliance of hundreds of clients.

7: Do you now, or have you in the past, held any position as a board member, neighborhood rep, or alternate in the SEH HOA? Please give office and dates.  I have not held any position within our community.

8: Which other candidates do you most identify or agree with?  I have not seen the listing of the candidates yet or had an opportunity to meet and discuss with them their positions.  I’m looking forward to the Meet the Candidates night February 2 at 6:00PM at the Café in the Town Center.

9: Have you ever been convicted of, pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to, any felony; or any misdemeanor involving theft, fraud, or misappropriation of monies in any value? If yes, provide details of matter, dates, and disposition.  I have not.  Nor have I ever been charged with any offense.

10: Are you now, or have you ever been, the subject of any SEC, FINRA/NASD, OCC, California Department of Real Estate or Consumer Affairs, or other federal/national, state or local financial and/or consumer protection regulatory agency investigation or disciplinary action? If yes, provide details of matter, dates, and disposition.  I have not except the Board of Accountancy reminded me of my failure to provide them with a timely change of address once.  I maintain my CPA license on an inactive status as I do not practice public accounting any longer, but have never had any action filed with the board of accountancy.

11: Residency and Status:
A: When did you first become a SEH Homeowner?  February 2009
B: Do you own more than one voting unit in SEH? If so, how many, and in what neighborhoods.  I do not.
C: Is San Elijo Hills your primary Residence? If so, for how long, if not, what % of your time, and during what timespans, are you here?  My home in San Elijo Hills is my primary residence.  I’ve lived here since March 2009.

EDITORS NOTE: All candidates are welcome to send San Elijo Life your bio, platform and a picture and which we will post. Readers may email us or post your questions for candidates.