Candidates for Anthem Community Council announced

MARC BUCKHOUT ~ MANAGING EDITOR~ 1/25/2012

Voting for the 2012 Anthem Community Council board won’t be completed until March 21, but one of three spots at stake was filled on Thursday.
When the Jan. 18 deadline to file as a candidate came and went nobody from Villages had thrown their name into the race including Emily Wrinkle, the current board member, who elected not to run for reelection.
At a Thursday meeting Villages elected John Balzer to be the representative on the Anthem Community Council. He will begin serving beginning at the April meeting.
Balzer, who has been an Anthem resident since 1999, said he has had a variety of different experiences in his time in Anthem from being a PTA president, to coaching youth sports as well as starting Anthem’s Neighborhood Watch.
“I don’t have a list of my own agendas, but I think I have a good feel of what Anthem is and have the perspective of having been there from the beginning,” he said. “I’m looking forward to contributing to the discussion of how we make Anthem a better place moving forward.”
Balzer, who attended the Jan. 18 meeting at the Community Center regarding the economic analysis performed by ESI Corporation, said he’s interested in what the Council will be able to do to improve the climate for business in Anthem.
“Our responsibility is to create a situation where there’s a good atmosphere to bring new business to Anthem,” he said.
Balzer said the meeting illuminated some of the challenges and limitations, but he said he thinks the effort by the Council is an important one. 
Balzer will be joined by at least one fellow newcomer to the council as Ron Jerich has elected not to run for reelection to represent Country Club. Vying to succeed him will be a pair of involved residents in Holly Matson and Roger Willis.
Matson is the chair of Anthem Community Council Economic Development and Marketing Committee while Willis is the Chair of the Water Rate Case Panel
The largest race will be for the seat representing Parkside where board vice president Bob Copen will run for a second term, opposed by Billy Gwin, Robert Linder and Jon Salmen.
In addition to the races for the Anthem Community Council elections for both Parkside and Country Club Board of Directors and the Anthem
Golf and Country Club Board of Governors also are taking place.
The lone candidate running for the Parkside board of directors is Kristen Rensmeyer. Anthem Country Club’s list of candidates include Steve Champion, William Fondow, Jo-Ann Greenstein and Rick Kesselman.
Anthem Golf and Country Club’s Board of Governors candidates include Chuck Durrant, Chris Ensign, Ginger Hoeder, Douglas McDermott, William Steinmetz, Andy Tobias and Ron Tucker.
Along with electing Balzer to represent them on the Community Council the Villages reelected their current board members Thursday: Don Crane, Ron Perez, Douglas Hoffman and Adman Azam, but leaving one opening remaining. Wrinkle has expressed interest, but would not be able to hold a seat on the Villages Board until her term is up for the Anthem Community Council at the end of March.
Moving forward a Meet the Candidates Night is set for 6:30 p.m., Feb. 2 with Country Club candidates meeting at Ironwood Clubhouse and Parkside candidates meeting
at Anthem Community Center’s Pioneer Room.
Ballots and candidates biographies will be mailed to residents on  Feb. 6. Ballots are due by 5 p.m., March 14 at the HOA Office. To get more information about the candidates go to onlineatanthem.com/anthem-community-council-board-of-directors-2012-election.