Dear Neighbors,
My wife and I first came to Akumal 32 years ago. We bought our house here 21 years ago. Our kids grew up coming here and now our grandkids are doing the same. I love this special, magical place. I started volunteering for Vecinos in 2022 and have served as your Treasurer for the past two years.
My professional background is in technology, finance, and analytics, so that’s where I’ve focused my efforts. I built and I manage the website, the Stripe credit card processing system, the Quicken bookkeeping system, and the Wild Apricot membership management system that does member invoicing, member accounting, the La Voz newsletter, bulk email announcements, event ticketing, and more.
It’s been a labor of love, but systems alone can’t get us where we need to be and realize our full potential. We also need to heal the rift that has divided us over the past few years, mainly over the sargassum barrier that was on Half Moon Bay. We need to restore confidence that Vecinos values and respects every member and is not working against any member.
Unfortunately, the current board is not willing to do this. They refuse to disclose private actions they take against members they serve that conflict with the stated policies and values of Vecinos. No one is asking them to change or stop anything they do - they are only being asked to act openly. It’s impossible to trust an association whose leaders refuse to disclose their conflicts of interest. Vecinos needs to restore the faith of neighbors who feel that association leadership has turned against them. Only then can we grow our membership to give us more legitimacy with Tulum and convince more of the neighbors who benefit from the many services Vecinos provides to join and help pay for them. I urge my neighbors to vote for change on Thursday.
President and Vice President
Scott Brown brings a unique combination of old and new and is ideally suited to lead us forward. He has lived in Akumal for forty years (he grew up here), longer than almost anyone, yet he will usher in a new generation of leadership. He is a Mexican citizen and native Spanish speaker which makes him much better suited than an English-speaking foreigner to interact with vendors and the government agencies critical to our ongoing independence. As Vice President and since, he has been our first line of defense when issues arise with security. He works for Akumal Direct and Loco Gringo, so he understands the concerns of owners who rent, and he is a lifelong full-time resident, so he understands the concerns of owners who don’t. Perhaps most important, Scott is a natural diplomat. He is universally liked, favors transparency and disclosure, and never speaks with disrespect to anyone. He will be a unifying figure as President of Vecinos. His election will increase the number of members paying dues and will increase the number of members willing to donate their time, talent, and money. He is the leader we need.
Susan Fritz is a long-time resident and HOA president. She was a restauranteur in Vail, Colorado, which is a charming gem in its region much as Akumal is in our region. She led bringing Vail community businesses together to raise money and expand the appeal of Vail beyond just skiing and can help do the same here to benefit Akumal. She is admirably non-partisan and makes it a point not to take sides. She favors full disclosure and is a good neighbor who gets along with everyone. She is an ideal candidate for Vice President, particularly at this moment.
Members at Large (Vocales)
Peter Swenson has served on the board for four years. He has taken a leading role in wastewater management, security, van traffic monitoring, and other issues. His involvement on the HMB Sargassum Project is publicly disclosed and he does not take an active role in board discussions on sargassum management, which is appropriate management of a potential conflict of interest. He interacts respectfully with all board members, regardless of whether he agrees with them or not. This is the approach all board members and all neighbors should take in their dealings with one another.
Lisa Wilson is a professional in both fundraising and environmental protection and is a Spanish speaker, all skills that the association needs. She is a leader of the HMB Sargassum Project, but she does not think and has never thought the barrier should ever be funded by Vecinos in any way. Vecinos is and will remain neutral on the barrier because the community is divided on it. Lisa is a prime example of an untapped talent in our midst. She is willing and able to apply that talent on behalf of everyone to make Vecinos and Akumal Norte better and more sustainable, and we should not deny ourselves those benefits.
I look forward to continuing to work hard as your Treasurer, and I ask neighbors to please elect a board that will be inclusive, transparent and respectful to all. That will go a long way toward convincing more community members to join Vecinos and motivating more to donate their time, talents, and money to help preserve and protect our beloved Akumal Norte.
For President: Scott Brown
For Vice President: Susan Fritz
For Vocales: Peter Swenson and Lisa Wilson
If you missed our Zoom Meet and Greet session yesterday, please click here to watch a recording and hear the team discussing the issues our community faces and how, together, we can make Vecinos and Akumal Norte the best they can be. The passcode is 1%!9xlv+
Saludos,
Neil Canter
Casa Cascadas
Vecinos Treasurer
