Craig Conklin

HOA President at Playa Blanca and owner of Casa Caribe

I am a full-time resident of Akumal, living here year-round. I have been an owner at Playa Blanca since 2016 and purchased Casa Caribe last year, where I now reside permanently.

Before moving to Akumal, I owned and operated a successful building supply business for 21 years. I sold the business and retired here in 2020, choosing Akumal not just as a destination, but as my home.

Since arriving, I have actively participated in—and personally funded—multiple projects supporting our local community and schools.  These include Akumal Rocks, and funding Pickle Ball equipment and classes in the Pueblo.

I’m also helping a local provider improve his operations by financing new equipment, preparing bids, and other business expertise.

I currently serve as President of Playa Blanca, working hands-on to protect property values, improve operations, and strengthen collaboration within our neighborhood.

When I’m not working on community matters, you’ll usually find me at Casa Caribe training and caring for the six dogs we’ve rescued locally.

I am deeply committed to Akumal, invested in its people, and focused on the long-term success of this unique place we call home. As someone who has lived here long enough to understand the issues confronting us, with properties both on and off the bay, I believe I can fairly represent the interests of all stakeholders.

I would be honored to have your vote and the opportunity to continue serving our community.

Michael Dunning

Executive Board member at Luna Azul

Hello neighbors,

My name is Michael Dunning, and I’m running for an At-Large position with Vecinos because I want North Akumal to be healthier, better managed, and more unified—and because the people who make up a majority of HMB’s beachside owners deserve strong, practical representation.

Why I’m running

With the new eligibility rules recognizing owners with part-time residence, we finally have the opportunity to ensure our voices are consistently heard. Vecinos has done important work, and I respect that. But it’s also true that many of the priorities shared by beachside owners—especially those of us who are here part-time yet invest heavily year-round—have not always had enough representation at the table.

I’m running to help close that gap in a constructive way: more participation, more resources, better follow-through, and better outcomes for everyone.

Who I am

My wife Gayle and I have been coming to Akumal since 2017. We fell in love with the culture, the community spirit, and the warmth of the people here. After years of returning, we purchased our dream beachfront home at Luna Azul—and decided we didn’t want to be bystanders anymore.

Today, I’m:

• On the Executive Board at Luna Azul
• A member of the HMB Sargassum Project Committee
  

We live full-time in Arvada, Colorado, and we rent our home when we’re not here—so we care deeply about both quality of life and long-term sustainability in North Akumal.

What I want to accomplish

Like many of you, we want our family—especially our grandchildren—to enjoy Half Moon Bay safely. We haven’t yet found a summer where they can do that without dealing with massive sargassum berms and the problems that come with them.

So my priorities are straightforward:

1. Push for effective, practical sargassum action. Not talk—results. Cleaner water and beach conditions protect health, turtle habitat, property values, and the visitor experience.
2. Help restore the bay’s economic vitality. When the bay is cleaner and healthier, visitors return, rentals stabilize, local businesses benefit, and the whole community wins.
3. Strengthen representation and participation. Part-time owners are a major part of this community. With better engagement, we can bring in more members, more support, and more funding capacity for shared priorities.

Why I’m qualified to serve

I’m retired now, but I spent 35 years owning and operating multiple auto repair facilities. Running those businesses required constant real-world problem solving:

• budgeting and accounting
• employee relations
• union contract negotiations
• crisis management
• day-to-day operations under pressure

That experience translates directly to community governance: listen first, learn fast, ask the right questions, work out the problem, and deliver. My approach is practical and collaborative—negotiate, compromise, and get things done.

My commitment

If elected, I will represent all interests in North Akumal, while ensuring part-time owners have a consistent, informed voice—one focused on solutions, transparency, and measurable progress.

I’d be grateful for your vote.

Michael Dunning

Monica Estrada

Owner of Coco Propiedades and current Vecinos Board Member-at-Large

Monica was elected Secretary of Vecinos in 2022 and re-elected to be an At-Large board member in 2024.  She chairs the Vecinos Fundraising Committee. Highlights of her resume include:

• Associate Degree in Hospitality Management, Southwest Institute 
  
• Texas Realtor since 2002
  
• Akumal Villas Vacation Rentals Reservations 2007-2009
  
• Coco Propiedades Property Management & Rentals, President and Owner since 2012
  
• ADMAK (Akumal Property Managers Association) Founder & Secretary since May 2015
  
• NAS (North Akumal Security) Assisted raising money from Businesses and Owners 2015-2018 
  
• As ADMAK member worked along Vecinos de Akumal Norte President Dan Freeman since 2016
  
• Vecinos de Akumal Norte honorary member since 2016
  
• Assisted with coordination of Solar Lamps for Akumal Norte 2017
  
• Worked on Promotion Project #Come2Akumal in 2020
  
• Created FB page Vecinos de Akumal Norte March 2021
  
• Vecinos Government Committee member since 2019 
  
• Vecinos Fundraising Committee Chair 2024-2026 coordinate Vecinos gatherings: Art Exhibitions and Keeping it Akumal.                   

Jon Kantor

Owner at Casa Mariposa 

Since 1984, I’ve been coming to Akumal. Over the past 41 years, I witnessed—and lived through the extraordinary transformation of our community. As a shareholder and Vice President of Casa Mariposa, I remember Akumal before paved roads, piped water, reliable phone service, internet, or streetlights. Today, we’ve grown into a modern yet still charming community. Long-term perspective matters as we make decisions about our shared future.

My greatest strength is an ability to bridge generations and viewpoints. Having deep roots in Akumal while remaining actively engaged in its evolution allows me to connect the founding generation with newer residents. I value our history, understand how we arrived, and bring practical ideas shaped by years of firsthand experience.

Since COVID, I have spearheaded Akumal’s virtual platform and community outreach efforts. This work has included hosting the monthly Vecinos Board Meetings, developing and managing our online election system, as well as organizing and facilitating virtual Annual and Extraordinary Meetings.  Thus enabling transparency, access, and participation for residents regardless of location.

For the past three years I have served as Director of Elections maintaining positive, respectful relationships across all segments of North Akumal. Working collaboratively with residents of all ages; homeowners and condo owners; Mexican nationals and expats; and across differing perspectives, including those on the Barrier and No Barrier issue. I am committed to listening, fairness, and constructive dialogue.

As a Member at Large, I will continue to serve as a connector, communicator, and advocate for the community, honoring Akumal’s past while thoughtfully planning for its future.

If you would like to discuss my position on any issue, please feel free to contact me via WhatsApp or phone at +1 415 412 6798.

George Pritchard

HOA Treasurer at La Bahia and current Vecinos Board Member-at-Large

My wife and I have been coming to Akumal for the last 23 years. We purchased our condo in 2012. We fell in love with Akumal on our first trip. We now look at Akumal as our home and vacation in St. Louis. I have owned or managed construction companies for my entire business career; I retired in 2005. I have also served on many for profit and non-profit boards over the years. I was elected to the Vecinos Board in 2020 and am Co-Chair of the maintenance committee with Mike Stone. I enjoy working with local contractors to make North Akumal’s roads, street lights and the entire infrastructure better for both owners and guests alike. I would like to continue to serve you next year.

Mike Stone

Owner and former HOA President at La Iguana and current Vecinos Board Member-at-Large

I was appointed to the Board of Directors in April of 2025. I have been on the Vecinos Maintenance Committee since 2024. I have been a member of the Vecinos since 2016.

I have been coming to Akumal since 1999. My wife and I bought a condo in La Iguana Condos in 2006. We have been living here six months or more since 2018. I was the President of La Iguana Condos for six years. I have been a member of the La Iguana Vigilance Committee and the Legal Committee for the past ten years.

Before I retired in 2018, I worked at Oberg Industries for 37 years. One of the largest Carbide Tool and Die shops in the United States.   

Peter Swenson

HOA President at Mi Casa Del Mar and Vecinos Board Member-at-Large

I have been traveling to Mexico routinely since 1970 and have always enjoyed the culture, the history, the geography and way of life.  My wife Barbara and I came to Akumal in the late 1900s with our children, looking for a vacation home and bought our condo at Mi Casa del Mar in 1999, 27 years ago.   Starting in 2012, we moved on from a few visits a year and since then have split time between Akumal and our home in Boulder Colorado.   We typically spend 4-5 months in Akumal a year.  

As a candidate, I ask for your support.  I am committed to serve you and the Vecinos in an open, honest and transparent manner and above all to listen to and fairly represent the needs and concerns of the community at all times.

I have been a member of Vecinos since the early 2000s (Gen 1) and  started directly supporting the Vecinos as a member of the “Kitchen Cabinet” about 10 or 12 years ago.  I have served as an elected Vocal for several terms.  As anyone who visits or comes to stay knows, Akumal is a very unique and special place and has been since it was founded in the 1970s.  Vecinos has gone through several iterations over time, but is and will remain an important organization, not only for our small town, but for the larger community and for all residents and visitors. 

During the past year, under the leadership of Scott Brown and his team, the community came together as never before, leveraging the power of dialog and social media.  It has engaged new residents, visitors, and owners in a broad-ranging discussion of local issues.  This dialogue has stimulated ideas, informed owners and residents, deliberated options and gone a long way to develop consensus on the large issues that face us.  This does not mean that we all agree or ever will entirely, but the sense of community has grown immensely.  In the next few years, we need to build on this movement, not just maintain the status quo.  

Rapid, often unsustainable, development and population growth in Quintana Roo and the Municipality of Tulum are legendary.  As a consequence of our unique location and property ownership structure, we are the exception to this, rather than the rule.  Akumal always had the feeling of a small, family-friendly village on the coast.  We have, as Kipling encouraged, “kept our heads while those around us are losing theirs”.  

However, for a number of reasons, in the past few years, tourism, property rentals and real estate values have been under pressure.  This is why, right now, we all need to collaborate to preserve the character of our community, maintain and improve our infrastructure and security and protect our investments.  Shared priorities and goals:

• Formalize the boundaries of Akumal as an entity within the Municipality
  
• Expand our membership to more owners and residents to improve the influence and impact of our association
  
• Operate the Vecinos in an open and transparent manner to foster trust and accountability between the organization and the community it serves
  
• Ensure an open operation and decision-making process by the Vecinos, to encourage civic engagement and to allow constituents to hold Officers and the Board accountable
  
• Encourage and support owners, residents and investors to improve and maintain basic infrastructure, such as private septic systems, security, lighting, etc.
  
• Raise funds and providing essential maintenance for the road, lighting, and other infrastructure
  
• Continue our commitment to security for North Akumal, supporting the Guardia Nacional, the road entrance security and integration of private security in the community
  
• Work together to sustain our environment, including healthy tropical woodlands, bays and wildlife
  
• Support the residents, economy and security of Akumal Pueblo and surrounding areas
  

My Background

I am a semi-retired consultant in the nuclear engineering field, having spent my working life as an executive in large programmes worldwide.  I am currently supporting the design of the next generation small modular reactor for ARC Clean Energy.  Previous positions include:

• Programme Director, United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, Harwell, UK
  
• Head of Project Office, ITER experimental fusion reactor, Cadarache France, 
  
• Deputy Director, FIFA World Cup, Doha Qatar
  
• Director, Contracts and Procurement, CH2MHILL, Denver Colorado
  
• Director, Rocky Flats Plant, Golden Colorado
• Senior Consultant Positions:
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Dubai Work Expo 2020
• West Valley Nuclear Plant
• Express Canada Pipeline