About the Board

The Farm at Morgan Lakes is governed by a Board of Directors of five members. The membership may set a different number by majority vote at the Annual Meeting, no fewer than three and no more than seven (Bylaws, Article IV, Section 1). Directors serve one year terms and must be over the age of eighteen (Bylaws, Article IV, Section 1).

Owners elect Directors at the Annual Meeting. The Board then elects its own officers at its first meeting, held within two weeks of the Annual Meeting (Bylaws, Article VII, Section 1, and Bylaws, Article V, Section 2). This means a candidate runs for a seat on the Board rather than for a particular title.

The Bylaws require three offices to be filled: President, Secretary, and Treasurer (Bylaws, Article VII, Section 1). Directors who do not hold one of these offices serve as Members at Large, with the same vote and the same authority as every other Director (Bylaws, Article V, Section 7).

The Board may also appoint additional officers if it finds them useful, including a Vice President, assistant secretaries, and assistant treasurers (Bylaws, Article VII, Section 2). One person may hold more than one office (Bylaws, Article VII, Section 1).

The business and affairs of the Association are managed by the Board as a body (Bylaws, Article IV, Section 2). A quorum is a majority of Directors, and the act of a majority of those present at a meeting with a quorum is the act of the Board (Bylaws, Article V, Sections 6 and 7). Meetings are held in Chatham County (Bylaws, Article V, Section 1).

Every position is a volunteer role. Directors and officers receive no compensation, though the Board may reimburse approved expenses advanced on the Association’s behalf (Bylaws, Article IV, Section 3, and Bylaws, Article VII, Section 3). Directors acting in accordance with the Bylaws and the Covenants are indemnified by the Association (Bylaws, Article IV, Section 4).

Current Roles and Committees:

• President
• Vice President
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Other Members
• Committees
• Resources

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President (Sheila Barrett DiVries)

The President is the chief executive officer of the Association. The President presides at all meetings of the members and of the Board, has general and active management of the business of the Association, and sees that the orders and resolutions of the Board are carried out. With the approval of the Board, the President has authority to execute contracts, leases, notes, mortgages, bonds, and other documents on the Association’s behalf (Bylaws, Article VII, Section 5).

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Vice President (Sean T. McNamara)

Appointed at the Board’s discretion. Alongside the President, Secretary, and Treasurer, the Board may appoint a Vice President when it would be useful to have one (Bylaws, Article VII, Section 2).

If appointed, the Vice President performs the duties and exercises the powers of the President whenever the President is absent or unable to serve, and carries out whatever other duties the Board assigns (Bylaws, Article VII, Section 6). If the Board appoints more than one Vice President, the Board sets the order in which they would step in.

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Treasurer (Makayla Warren)

The Treasurer has custody of the Association’s funds and securities, keeps full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements, deposits all monies in the depositories the Board designates, and disburses funds as the Board orders, taking proper vouchers for each disbursement. The Treasurer reports to the President and the Board at its regular meetings, or whenever the Board requires, on all transactions and on the financial condition of the Association. The Board may require the Treasurer to be bonded (Bylaws, Article VII, Section 8).

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Secretary (Yvette M. Witte)

The Secretary attends all meetings of the members and of the Board and records the proceedings in books kept for that purpose, and performs the same duties for committees of directors when required. The Secretary gives, or causes to be given, notice of all meetings of the members and of special meetings of the Board, has custody of the corporate seal, and performs such other duties as the Board or the President prescribes (Bylaws, Article VII, Section 7).

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Member at Large (Currently William Covington)

The Bylaws create five Director seats and three offices, President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Directors who do not hold one of those offices serve as Members at Large.

A Member at Large has the same vote and the same authority as every other Director. The business and affairs of the Association are managed by the Board as a body, and no decision of the Board carries more or less weight depending on whether the Director voting on it holds an officer title (Bylaws, Article IV, Section 2, and Article V, Section 7).

What the seat does not carry is the administrative load of an office, which makes it a good fit for a Director who wants to put their time into the substance of the work rather than the recordkeeping. Members at Large often take on committee leadership, project oversight, and the research behind a decision before it reaches a vote.

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Committees

Each of our committees is led by a Board member, and all residents are encouraged to participate in one of them.

• Architectural Review Committee (ARC)
• Violations Committee
• Events Committee
• Clubhouse Committee

Every person on the Board and on our committees is a volunteer. We are your neighbors, and we do this on top of full time jobs, families, and everything else that fills a week. Nobody here is paid, and nobody is doing this full time.

If you would like to join us, please reach out. Whatever time you can give helps, and no experience is needed. If you have ever thought the community could be doing something better, this is where that starts.

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