The election of Officers and Directors will be held at the election meeting on August 26th, 2023 at 10 am at CLIA’s Gifford Hall. Voting members who wish to vote absentee in all matters except the election of Officers and Directors may give a written proxy to another member permitting the other member to vote in his or her place relative to all business items which may arise at that meeting. Click on this link to access a blank proxy form for your use.
If you wish to vote absentee for the election of Officers and Directors, you must fill out a ballot and return it to the Secretary, Anne Marie Marrone Caliendo by midnight, August 25th.
To get an absentee ballot, click on this link to access the 2022 Election Ballot and print it. Once you have completed your ballot, you can take a picture of it with your phone and email it to Anne at ammc2006@gmail.com, or text it to Anne at 516.315.3922. You can also request a ballot to be electronically or physically mailed to you, or picked up at a mutually convenient time and place from the Secretary. If you require a ballot to be sent to you, please contact Anne at ammc2006@gmail.com or 516.315.3922.
Slate of Candidates
Officer Position Officers serve a one-year term
President Lynn LeCours (running for re-election)
Vice President Peggy Pahoulis (running for re-election)
Secretary Anne Marie Marrone Caliendo (running for re-election)
Treasurer Rick Ryan (running for re-election)
Director Positions
There are four (4) candidates running for four (4) open, three-year term positions and one (1) candidate running to fill an open, two-year term position.
JoAnne Bonacker – running for re-election (3-year term)
Bob Reilly – running for re-election (3-year term)
Star Schmaler – running for OPEN 3-year term position
Lisa Zibella – running for OPEN 3-year term position
Cheryl Stanford-Smith – running for OPEN 2-year term position
A brief bio is included for each Officer and all Board Member candidates.
Additional members of the board whose terms have not expired include Marie Dumas, Gene Henry, Tim Hopkins, Lynn Jackson, Tom LeCours, Sheila Rappazzo and Karen Ryan.
Officer / Candidate Bios:
Lynn LeCours – President
My husband Tom and I have been residents of Cossayuna since 2016. I love the wonderful people on the lake and I am happy to have volunteered my time as Social Chair, Vice President, and now President. I am a local Real Estate Agent, lucky to work mostly from home, where my desk overlooks the lake! In my spare time I am involved in animal rescue, both wild and domestic.
Peggy Pahoulis – Vice President
It does not seem possible that it’s been almost 10 years since I was able to return to Cossayuna to realize my dream of living on the property that has been in my family for generations. These are my roots and I’m passionate about our lake, our lake community, and the CLIA. Serving the CLIA however I’m needed is what I enjoy doing. It would be my honor to assist our President in the coming year.
Anne Marie Marrone Caliendo – Secretary
Cossayuna Lake found my husband and me, along with our three children (21-year-old daughter and 16-year-old boy/girl twins), in 2017. It was love at first sight. I am a life-long Long Islander who has earned my BBA, MBA and post-graduate degrees. I have been a business administrator for over 25 years and am delighted to have the opportunity to continue to volunteer as a Board Member to give back to the lake we all love!
Rick Ryan – Treasurer
Rick has been a lifelong seasonal resident and has a place in the Oaks. Rick and his wife Joan are planning on becoming fulltime in a few years. Rick retired from NYS working in the IT field for 37 years. He served on the board back in 1989 to 1993 as a director. He volunteered for three years working on the Saturday harvesting crew. He also produced the newsletter for several years. Starting in 2019, Rick has been serving as Treasurer.
JoAnne Bonacker – Director
My family has been enjoying Cossayuna Lake for 33 years. I retired from the NYS Office of Mental Health as an Assistant Director of Personnel. I wish to continue another term on the board to enhance life on the lake.
Bob Reilly – Director
I was born in 1942 on Long Island and lived most of my childhood and early adult life in Stony Brook. Graduated from New York State University with a degree in automotive technology. I worked for the Chevrolet division of General Motors for eight years, and owned and operated a restaurant in South Kortright, NY for three years. I moved back to Long Island in 1979 and worked at various new car and truck dealers in Westhampton, East Hampton and Southampton. I worked as a salesperson, sales manager and general manager, as well as service, parts and office manager. I owned and operated my own Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge dealership in East Hampton in the early 90’s.
I was a widower for eleven years prior to my meeting my current wife, Kathleen Sullivan, who has lived in Connecticut for her entire life. Dated for four years before getting married in Maui in 2020. Our permanent home is in Coventry CT. We decided we wanted a summer house upstate NY on a lake, and after five months of searching found a home here on Cossayuna Lake. We purchased in September of last year and moved in officially May 1st of 2022.
I have five children and nine grandchildren. My hobbies are drag racing (1957-1962), watching NASCAR and football (pro and college) and crafts.
Kathy and I are looking forward to many fun and enjoyable summers here at Cossayuna Lake, and I am looking forward to helping the CLIA in any way that I can.
Star Schmaler – Director
It was 30 years ago that I discovered Cossayuna Lake when my now-husband Travis, invited me out to his parents’ camp. I had never heard of the lake, despite growing up less than an hour away in North Bennington, Vt. And, it was like no other place I had seen before, this beautiful lake with views of rolling hills and farm fields. I was captivated … so I married him!
Seriously, though, it was the beginning of our love story and my love story with the place I now call home. We started spending many weekends on the Lake with our two sons and my in-laws until we bought and renovated an old barn on East Lake Road and in 2009, we moved here full time. I can’t imagine living anywhere else and I want to help CLIA keep Cossayuna Lake a beautiful and special place for those who live here, and those who have yet to discover it.
Cheryl Stanford-Smith – Director
My husband Dave and I are so happy to be part of the Cossayuna Lake family. We live here year-round and love the changes of creation as we spend our days watching birds and our lake. I look forward to continuing my involvement with the Lake Association, with your permission, to make this a wonder-filled space for all of us.
CossayunaLake.com 