Below are the candidates that have submitted for candidacy in the upcoming election for the open Board seat - in order of application submission.
Hello neighbors!
My name is Jody Dugai and I am running for the open HOA board member seat. I am a native Texan; I was born, raised, and retired in Texas. I retired as a Colonel from the Army in 2021 after a 24-year career as an Army Nurse with five deployments with a specialty in emergency medicine. I have held many leadership positions that include Commander, Bayne Jones Army Community Hospital; Chief Nursing Officer, Moncrief Army Clinic; Executive Officer to the Chief of the Army Nurse Corp (2-star General position), and various other positions within Army Medicine. I now work for WellMed, a medical management company, as a nurse consultant in Corporate Development. I volunteered, like many of you, this past winter to clean up the park and roadways of tree and limb debris. Tom and I spent the morning and afternoon cutting limbs, dragging limbs, and using our truck to transport the debris. We also walk the roads daily with our two dogs and we have picked up blown trash and moved trash cans back to houses if left on the street due to being out of town. This neighborhood is highly sought after due to its beautiful landscaping and minimal HOA restrictions. It takes a village to maintain it. I am a straight shooter, easy going, and like a beverage in the evening. I can even get the lyrics to songs right every so often, but I know all the 80’s music.
I would like to improve the common space maintenance (side of roads and park).
Maintain a community that is highly desirable place to live with minimal demands of the neighborhood residents.
Tom (other half), Jett (white doodle), Baxter (black doodle), and I moved into the community Jan 2022, we have enjoyed our daily walks and neighbor patience with our crazy dogs.
My husband, Dave, and I have been together for 21 years, and we have three daughters (ages 12, 9, and 7) who attend our local public schools. I am a former high school teacher, and Dave owns a local firm specializing in lowering business property taxes for clients all over the US. One of the longest-standing homeowners in the neighborhood, our family started building our Saratoga home in the summer of 2015. I am passionate about volunteerism, as proven by my active role in the neighborhood and the Dripping Springs community.
Volunteer experience includes:
-When the homeowners took over the HOA from developers, I was nominated and appointed to the Saratoga Hills Architectural Control Committee, where I served as a volunteer from 2021 to 2023.
-I have served in numerous positions at Dripping Springs Elementary for eight years, including substitute teaching, chairing multiple committees, and being a room parent for several classes.
-I currently serve as the Vice President of Hospitality for the Dripping Springs Middle School PTA.
-Earlier this year, I was nominated by school board trustees and appointed to the Dripping Springs ISD design committee for Elementary #6, which will likely be where Saratoga students attend school when it opens. Similarly, my husband serves on the Long Range Facility Planning Committee for Dripping Springs ISD, helping plan the school district's future.
-I coach youth volleyball and cheerleading through the Dripping Springs Youth Sports Association.
-I am a passionate, active advocate for childhood drowning prevention, currently working with the Texas State Legislature to prevent barriers to accessing high-quality drowning prevention strategies.
I want to bring more transparency, trust, and face-to-face communication between the HOA board and the community.
The landscaping company does a great job.
(none)
HOA Board Experience - Thirteen years as an elected board member and 5 years as president at my previous neighborhood HOA. Led the development of new processes and procedures including selection of management companies including criteria to select and supervise management companies. Led important negotiations with the City of Austin and developers to protect the community and increase property value. Those negotiations included new commercial real estate and housing. Created focus groups canvassing the community to develop our neighborhood's needs for negotiations with developers on 3 different multi-million dollar projects (large apartment complex, commercial development, and new adjacent neighborhood). Those projects integrated into our existing community, added new amenities, and increased property value. Additionally supported and led neighborhood annual activities such as the 4th of July parade, movie night, and community cookouts.
501c3 Board Experience - 4 years + Led the creation and current board member for the Dripping Springs Engineering Boosters for 4 years supporting DSISD's STEM activities from robotics to cyber security. Currently, we are supporting STEM expansion including the development of subsidiary parent-led organizations.
Work Experience - Have been a leader in technology for 25 years plus with different roles from service to sales executive management supporting cyber-terrorism response planning with the State of Texas; leading the development of sales and service plans at Cisco Systems; and now directing teams bringing large complex digital transformations that include network, cloud, and AI at Intel.
Focus on three main areas:
*Look to increase community by meeting with neighbors and collecting ideas and opinions including but not limited to a community playscape and additional social events supported by the HOA.
*Propose enhancing the board by increasing membership to five board members, and strengthening our transparency in budgeting and reserve to avoid special assessment.
*Position our community with adjacent HOAs and local governments to ensure our community's needs and voice are met with the ever-increasing developments, especially the new amphitheater, by examining impacts to the quality of life and property value.
Existing processes can remain the status quo and continue to foster the volunteering spirit in our community.
Will bring my 20 + years of experience to enhance HOA board, expand opportunities for everyone to participate, and become a key stakeholder within our immediate area to preserve and increase property value within the ever-growing developments.
We are looking forward to the Annual Meeting on Thursday, December 5th at 6PM CST to be held virtually. At the meeting we will elect one new Board member. If you are interested in running, or even just in hearing more about the role and responsibilities, please use the form below. Please submit by Sunday, November 23rd at 11:59PM. Thank you!
