Meet The Candidates

Tim Craig

INTEGRITY • CLARITY • TRANSPARENCY

I’m Tim Craig, and I’m excited to announce my candidacy for the Board of Directors. Since moving to Spring Valley Lake in 1985 and transitioning from a renter to a homeowner in 1986, I’ve grown deeply connected to our community. My professional background is rooted in business retail, where I owned and operated Jack in the Box franchises. This experience allowed me to co-found and lead the Jack in the Box Franchise Owner’s Association and the JIB Purchasing Cooperative, roles that expanded my views on successful-run Associations.

1981 – 1982 Trained prospective franchisees for Foodmaker, Inc. (Jack in the Box Restaurants) in the Los Angeles area.
1983 – 1984 District Manager for Foodmaker, Inc. in Orange County.
1984 – 1985 National Director, Quality Control (QFCS) for Foodmaker, Inc. which created and implemented the first internal program of its kind.
1985 – 2002 Franchise owner of Jack in the Box restaurants, grew from 4 locations to 16. Served as VP for the JIB Franchise Association and President of the JIB Purchasing Cooperative.
2004 – 2008 Served as CFO for Spenser Communications, a telecommunications and technology company.
2008 – Present Financial advisor to a family owned business, Gator’s Sports Bar and Grill.

In recent years, I’ve shifted my focus towards our Association, particularly through my involvement in the SVLA Finance Committee in 2020 alongside respected members Dennis Verhagen and Bo Goulet, under the guidance of Chairpersons Bill Walters and Mary Stapp. Despite the committee’s recent inactivity, I remain optimistic that we will be able to renew community participation and engagement.

My journey has led me to identify key areas within our Association that could greatly benefit from systemic improvements, particularly in budgeting, capital forecasting, accounting practices, and the administration of the Reserve Account. I am committed to addressing these issues head-on.

To amplify our impact, I am running alongside a dedicated slate of candidates — Vicki Fitch, Steve Troup, and Dennis Verhagen — who share my concerns and vision for the Association. We have outlined our collective concerns and proposed solutions in a joint statement, which will be shared with all members via email and social media. It is crucial that every candidate you consider is well-versed in these topics, whether they align with our perspective or not.

I urge you to support our slate to bring about the necessary improvements our community deserves. Together, we can foster a brighter future for Spring Valley Lake. Thank you for considering our vision for progress. I look forward to the opportunity to serve our community.

Warm regards,

Tim Craig

Vicki Fitch

INTEGRITY • CLARITY • TRANSPARENCY

My name is Vicki Fitch. I’m an author, speaker, and international business consultant and serial entrepreneur. I started my first business when I was 12, bought my first house when I was 19, and started my first company with employees when I was 20. I have sold three (3) successful businesses that I built from the ground up so “digging in” to figure things out and make them work, is a strong part of my skill set.

Four (4) years ago, when our adult children moved out of the home we had built over 20 years earlier, my husband Terry wanted to downsize. Fond memories and children’s milestone markers would be hard to leave unless I could find my “Happy Place”. As an author, I often traveled to secluded places where nature inspired me to write, and knew I wanted to be on the water. Although we had never heard of Spring Valley Lake, the first time we drove down the parkway, saw the golf course and then turned to see the playground equipment near the beach and the ducks swimming in the lake… we knew we were home. This quaint community stole our hearts, and we are now called to
step up and do our part to keep it flourishing.

Our community is facing some real challenges right now. Ones that may impact us financially for decades to come, and since my first business was a bookkeeping and tax company where I specialized in problem resolution with the IRS, I know my skills of analyzing facts and figures will come in handy. In addition to that, I was the CFO of a Non Profit Organization (CYAA-Christian Youth Athletics Association) for more than 10 years. One of my superpowers is
taking complex subjects and breaking them down into easily understandable pieces.

Together with my running mates, Tim Craig, Dennis Verhagen and Steve Troup, we want to help you understand the issues and present possible solutions to give each and every member a voice.

Our commitment is to INTEGRITY,
open and honest communication for CLARITY,
well thought out action plans, and TRANSPARENT LEADERSHIP
to deliver the facts, so as a community,
we can make informed decisions together.

It is our hope that when you meet us, whether in person or on social media channels, you will ask questions and constructively participate in conversations.

I hope you will support us in our efforts to not only improve but also to unify our community. We truly are stronger together and our collective experiences and wisdom are far greater than when our leaders are isolated and working through it alone.

I look forward to speaking to you in person if possible and to serving such an amazing community.

Sincerely,

Vicki Fitch

Steve Troup

INTEGRITY • CLARITY • TRANSPARENCY

I have resided here at Spring Valley Lake over 30 years. A little history, I am a Vietnam veteran.

I worked in manufacturing, where I supervised 250 employees and did missile radar system maintenance for the Marine Corps for 25 years. I have served on the Lake Committee, and regularly attend most Board of Directors meetings. I am an avid fisherman and a strong advocate for the lake.

We need to make efforts to immediately address the seriousness and scope of our lake infrastructure problem and develop a methodology to repair and maintain the health of the lake infrastructure as expeditiously and economically as possible.

I want to help in bringing financial responsibility to the community. Provide better planning and execution on projects. I would support a plan to get more community involvement in decisions that impact us. I am asking for your support and vote to help me bring about change. We need to make Spring Valley Lake a better place to live.

Warm regards,

Steve Troup

Dennis Verhagen

INTEGRITY • CLARITY • TRANSPARENCY

I want to keep this simple, I am asking for your VOTE for the Board of Directors.

I have been involved in the community for 18 years. I have attended over 100 BOD meetings. I have served on the Finance and Communication committees. I worked on both the Sunset clause and the Water purchase initiatives. I currently am a member of SVL Municipal Advisory Council working with the County. My wife and I started The Coffee Break Club and established the Spring Valley Lake Citizens Group on Facebook.

I want to serve the community by becoming a Director. I want to bring the community back to a more balanced approach to planning projects and financial responsibility. We need to take action to correct the issues surrounding our biggest asset, the lake. This will involve major planning and resources. The repair of the coving around the lake is a multi-million dollar project. We need to reform the budgeting process that will allow the community to review and discuss the budget before voting to ratify it. Since moving here, I have seen my assessments go from $400 a year to over $400 per quarter. We need to take control. I cannot do that without your VOTE.

There are four (4) open seats that you can vote for. I also support Tim Craig, Vicki Fitch and Steve Troup. Together we have a vision on what we feel will make the community a better place. The most important request is that you VOTE.

Warm regards,

Dennis Verhagen