John Moeckel
A member of the first Board of Directors (2008–2009) and the Executive Committee as President. Original member and founder of the Venetian Ad Hoc Committee. After 4 years in the US Air Force, John began his career at Publix in 1970 working full time while earning his computer science degree. In his 28 years at Publix, he worked his way up from being a Computer Operator to Senior Management in the Information Systems Department at the corporate office in Lakeland, Florida. He was the Chairman of the Imperialakes Water Action Committee for Polk County, Treasurer of the Imperialakes Master Association and Architectural Committee Chairman for the roads and infrastructure. He has been on the Venetian Golf Advisory Committee. His hobbies include flying, golf, and a wide range of outdoor activities. He and his wife, Charlene, moved to the VGRC in May of 2004, to be close to the beach, the airport and to be part of this wonderful community. He believes in our community and wants to protect its health, safety, and to help make it the best community within Venice.
Term Expires March 2022
Tom Jones
Tom has been a member and secretary of the VGRCCA board since 2008. He grew up in Wisconsin and attended UW-Madison where he met his wife, Pat. They lived in the San Francisco Bay area for 25 years and he retired in 2007 after 35 years with 3M Company in tape and electronics sales. Tom and Pat have been full-time residents and golf members of the Venetian since 2005. Tom served on the VCDD board from 2008–2014 and has been on the Venetian POA board since 2015. He is chair of the City of Venice Environmental Advisory Board, which works with the City Council to foster environmental improvement in Venice. His outside interests are golf, hiking, scuba diving, photography, music, travel, and anything to do with the ocean.
Term Expires March 2023
Michelle M.L. Trent
Michelle is from Bethlehem, PA and earned a B.A. from Moravian College (1993) and a M.B.A. from Lehigh University (2002). Her life is somewhat atypical in that she had a career for 20 years prior to becoming a mom. For the first ten years she traveled extensively as a National Sales Manager for Allied Waste (formerly BFI.) The second decade was spent self-employed as an independent marketing consultant and entrepreneur coach. Prior to relocating to Florida, Michelle served on the boards of several non-profit organizations in the Bethlehem area, including holding executive positions such as Treasurer. Michelle is married to David Trent and together they have a daughter Maria who was born in 2014.
Michelle has been coming to the Venetian Golf & River Club since 2006 and has been a property owner since 2015. Her goals are to keep VG&RC welcoming, thriving, attractive, and ultimately the place “to be” in southwest Florida. After living most of her adult life only 10 miles from her parents, it was difficult to move far away. However, the Venetian feels like home and preserving its beauty and esteem is very important to her. Some of her many interests include biking and learning to play the ukulele. After Michelle’s daughter starts school she’d like to get back to work and begin her “second” career. So until she finds her next calling she is volunteering her time and being supportive to her neighbors in a multitude of ways.
Term Expires March 2023
Lew Perry, VP
Lew and his wife Pam have resided at the Venetian for 12 years. Prior to retiring to Venice, Lew served as Chief of Police and is experienced in all aspects of Administration. This included Planning and Research, Labor Management, Budget Preparations and presentations, and Security Protocol. Lew earned a Masters of Public Administration, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration, and is a Graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy. He has served on numerous community organizations the P.O.A. Board of Directors (2015–2017), where he chaired the Committee on revising leasing procedures at the Venetian and attended meetings of the ACC and Rules Committees. He was the Chairperson of the VCCD Traffic Enforcement Committee (2017). Presented recommendations of the Committee to reduce and identify offenders and implementation of signage, and other traffic calming measures to improve driving and pedestrian traffic concerns within the Venetian Community. He served on the Venetian River Club Fitness Committee – (2013–2015 Chairman). He also served on the Venetian Golf Handicap Committee and the Men’s Golf Committee (2015–2017). Lew was the President of the San Marco II Homeowners Association, Venetian (2005–2010) and was Vice-President of the Cornfield Point Beach Association, Old Saybrook, Ct. 2001–2016. While living in Connecticut Lew was a member of the Board of Selectmen — Town of Clinton, Ct. 1994–2003, a member of the Board of Finance — Town of Clinton, Ct. 1992–1994 and served on the Planning and Zoning Commission — Town of Clinton, Ct (Chairman for 2 years) 1986–1992.
Term Expires March 2022
Jerry Jasper, VP
Jerry was born and raised in Grand Blanc, Michigan. He received a Mechanical Engineering degree from Case Institute of Technology (later to become Case Western Reserve University) in 1961. His working career consisted of 35 years with Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., an international engineering and construction firm. Jerry held varied sales and management positions with CB&I, being assigned to several Southeast Asia and U.S. West Coast locations. At the time of his retirement in 1996, he served as Vice President and General Manager of CB&I’s open shop construction arm for the western United States. Prior to moving to the VG&RC in 2007, Jerry and his wife Barb spent their “first” retirement years in Flat Rock, North Carolina where he served two years as president of the Kenmure Architectural Committee, responsible for review and approval of all new construction and home modifications in a community of some 700 residents. In addition to his several years on the Community Association Board and as Chair of the CA External Affairs Committee, Jerry served as Vice President on the VG&RC Property Association Board and earlier, on the POA Architectural Control, River Club Exploratory and Transition Committees. He also serves on the Venetian CDD , being Chair of that Board for the last 3 ½ years. Jerry was also a member of the City’s Solid Waste & Recycling Stakeholders Group and is presently a member of Venice’s Utility Rate Stakeholders Group.
Term Expires — March 2022
Fred Baughman, Treasurer
Fred’s work career included positions in public accounting, banking and financial services. He retired in 2004 after 18 years with State Street Corporation, a global Financial Services firm. His last position with State Street was Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. Since retirement he has served in several volunteer positions including Finance Committee member for the Town of Kingston, Massachusetts and Treasurer of the Jones River Village Historical Society. He worked on the Committee that studied the acquisition of the River Club. Fred holds a BA from Dickinson College and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. During his working career he was a Certified Public Accountant. Fred and his wife Pat have lived in the Venetian since 2006 and have been full time residents since 2010.
Term Expires March 2023
Diane Maskol, President
Diane received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Gettysburg College, and her Master’s degree from Lehigh University. She pursued a career in education and real estate specializing in land development in suburban Philadelphia. Under Governor Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania she was recognized as a business woman of distinction. She has served on many boards, including most recently, president of her HOA in Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort for eight years.
Diane and her husband have three children and one grandchild living in California, Oregon and Pennsylvania. Diane moved to the Venetian as a full time resident in 2008. Here she was chair of the Laurel Road committee for the VGRCCA and now chairs the rules committee for the POA. Her interests include travel, tennis, bridge, gourmet cooking and interior design.
Term Expires March 2022
Michael Wendroff, Executive VP
Michael Wendroff spent 30 years in marketing/ management for major corporations, both domestically and globally. He currently heads up his own consultancy, specializing in strategic development, positioning, and marketing.
Starting college at 16, he went to New York University, where he finished first in his class, and then received his MBA from NYU as well.
From New York and Connecticut, he has been at the Venetian since 2016. He moved for the boating and beaches but has found bonuses in the plethora of arts, excellent restaurants and friendly, amazing people. He truly believes it is paradise, but similarly believes our paradise has to be protected, and therefore volunteers his time.
He lives with his wife Diane, and has 3 children ( as well as a “little brother “ through the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization). He enjoys tennis, biking, boating, and parties!
Fun fact: His Great Grandfather was brought over from the University of Copenhagen by Thomas Edison to work with him in his New Jersey labs, later, working alone, he invented the plastic button (unfortunately his son gambled away the fortune from the invention!).
Term Expires March 2023
Bob Samuels
Bob was born in the Bronx, N.Y. and moved to Long Island in 1955 until 2006. He and his wife, Noel, moved to the Venetian Golf & River Club in 2006. Bob attended Nassau Community College and served in the U.S. Army 1966–1968. He continued his education at John Jay School of Criminal Justice and began his career in Law Enforcement. Early in his career, he was appointed to the Detective Division and rose to the rank of Sergeant. During this time, he was elected to serve as Treasurer, followed by President of the Long Beach Police Benevolent Association. He retired in 1989. During his 21 plus year career in law enforcement, Bob co-owned a successful exterminating company. Bob served on the Long Beach Youth Board for four years. Following his retirement from law enforcement, Bob entered into the mortgage field as the Director of the REO Division for a leading Mortgage Banking Company, managing over $20 million in a real estate portfolio. This position led Bob into the Mortgage Banking conventional and sub-prime lending business for the next 15 years, partnering with his wife. Bob has been in the Venice area since the year 2000, owning a home in the Venetia Community. Bob is active in tennis and golf and has served on the Board of the VGRCCA since 2012.
Term Expires March 2023
Nancy Spokowski , Secretary
Nancy and her husband Phil have resided at the Venetian for close to four years, having moved to Venice as full-time residents from Wayland, Massachusetts in 2015. Prior to retiring to Venice, following a stint at Coopers & Lybrand and becoming a CPA, Nancy spent most of her career working in the field of Commercial Real Estate Finance on both the equity and debt sides of the business. She completed her working career as a Senior Managing Director responsible for Commercial Mortgage Loan Production and Marketing Management for Berkeley Point Capital, a Cantor Fitzgerald company. While in Massachusetts, Nancy spent seven years as the President of her neighborhood’s Homeowners Association. After moving to the Venetian, she served several years as President of the Palermo Neighborhood Board and also was a member of the Greens Committee of the Venetian Golf Club.
Nancy obtained a BA from the University of Rochester and holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
Term Expires — March 2023
Roger Effron
Roger Effron worked for the Cincinnati Public Schools for 30 years and was Principal of an inner city high school, junior high school and the district’s personnel director with responsibilities of managing approximately 7000 employees. Effron retired from the district in 1992. Currently, Effron serves as a Visiting Professor of Education at Xavier University where he teaches in the graduate program from Florida, his online class in Politics/Public Relations and Human Resources. Effron is President of Effron & Associates, LLC. In addition to providing executive search services, Effron & Associates serves as the primary strategist for many political issue campaigns and also specializes in community engagement and damage control. Effron has written a number of nationally published articles, addressing issues in both education and human resources and is called upon to serve as a presenter and motivation speaker. For eight years, Effron appeared on Cincinnati’s ABC television affiliate providing a commentary on education. Effron received a Bachelor of Arts in History/Political Science from Miami University and a Master of Education from the University of Cincinnati, with advanced graduate work at Xavier University, State University of New York and the University of Maryland. Effron has served on the Venetian Golf and River Club as Executive VP for six years and authors its newsletter, Parcels. He was also active in assisting the Venice Police Department in improving its public image. As a member of the golf club, he is not recognized as a great golfer, but instead, the owner of 44 various and colorful golf shoes!
Term Expires March 2022