Something unusual, and troubling, took place during the March 23, 2022 meeting of the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors meeting.

An association member made public comments and revealed the contents of private message exchanges on Facebook. The public comments were a perfect example of why it is important to know who you can trust when communicating privately.

Association member Dinah Hoffmeister told the board she "felt the need to address something." Turns out the "something" had to do with the board's rejection of Stuart Lakernick's application to become a member of the Strategic Planning Committee.

Hoffmeister told the board that on January 19th, "I posted about an incident on Facebook regarding my water being wrongfully turned off and after trading comments with someone (presumably one Debbie Bloom), I received a private message through messenger. It was from OPA board member Amy Peck.

Hoffmeister said Peck told her in the private message, "Debbie Bloom is best friends with Esther Diller and completely discounts Esther's felony conviction, her husband Stuart Lakernick, and the involvement with Rick Farr. My advice is to ignore. I love how Debbie is preaching personal responsibility for something you had no control over but makes excuses how Esther stole millions and millions of dollars from Medicare."

Hoffmeister says she replied to Peck with, "Thanks for explaining. It just makes no sense what she is saying. So Stuart should be someone not to vote for in the future?"

Peck is said to reply, "Do your own research. USA v Esther Diller Docketbird. Stuart is her husband, a chiropractor."

Hoffmeister responds to Peck, "Ok. Thanks. I wonder why someone with a record puts herself out there. If it were me, I would try to be unseen."

Peck again replies, "There is/was an agenda to get her people elected. As a director, I have a duty to guard our $16,000,000 a year budget. It's important for board members to have an attitude of service. There's a reason why the GM, every Department head, employee, every committee chair, and respected past board members are asking me to consider running for another term. My record speaks for itself."

Continuing her public comments, Hoffmeister said, "I was quite stunned that a director would randomly reach out to me with such personal information. In the days that followed, I participated in both groups on Facebook. Various people, me included, were asking a question concerning who exactly is this ROC group and what were their oversight intentions of the board when several directors are members, and Amy being listed as an admin, later changed. This group claims to be for open discussion yet comments, questions, and most importantly people were being deleted by the admin."

Hoffmeister continued, "Needing some clarity, I decided to reach out on the 24th, through private message to Colby Phillips because I had always read such positive things about her and I asked her the following:

"Morning. I have a question for you cause I know I will get an honest answer. Whose side is Amy Peck on? She messaged me the other day to tell me to just ignore Debbie Bloom because she is best friends with Esther. I voted for Rick Farr and Stuart in the last election because of all the crap you went through I knew we needed change. But yet on some things, Amy seems to be on Farr’s side. Or maybe she plays both sides."

Hoffmeister paraphrased some of what Phillips wrote to her, saying, "She (Colby Phillips) said Amy is all about Amy. She wants to shove info out there to prove her stuff is the most important. She also was a very good friend to Esther. Knew the whole situation and then turned her back on her. That’s what she does. If you don’t agree with her, she turns on you. For those who are trying to be so positive they sure do bash Esther Diller behind her back." 

Hoffmeister said she replied to Phillips with, "Wow. That’s what I figured. It explains a lot about the conversation in the bylaws committee meeting. Something about separating a husband and wife if one has a felony charge to just an individual."

Hoffmeister continues her public comments with, "How can anyone who sits on this board justify themselves by reaching out to folks they don’t even know to share information like that? I then read in the paper the other day Mr. Daly was making the same comments about Ms. Diller. Now I ask you, when will all this nonsense end? What transpired at the last board meeting with Mr. Lakerneck being turned down for a volunteer committee member is appalling. I certainly hope that doesn’t happen again today. This was the catalyst for me to speak out today. Mr. Daly’s reason for his no vote, because the board has not received an apology from Mr. Lakerneck is a joke."

Hoffmeister goes on to ask the board to look into some Facebook group purporting to be doing oversight of the board and to discipline board member Amy Peck.

Should Hoffmeister have publicly revealed private correspondence she received? Should Amy Peck, as a sitting board member, have initiated the private message to Hoffmeister about Esther Diller and Debbie Bloom, who was reportedly the campaign manager for Diller when she ran successfully for the board a few years ago?

Sadly, the Facebook Wars continue. To the extreme detriment of the Ocean Pines Association.