Click on each candidate’s name to view their statement and bio:
Trustee Candidate Statement and Bio For: Lee John Prochazka
I would like to be part Holgate Taxpayers’ team of trustees as I care deeply about Holgate preserving the character and safety of the community.
Growing up in Summit NJ, I’ve been coming to Holgate where my family has had a house at 1 Chatham Road for over 40 years. It offers a rare combination of natural beauty, tight‑knit community, quieter living, and a sense of responsibility to protect a uniquely vulnerable and cherished part of LBI.
My primary home is on the mainland 12 miles from Holgate where I live with my wife, Cherie and my dog Kaia.
I have been actively involved in the Holgate community for many years. I’ve taken a leading role in the greenhead fly‑trap program and the HTA now has more fully functional traps in Holgate marshes and on the mainland than at any time in recent years. During the off‑season, I also plant and maintain dune vegetation along our access points, recognizing how small, practical efforts can make a meaningful difference in everyone’s quality of life.
Since I already take on initiatives that support and Holgate, becoming a trustee is a natural next step. It allows me to take the same commitment I’ve shown privately and bring it into a role where I can make a broader, more lasting impact.
Following my education at The Citadel, I owned and operated my own construction business. That experience shaped the way I approach responsibility, planning, and decision‑making. This required clear communication, disciplined budgeting, long‑term project management, and the ability to solve problems quickly and effectively — skills that translate directly into serving as a trustee in Holgate.
Trustee Candidate Statement and Bio For: Nicholas-Dottino
I’d like to be part of the team of trustees serving the Holgate Taxpayers for the following reasons:
Our family has been coming to the island and has been a homeowner for almost 30 years (28 in Holgate). My in-laws lived on Julia, and I wanted to marry my then girlfriend, so it seemed like a great idea!
We now live in Holgate full-time from May to October and then in Charleston, SC the remainder of the year.
The HTA has made great progress in many ways, and I think I can help with the next chapters of success for our community. I believe I can help increase levels of professionalism and organization so that the residents of Holgate continue to benefit.
During my business career, I have been a chief executive officer, board leader, investor, and enterprise operator with more than 30 years of experience leading public, private equity-backed, family-owned, and founder-led businesses across renewable energy, packaging, pulp and paper, consumer products, and heavy industrial manufacturing.
This includes extensive experience and value creation throughout Europe, the UK, Southeast Asia and the Americas. And I have been recognized for turnarounds, international / cross-border operating leadership, acquisitions and integrations, capital allocation, and practical governance, with strong alignment across boards, investors, lenders, and management teams around disciplined value-creation strategies.
I believe I can bring my strengths fostering strategy development, disciplined organization, and execution with an eye towards the finer details.
I also have extensive non-profit experience. Experience really counts, and especially if someone has an appreciation for hindsight!
Trustee Candidate Statement and Bio For: David-McCarthy
I’d like to be part of the team of trustees serving the Holgate Taxpayers for the following reasons:
I have been coming to Beach Haven and Holgate for about 10 years as one of my brothers owns a home in North Beach Haven. We chose to purchase our home in Holgate in March 2022 as it is adjacent to the Clam Cove Preserve and we love the openness and natural beauty of the area.
Our primary home is in Warren, NJ. My wife Kathy and I have four adult children. Two are married and we have three grandchildren. Three of our children live in NJ and the fourth lives in Boston. All enjoy coming to Long Beach Island and Holgate!
As a three-year HTA member, I have participated in helping to move fly traps at the end of the season. Now we have settled in, I decided to get even more involved.
I recognize that volunteer organizations that serve the broader community don’t work without volunteers. As a trustee, I would engage with HTA to understand where opportunities for improvement can be made – and also get feedback from other HTA members on unmet opportunities.
I graduated from Rutgers University with degrees in Chemical Engineering and Business, also earning an MBA with a focus in Finance. I worked at Colgate-Palmolive and RJR Nabisco in engineering roles for 15 years, moving to supply chain at Pfizer where I held senior roles in Global Procurement for 26 years. I led teams located in the Americas, Europe and Asia. I am now retired and am a part-time Adjunct Professor at Rutgers Business School teaching Supply Chain.
During my career, I negotiated and finalized supply contracts around the globe, identified and worked with suppliers, interfaced with internal customers including legal and operations, implemented supply chain risk strategies, and managed teams/people. I am generally a high energy and results-oriented person and problem solver.
Through the years, I have also volunteered as a Scout Leader, assistant baseball and basketball coach, and as a church youth leader.