Canyon Lake resident Lanie Cooney is refusing to give up on her bid for a seat on the Canyon Lake POA Board after her Intent to Run packet was denied by the POA.
According to the POA, Cooney was not put on the ballot because she did not submit the completed Intent to Run packet by the deadline. However, Cooney asserts that she had substantially completed the packet, but the submission was “incomplete due to application contradictions making it difficult to follow the correct course of action.” Her supporters argue that the disqualification was an unnecessary hurdle that should not prevent a qualified candidate from running.
After the submission deadline, the board met with its legal counsel and conferred with the inspector of elections and concluded that write-ins would be allowed on both the paper and electronic ballot, which now opens the door for Cooney to run as a write-in candidate.
Cooney will be among the four candidates hoping to fill the three seats on the board in May. “I won’t let a technicality silence my voice or the voices of those who support me,” Cooney said. “This community deserves leaders who are willing to fight for fairness, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
Determined to give homeowners a choice, Cooney is running a full-fledged write-in campaign as if she were on the ballot. She plans to actively campaign through community outreach, social media engagement, and meet-and-greet events. Her platform emphasizes putting homeowners first, smart and balanced financial planning, and accountability—focusing on transparency, integrity, and open decision-making.
Cooney is urging residents to take the extra step to write her name on their ballots, emphasizing that voter engagement will be key to her success. “This election isn’t about a board decision—it’s about the homeowner,” she said. “If the voters want change, they have the power to make it happen.”
Cooney’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and advanced doctoral studies in clinical psychology. Professionally, she spent 13 years establishing and maintaining a private practice before transitioning into executive leadership, serving as a chief people officer and chief customer officer for organizations with up to 40,000 employees in both publicly traded and privately held companies, domestically and internationally. Her responsibilities included overseeing large budgets, managing P&L’s (profit and loss), and driving strategic growth.
More recently, Cooney has been a part of executive leadership teams of high-growth technology startups, helping to build nationally recognized brands.
“I believe my professional and educational backgrounds, business experience, strategic leadership, and deep commitment to our community makes me qualified to serve on the POA board and contribute to the responsible management and future success of Canyon Lake,” Cooney said.
A resident for 37 years, Cooney and Rob Mora, her partner of 25 years, own four homes in Canyon Lake. She has served on several committees, including the Youth Action Committee, Long-Range Planning Committee, the first Parks and Beaches Committee, and the Ad Hoc Holiday Harbor Committee. She is also a member of the Yacht Club and has been a member of the Triathlon Club since its inception. Her family is known for their gingerbread house float in the annual Parade of Lights and for leading the annual Christmas Golf Cart Parade and Toy Drive in their Santa sleigh.
“I believe our POA exists to serve the residents, not the other way around,” Cooney said. “I will advocate for open decision-making, ensure board accountability to the community, and apply rules and policies fairly and consistently. Our POA’s financial health is critical to maintaining property values and community satisfaction and I will push for responsible budgeting, cost-effective spending, and strict accountability for project execution and budget adherence. I’d also like to see a broader review of project scopes and bids to ensure effective project management and fiscal responsibility.”
With her supporters backing her, Cooney’s write-in campaign is shaping up to be a significant factor in the election, proving that determination and community support can challenge the status quo.
The three directors elected to the board will serve a three-year term. In 2024, the Canyon Lake POA Bylaws were amended to extend the terms to four years, with the intent of elections being held every other year. To align the new terms with the new election schedule, the three newly elected board members will serve a three-year term. Board members elected in the 2026 election will serve four-year terms.
The election schedule is as follows:
- Election signs may be posted on properties starting on Sunday, March 30.
- Ballots will be mailed on Friday, April 11.
- The last day it is recommended a homeowner mail a ballot is on Wednesday, May 7.
- The Annual Meeting of the Members and Election of Directors will be held on Wednesday, May 14, at 8 a.m. in the Holiday Bay Room at the lodge. The meeting will be called to order and polls will close at approximately 9 a.m.
- If a quorum is not met on May 14, the alternate meeting date will be on Friday, May 16.
The POA is moving to electronic voting of elections for the first time. All Prime Members were automatically opted in for electronic voting. Members who wanted to opt-out and continue voting by mail had until February 14 to request a paper ballot.
Members can follow updates on the election, including ballot counts, at www.myhoavote.com. Select “Canyon Lake POA” in the community list.
