Welcome to Lake Tansi Village
2026 Election News

Meet the Candidates for Board Positions at Lake Tansi Village and Resort

Lake Tansi Village and Resort is excited to announce a special event for our community.  On Thursday, September 3, 2026 at the Lake Tansi Thunderbird, we invite all the members to meet the candidates that are running for board positions.  This event is a fantastic opportunity to engage with the candidates, ask questions, and learn about their visions for our community.  

This year marks a significant milestone for Lake Tansi, as it will be the first time we will implement online voting.  Voting will officially begin on September 8, 2026 and will continue until October 15, 2026.  To ensure successful participation, a quorum of 10% will be required, as outlined in our by-laws.  Also with online voting, there will be no drop off ballot box at the POA Office. 

We understand that online voting may be a new experience for many of our members.  To assist those who may feel uncomfortable, the POA Office will have computers available for use throughout the voting period.  

Join us for this exciting time in our community’s history, and make your voice heard!

For more information, please feel free to reach out or visit the POA Office. Let’s make Lake Tansi even better together. 

Gary Clauson, Board VP

Marion Spencer

Date of Tansi Residency: 2020

Employed By: Self 1992-2025

Brief Description of Responsibilities:

Managed my own financial advisement group for 30 years, chief of EMS for Gaylord Properties 6 years, Occupational Medicine Clinic Manager 8 years

Education: Rhodes College, Ohio State University

Community Involvement:

1. Is there any reason that would prevent you from attending the POA board meetings as well as any other POA board activity requiring your participation? No
2. I am an active member in the following clubs/organizations.  CF Small Group Coach, Church Band
3. Prior civic involvement: (Boards, Commission, Council, etc.)   Member of the Lake Tansi POA Board, New Hope Pointe Subdivision Board – Vice President, Lions Club Member, Vice President of local AFL-CIO Union
4. What do you feel are the most important issues facing the Lake Tansi Board of Directors and residents of Lake Tansi?  Lake – Weeds/grass and fish management, Police Department staffing and training, road repairs, budget balancing, and allocations
5. If elected, what do you feel you can contribute to the long-range success of Lake Tansi Village as a Resort/Retirement Community?  Work for the greater good of the community, not personal interests; good understanding of budgeting and finance.  Possess good listening skills and patience.  Served on Board where we moved from which helps understand and have an awareness of the types of issues Boards face.
6. What do you see as the major issues facing Lake Tansi Village in 5-10 years?   Managing the growth of the village with new houses going up and lake management.  Many current association buildings will likely need renovation or replacement, overhaul our road system.  Many roads are currently in horrible shape, keep on road commission.  Staffing and equipping Police Department to meet the needs of the community.
7. Please list any pertinent information you would like to present.   I know the current Board has and is working hard on several issues.  Financial issues have been addressed, and we are now debt free.  Road conditions, law changes regarding our Police Department issues.  Safety of our residents must be a top priority. Listen to the community members, addressing needs, acting in the best interest of the community.

Dina Neff

I am seeking re-election to the Lake Tansi Board of Directors.  For the past three years, I have had the privilege of volunteering on the Board and serving as President for two years.

Employed By: Owner of Neff-storation LLC, specializing in painting kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, and furniture.  I manage client relationships, design decisions, scheduling and project completion.

In September 2023, when I ran for the Board, it was asked “What do you feel are the most important issues facing the Lake Tansi Board of Directors and Residents?”  My answer was communication.  As our community continues to grow and change, I believe it is essential to keep communication open between the Board and our Members.  There is always room for improvement, but I am proud of the progress we have made.  In fall 2025, I worked on creating our Member Survey.  The responses were compiled, and a summary of the community’s feedback was shared.  I keep this in mind when making decisions.  I have worked with our general manager to revamp our website.  This year, our POA Office and Police Department phone systems were updated with an automated system, to better route calls.  Members can now leave voicemails.

As a business, things are constantly changing. Each week, the Executive Board meets with our General Manager, helping me stay current with what is happening throughout our community.  I also make myself available to members and strive to respond to calls and messages in a timely manner.  If re-elected, I will continue that commitment.

In September 2023, I was asked “What do you see the major issues facing Lake Tansi in 5-10 years?”  I identified keeping pace with building and grounds maintenance as our community grows and changes, along with keeping our By-laws current.

I remain committed to those priorities and on preparing Lake Tansi for the future.  This year, we announced that we paid off our cabin debt.  Freedom from debt represents a new beginning for Lake Tansi.  A reserve study is being conducted so there is a plan to protect our assets for years to come.

I have taken an active role in reviewing our By-laws.  The board has approved several changes and is working with legal counsel to be sure we are in accordance with our covenants and the law.  Our goal is to have updated By-laws available to members by the end of 2026.

I have greatly enjoyed researching and writing the History of Lake Tansi articles and learning more about the people, places and events that shaped our community.  From the construction of our lakes, the original golf course, to the Tuckahoe Restaurant.  This gave me a deeper appreciation for our community.

Change is not always easy, but I believe my positive attitude toward change, commitment to communication, and willingness to listen to our members are important qualities to bring to the Board.  I would be honored to continue serving Lake Tansi for another three-year term.

Laura Zelm

My Name is Laura Zelm, I am 73 yrs of age and I moved to Crossville, Tn in 2020.  In the past year, I got married and moved to Lake Tansi.  I truly love it here and want to get involved with our community.

I am retired Flight attendant since 2020, before that I was a tax accountant, and I have insurance, accounting, real estate, and office experience for the past 30 years.  I served on the HOA Board at my townhome in IL.  I do belong to our FCE here in Lake Tansi and do volunteer work at my church and local senior center.

I want to be involved in helping our community grow and getting things done so that Tansi can be a great place to live.

I look forward to meeting all of you!

Roy Copeland

Employed By: Retired – State of Tennessee, Special Agent – Criminal Investigator

Brief Description of Responsibilities:

Conducting and supervising criminal investigations

Education: Bachelor of Science, University of Tennessee

1. Is there any reason that would prevent you from attending the POA Board Meetings as well as any other POA Board Activity requiring your participation?  None, I have attended every Board Meeting for the past three years, as well as other Board activities requiring my participation and will do so if elected to a second term.
2. I am an active member in the following clubs/organizations.  Member, NRA
3. Prior civic involvement: (Boards, Commission, Council, etc.)  Past member of the Advisory Policy Board to the FBI’s CJIS/NCIC Program, Past Tennessee Representative to the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications Systems, Past Volunteer, Nashville Rape and Sexual Abuse Center, Member of the POA Board of Directors from 2024 to present
4. What do you feel are the most important issues facing the Lake Tansi Board of Directors and residents of Lake Tansi?  The most important is continuing the current Board’s efforts to improve our Association, while keeping it financially healthy.  That should be concurrent with the improvement of our community’s unique infrastructure and amenities, while balancing the anticipated growth with sound fiscal policy.  Change in Lake Tansi is inevitable and managing it effectively is obviously crucial.  I believe the current Board has made significant progress in that direction and would appreciate the opportunity to keep working toward those goals.
5. If elected, what do you feel you can contribute to the long-range success of Lake Tansi Village as a Resort/Retirement Community?  With both management experience and information systems and educational background, I believe I have contributed to the current Board in a number of areas, including the planning for improvements in modernizing how we continue to approach operating as an Association in the future.  With a criminal justice background, I also look forward to all opportunities to benefit the Lake Tansi Police Department in any way.
6. What do you see as the major issues facing Lake Tansi Village in 5-10 years?  The improvement of our community assets, including real property.  I believe the establishment and growth of reserve funds should continue to be actively pursued by the Board to assist the POA in proactive planning for predictable and reasonable expenditures.  Those efforts will also serve to keep all Association members aware of the funding required to pay for repairs, maintenance and eventual replacement of those assets.
7. Please list any pertinent information you would like to present.   After retirement, my wife and I were very fortunate to move to this area.  We try to be active socially in our community and regularly participate in Tansi golf leagues, giving us the opportunity to communicate with a number of people.  Many of them have been in Tansi for a number of years and have been involved in the Association in a variety of ways and they all have a lot of ideas and opinions regarding the continuation of the Resort’s improvement.  I have appreciated the chance to serve on the POA Board of Directors for the past three years.  If given the opportunity to serve a second term, it will always be my goal to listen to the opinions and ideas of others and pursue those whenever possible to improve the overall quality of our community.

Through the concerted efforts of the current Board, the Association’s financial status has been greatly improved, and the POA is currently debt-free for the first time.  The Board has focused every possible effort towards delinquent debt collections, and I will continue to support those initiatives.  Maintaining our Association and community is the responsibility of all property owners, not just those who choose to regularly pay their dues.  The Board has also made significant progress toward more efficient and economic methods to hold our necessary elections, all while working to update and improve the By-laws.  The Association is improving and I would appreciate the opportunity to continue assisting in those efforts.