Full-page Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors campaign ads placed in two local newspapers by candidate Stuart Lakernick raise alarm bells over inclusion of the official OPA logo prominently in the ads. This is all the more concerning because Lakernick is a sitting OPA director up for re-election, as well as current president of the Association.

After receiving complaints from association members, OPA issued a press release, apparently written by OPA's corporate counsel. The release was not approved by any vote of the Board of Directors.

Issued on July 10, 2025, the release states:

"In connection with the 2025 Board of Directors election cycle, OPA, Inc. wishes to make clear that use of OPA logos and/or venues in campaign materials or ads, which has happened this election season without OPA involvement, does not constitute and should not be construed as any type of endorsement of a candidate by OPA, Inc., or its departments.

"OPA, Inc. encourages voters to participate fully in this year’s Board election, including voting “yes” as to the Firehouse referendum question, but this message is to make clear that OPA, Inc., as a corporate entity, does not involve itself for or against particular Board candidates."

Did Candidate Lakernick receive a major favor? The release did not mention Lakernick. Most importantly, the release did not even stipulate candidates should not use the official OPA logo or other OPA images or text that might lead voters to believe the Ocean Pines Association supported a particular candidate.

From all appearances, Lakernick and candidate Amy Peck may represent the only close race to determine who fills three open seats on the board from a field of four candidates. Lakernick and Peck represent two candidates on two different Facebook sites promoting their political favorites.

Peck is supported on Sherrie Clifford's ROC Facebook site, while Lakernick is supported on Esther Diller's Get Involved Facebook site. Diller is Lakernick's wife, and herself a former board member. Lakernick and Get Involved are also supported on a Facebook hate-site that for years has made despicable and vile attacks on Peck and other women in Ocean Pines.

On July 8, 2025, Diller wrote about the election: "Let’s be honest: this kind of toxicity is part of why it’s hard to find volunteers for committees or candidates for the board. Who wants to sign up just to be attacked, doxxed, or harassed?"

If there is "toxicity," it is on the Facebook hate-page supporting her husband.

ROC immediately posted the OPA press release on campaign logo use, with Clifford calling for Lakernick to drop out of the race and resign from the Board of Directors due to loss of election integrity.

Get Involved, as of this writing, has not even informed its members of OPA's official logo press release.

OceanPinesForum.com recently endorsed the election of Monica Rakowski, Steve Jacobs, and Amy Peck.

The Bayside Gazette endorsed Monica Rakowski, Steve Jacobs, and Stuart Lakernick.

OPA vice-President Rack Farr noted the Bayside Gazette endorsement on Get Involved, but for some reason took a cheap shot at OceanPinesForum.com, writing, "Awesome endorsement by the Bayside Gazette for our current board of director incumbents -Lakernick, Rakowski, Jacobs! A real newspaper……not a forum."

Interestingly, at this point Farr seems to be the only sitting director elected originally with support of Get Involved now making any sort of substantive public comments about the election or expressing direct support for Lakernick. This alone is rather unusual, perhaps speaking volumes. Several sources suggest Farr's support of Lakernick is more along the lines of the ancient proverb "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."