An Open Letter to the Community,
Congratulations to all of the successful candidates during
this election-Ms. Jessamine Duvall from Hickory Ridge, Ms. Shari Zaret of Kings
Contrivance, Ms. Janet Evans from Long Reach, Ms Ginny Thomas of Oakland Mills, Ms. Christina Horn from Wilde Lake, and Mr. Richard Boulton of
Dorsey’s Search. They each worked hard to secure their wins, and I look forward
to their efforts to constructively engage as a new Board along side of Ms. Lin
Egan of Town Center, Mr. Andrew Stack of Owen Brown, and Mr. Alan Klein of
Harpers Choice. I am hopeful that our newly elected Board will strive to bring
the community together and be an inclusive voice for the multi-generational kaleidoscope
that is Columbia.
To the candidates that did not win-Ms. Rashida George, Mr. Adam Herson, Mr. Marlon Brown, Mr.
Broderick Young, Mr. Tradd Ritchey, Mr. William Santos, and Mr. Steven Michael
Campbell-your dedication to our community and your willingness to stand up for
your neighbors and friends is truly inspiring-thank you. It has been a pleasure
to getting to know many of you, and I am grateful for your passion to support
families throughout this journey.
This campaign has been an incredible journey, and I am
eternally grateful for new friendships I have made along the way, and the
dedicated support from so many of you over the course of the campaign. I am
humbled at the outpouring of support by the residents of River Hill during the
April 24th election. During the upcoming two-year term, I pledge to
seek fiscal transparency and accountability in Columbia Association operations
by creating more fiscally sustainable solutions to meet the needs of our
residents and businesses. Further, I will work to enhance our
shared open spaces by advocating for the continued refurbishment of the tot
lots or playgrounds, and opening the remaining outdoor pools to all of our residents. Lastly, I will diligently protect Symphony Woods Park as one of the few green spaces left in the Downtown Columbia development; this park land must remain open to all members of the community.
I believe that each one of us has a role to play in
protecting the vibrancy of our neighborhoods and I am asking each of you to
volunteer in the community with your children; attend a watershed event and
pick up trash, or participate in the CNSL as a timer, official, or ribbon
writer. Give your children the gift of volunteering in the community, your
place of worship, or school. As Dr. King once said, “Our lives begin to end the
day we become silent about things that matter.” I would to add that “Columbia matters.”
With Kindest Regards,
Renee
