Politics & Government

McLean Community Center Board Reshuffles Its Officers

Kevin Dent Elected Chair

The McLean Community Center board elected new officers Wednesday night by reshuffling the titles of the old officers.

Vice-Chair Kevin Dent was elected Chair unaimously. Dent formerly headed the Capital Facilities Committee.

Last week Dent  refused to release to McLean residents copies of a $100,000 consultant's report paid for with taxpayer money on the feasibility of replacing the Old Firehouse Teen Center in downtown McLean.

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Dent was nominated by outgoing Chair David Sanders.

"I would love to be the board chair," Dent told his colleagues." I think we have a very special community center . . I would like to show I have shown my leadership abilities” on the board. Dent was elected to his second-three year term last year.

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The offices of vice chair, secretary and treasurer were all contested races.

Vice Chair. Risa Sanders, secretary, and Sean Dunn, treasurer, competed against each other. Sanders won on a 5-4 vote. (Risa Sanders and David Sanders are not related.)

Both Sanders and Dunn were reelected to the board in Saturday's election but both ran a distant second and third to newcomer Chad Quinn.

Secretary. Craig Richardson and Robin Walker, both of whom were elected last year ran against each other with Richardson winning on a 5-4 vote.

Treasurer. Outgoing president David Sanders and Jay Howell, who was also elected last year then contested for the treasurer's job. Sanders won on a 5-4 vote.

Richardson is the only really new addition to the board's Executive Committee which is composed of the four officers.

"I appreciate folks running against each other,"  said Dent. He recalled some years in which the officers had been decided "in the backroom" with just a pro forma public vote.

Lee DiCenso, who left the board last night because she did not seek reelection, complained in March that that the same people  keep getting elected to the board’s Executive Committee.

David Sanders chaired the board for two years. Dunn said he had served on the committee for six years. Dent, four years. Risa Sanders, two years. A year ago, all the officers ran unopposed and were elected by a unanimous vote.

Two new student members also joined the board last night: Maggie Himpler, a student at Oak Crest School,  represents the McLean High area and Christy Meyer, a Langley High student, represents the Langley district.

Board member Susan Bourgeois and outgoing youth representative Craig McKenzie were absent.

The 11-member board operates the McLean Community Center. The board oversees a $6 million budget and a $12 million surplus --- nearly $20 million in mostly taxpayer funds. McLean residents pay taxes to support the center.

 

 

 

 

 

 


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