By Heather Pashley | CNA Treasurer
One day a couple of summers ago, I was reading Concordia News and saw that the neighborhood association was looking for a treasurer. I thought, “I’m pretty good with numbers. That sounds like a good way to get involved.” I really had no idea what I was getting into.
I went to a board meeting, and what I discovered was a bunch of great people who volunteer their time to make sure Concordia stays such a great place to live.
Concordia Neighborhood Association (CNA) was created to help its members involve themselves in the affairs of the neighborhood. The board of directors meets at least 10 times a year to make sure CNA is filling the needs of its members.
Once a year, in November, is the CNA Annual Meeting when members of the neighborhood get the chance to vote on who they’d like to see on the board. If you’re a resident, property owner or business owner and want to get more involved, you may nominate yourself – or others with those qualifications – for election.
The current board members are listed below, and so is the map of their districts.
These the positions are up for election and re-election: East 2, Northwest 2, Southwest 2, At Large 2, At Large 4 and At Large 6. Additionally, East 1 and the chair positions require filling.
The bylaws of the association require that at least 15 nonboard members be present to vote at the annual meeting for the positions to be filled. One representative from each residence or business is eligible to vote at the annual meeting, and voting members can be as young as 14 years old as long as they have a parent or guardian’s permission.
I’m glad I got involved in CNA. I have met so many wonderful people, and I’ve learned a lot about my neighborhood.
I urge you to attend the general meeting and participate in discussions about neighborhood issues and concerns. Perhaps you’ll even volunteer to help lead those discussions and contribute to Concordia’s future by getting elected to the board.
The meeting is Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. in McMenamins Kennedy School Community Room. See you there!
Heather Pashley was born in Portland and grew up playing at Fernhill Park. She has worked for OHSU for more than 20 years, worships at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, and she has never strayed far from her beloved Concordia neighborhood.