SRC Gets First Female Member

(posted Jan 3)

After three years of an all male commission, a woman will now hold a seat on the Speedway Redevelopment Commission.

Council President Gary Raikes appointed Nancy Lawrence to fill a seat on the Redevelopment Commission at the Dec 30 council meeting. SRC member Steve Bishop asked not to be reappointed and was appointed to serve again on the Community Development Corporation.

Raikes said Lawrence, wife of Parks and Recreation Board President Ray Lawrence, was selected out of ten to twelve interested residents vying for the spot. He said there were "several really good candidates", but he selected Lawrence for her attention to detail and interest in the redevelopment since the beginning. She currently serves on the Area Two Steering Committee. Civil engineer Jay Coffman was one of the candidates who submitted his name for the position. Lawrence is a retired teacher from Wheeler Elementary School.

Raikes thanked residents for submitting letters of interest to serve on the various boards and commissions. The council made no new appointments and reappointed all existing members.

The council reappointed Paul Maves to the Storm Water Management Board. Dave Smith, Brian Bailey and Mike Simonson were reappointed to the Board of Zoning Appeals. James Dillard was also reappointed to the Community Development Corporation.

Jim Ochs was reappointed to the Police Commission and Lisa Edington was reappointed to the Parks and Recreation Board. The council reappointed Benny Grove and Vince Noblet to the Redevelopment Commission, while Raikes reappointed Ron Fisher and Bill Jones.

Jack Sneyd was reappointed to the Marion County Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

Councilor Eileen Fisher will serve as council president in 2009 and councilor Bill Suffel will serve as vice-president.