Thank you to all those who turned out at the SCNA elections! We know that many, perhaps most, of you are no longer members of SCNA and we note with appreciation that many of you paid membership dues simply to be able to cast a vote.
There were many new candidates elected, including members of Families for Sierra 2, a group who has have previously expressed sentiment against shared-usage of the park.
We are happy to announce that Madelyn Gelpi will serve a 1-year term. We hope that will help steer the board toward more community engagement, transparency and accountability.
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Dear Common Ground Friends,
The Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association (SCNA) board elections happen once per year in December. The elections determine which new or returning board members will serve on the board for a 2-year term. The executive committee, including President Bill Hoover, chose a nominating committee of five board members and tasked them with seeking out and recommending interested candidates. The committee produced a list of 13 candidates. Unfortunately, several Common Ground members who expressed interest in serving on the board were not included. We have reason to believe that the committee’s actions were based on a single issue–the future use of the Sierra 2 Green. We believe candidates should be considered holistically and that the SCNA board should be more transparent in their actions. SCNA is a public-benefit non-profit organization, not a private social club.
This sort of exclusiveness is antithetical to the views of Common Ground. We want to share the neighborhood, share the parks, and we believe everyone must share the responsibility for tolerance and kindness among neighbors.
Any SCNA member can be nominated at the December 5th meeting and can serve on the board if elected. We have several smart, sensitive, energetic members who are interested in running.
How to Support Common Ground Board Nominees
Elections will be during the next board meeting on December 5th, 2023 at the Sierra 2 Center. This is an in-person meeting starting at 6:30 p.m. In order to have your vote count, you must be an SCNA member and be present at the meeting. No absentee or proxy voting is allowed this year.
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Update or begin your SCNA membership. You must be an SCNA member in order to vote. Make sure your membership and dues are up-to-date.You can join or pay your dues any time before the election. You can join/renew online at this link: Membership - Sierra 2
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Show up at the meeting and help nominate our candidates!
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You will need to write-in our candidates and any other persons you wish to elect. We will provide voting recommendations based on our knowledge of the candidates.
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Bring your neighbors and friends who are members of SCNA to vote.
Our candidates bring a wealth of experience and varied backgrounds that will be great assets to the board. Their skills and sensitivity will help our neighborhood solve issues in a thoughtful and balanced manner. They desire and expect more transparency and accountability from the SCNA board and they believe Curtis Park can continue to be a tolerant neighborhood that welcomes and supports a diversity of interests.
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Janet Hecsh
I am a retired high school Social Science teacher and Professor of Education at Sacramento State, and have lived in Curtis Park since 2000 with my husband Robert Lipelt and, since 2020, our mini-doodle Opal. We have been active supporters of Sierra Curtis for many years, volunteering at events, playing with our band The Undulations at benefits and other gatherings supporting Sierra 2. I am appreciative of the many activities that take place in the building including the Senior Center, Theater, and the Sierra Green. In my work life I was a was also a long-time member of the Sac State Faculty Senate and served as its Chair. I am experienced in shared governance and collaborative decision making.
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During the pandemic, I was able to join in the community of families and their dogs meeting daily on the green. I was super impressed by how conscientious the folks were, what a welcoming group to a new dog owner—me—
and the way they curated the environment. I was not in favor of the changes made recently and am concerned that there has been some unnecessary divisiveness and lack of transparency in addressing the use of the field. I am a supporter of the principles of Common Ground and in the values of Sierra 2 that are rooted in being a dynamic center for the arts and culture---including the diverse communities living within the Curtis Park neighborhood---young folks, older folks, dogs, and cats—and making Sierra 2 indoors and outdoors their home away from home. If elected, I will endeavor to represent the voices of those in favor of Common Ground, and also be a steward of Sierra 2 in terms of supporting sound fiscal practices and policies consistent with good governance.
Rob Sofio
Hello Curtis Park neighbors, I’m Rob Sofio, a Curtis Park resident since 2011, and I’m running for the SCNA Board of Directors. During the pandemic I would stroll over to the Sierra2 green after a long day of telework isolation, chat with neighbors and pet any dog that greeted me. I started to consider fostering a guide dog puppy. But after 20+ years of shared use, our green space has been given over exclusively to a private sports entity for soccer use, while neighbors and their dogs are confined to a small muddy pen. If elected to the board, I would work with fellow board members to reconnect with the City and our council member to represent the wishes of the majority of our neighbors, who support shared use of the green.
I’m an architect and LEED Accredited Professional for Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance, and work for the State of California in facilities management. As your board member, I would offer expertise in accessibility and code compliance, historic preservation, and how to support the health of facility users through improved indoor air quality, use of green cleaning chemicals and other measures. I would like to explore the possibility of partnering with the City and SMUD to install PV and thermal solar panels to cut the cost of utilities, and reduce the Sierra2 carbon footprint.
I’m a member of the Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus, and a past secretary and president of their board of directors. While participating on the chorus board, I became familiar with how 501(c)(3) status supports our mission, and reached out to business and community members during fundraising efforts, including the chorus’ participation at the SCNA Crab Feed and Dessert Dash. I chaired the committee that produced our dinner auction fundraiser at Mulvaneys. I applied for and received pro bono legal assistance for the chorus via California Lawyers for the Arts from a major law firm on employment law, by-law revisions, and music royalties. Open and transparent communication with members is essential to the success of SCNA; as a board member I would propose that board email addresses be established for each member and listed on the SCNA website. Thank you for your consideration.
Michael Oates
Hello Curtis Park neighbors, I’m Michael Oates, a Curtis Park resident since 2019, and I’m running for the SCNA Board of Directors. Being natives of Dallas, Texas rather than Sacramento, we explored multiple neighborhoods when looking for our first home in 2019 and feel extremely fortunate to have selected the Curtis Park community which we now call home. One of the first actions we took when we moved in was becoming proud members of the SCNA. Last year, I was able to volunteer alongside other SCNA members to re- invigorate the planting beds in front of the Sierra 2 Center. The Sierra 2 Center and SCNA were both significant benefits in moving to Curtis Park. We strongly believe in the value of these neighborhood assets and would like to deepen our engagement and commitment to the organization in order to help it evolve to meet the needs of our diverse and dynamic community.
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I’m an HR professional by trade specializing in maximizing talent in merger and acquisitions. Currently I serve as the Chief of Staff to the Chief People and Culture Officer for a tech company based out of Denver, Colorado. In this role I have regular interactions with our Board and private equity investors, which provides good insight into
the effective operations and administration of a Board. In addition, I lead our portfolio of strategic programs as well as the management of a $50M annual budget. I've also been an active member of different communities I've lived in as a Boy Scout, Key Club, Alpha Phi Omega (a co-ed community service fraternity), and through the Mayoral Civic Leadership Academy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As your board member, I would offer expertise in leadership, project management, strategic partnerships, Board Administration, and all areas of people and culture management. I also dabble as a gardener and would like to explore how we can invest further in our shared spaces to have them clean, safe, and beautiful for all Curtis Park residents to enjoy.
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Having lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania while pursuing an MBA, when I think about how to be the best neighbor, I often think of a classic PBS show based there: Mister Rogers. Fred Rogers' taught us that respecting one another, acting with honesty and integrity, and treating one another with empathy and grace are foundational elements to being a good neighbor. These are all lessons that stand the test of time and we would do well to integrate them more into the SCNA and our own everyday interactions with each
other. "Won't You Be My Neighbor?"
Elden Lewis
My name is Elden Lewis, and I have lived across the street from Sierra 2 Green since 2016. I am a retired business owner of the Sierra Stair Company, a company that built custom staircases throughout Northern California and Nevada. Many of the fine homes in Curtis Park, Tahoe, Napa, Monterey, and San Francisco have stairways and railings installed by my company. As a business owner, I had 5 department heads managing as many as 40 employees at one time. I was a member of the Stair Manufacturing Association for 30 years; I was one of sixteen founding members of the Sub-Contractors Association of Northern California in 2002. I have also served from 1998 to 2018 as the President of “Loomis Industrial Park Owners Association” that consisted of over a dozen property owners.
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As a member of the SCNA Board I hope to use my experience to listen to best serve the needs of the residents of Curtis Park. I believe SCNA should be clear with the City that we would like to have Sierra 2 Green be a neighborhood shared space and not subdivided by all the fences and barriers. I think SCNA can be strengthened to better serve as an advocate for our neighborhood with a more open and inclusive process. I also believe I can add skills to the Board relative to maintaining Sierra 2 with my decades of experience with the building and construction industry.
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Madelyn Gelpi
Hi Neighbors - My name is Madelyn Gelpi, and I've been a proud resident of Curtis Park for 3 years. Currently, I serve as the Executive Director of The Pony Barnes Foundation, a foundation committed to fostering inclusive camp experiences for LGBTQ youth and their families in California. Before this, I was the Senior Manager of Stakeholder Engagement at Out & Equal, a leading organization in achieving workplace equality globally. In this role, I advised major US employers in their efforts to achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion and respond to policy changes at the federal and state level.
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My career path includes significant experience in public policy and mental health. I worked with the U.S. Government Accountability Office analyzing and advising on data collection for the nation's unhoused population and child protection services. My background also includes serving as a mental health counselor in San Francisco, providing stabilization services to youth and families dealing with
severe trauma and mental health issues. I hold a Master's Degree in Public Policy Analysis from UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy. During my time there, I instructed courses in unconscious bias, leadership, diversity, and LGBTQ inclusion for various clients, including the Sonoma County District Attorney’s office and UC Berkeley itself. In my free time, I enjoy backpacking in the Sierras, exploring Sacramento's parks, walking with my golden retriever, and spending time with my family, who also live in Curtis Park.
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Since relocating from New Orleans to California in 2012, I've infused a bit of Southern hospitality into my life here, fostering a strong belief in the transformative power of community spirit. I regularly attend events hosted by the SCNA with my family and frequently enjoy the Sierra 2 field and Curtis Park. The pandemic period, challenging as it was, became a pivotal time for me, deepening my connections with neighbors and reinforcing the value of community engagement.
My decision to join the SCNA Board was spurred by the growing divide in our neighborhood over the Sierra 2 park issue. I see this as an opportunity to bridge gaps and find balanced, reasonable solutions that respect and address the concerns of all community members. I am a strong advocate for diversifying the Board, ensuring it truly represents the rich tapestry of our community. I'm looking forward to contributing my experience in this way while also ensuring transparency, sound governing principles, and ensuring the Curtis Park community is strong, connected, and thriving. I want to ensure every resident feels at home here.
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