GPHC Achievements Celebrated at Annual Meeting
By Erin Vanderberg, Editor
Two new members were newly elected to the board in addition to several reelections, and Tracey MacDermott received the Dr. J. Carlton Babbs Award for Community Service at October’s Greater Park Hill Community, Inc., Annual Meeting, which took place at The Garden restaurant on October 4.
Shockey Reflects on Two-Year Chairmanship
Heather Shockey, outgoing GPHC Chair, said that her and the Executive Committee’s razor-sharp focus on the financials of the organization, over marathon meeting sessions during the past two years, resulted in the organization making a 180 degree turn from the deficits of previous years.
“The GPHC was bleeding and we were in triage,” explained Shockey.
Focusing specifically on membership and the newspaper, their efforts resulted in membership numbers being met and exceeded by 170 percent in 2011 and the newspaper coming out of a deficit of $15,000 back into the black by that sum and more.
“You can literally feel the difference in the newspaper because of the weight of the paper,” Shockey joked. “Believe me, the weight of the paper was at least a 20 minute discussion.”
This fiscal focus resulted in GPHC being back in a position to address the needs of and invest in the Park Hill community.
Shockey said her proudest achievement, however, was “moving from neighbors to friends” with GPHC volunteers and she closed her remarks by thanking them.
“Everyone in this room is a volunteer for GPHC – from the Executive Committee, to the Board, to our bundlers, blockworkers, event volunteers,” she said. “These numbers happened because of you.”
Mekonnen and Davis Elected to the GPHC Board
During the election process, candidates introduced and reintroduced themselves to the GPHC membership. Bernadette Kelly, Dave Felice, Roberta Locke and Heather Shockey were reelected to district and at-large representation. Getabecha “Gete” Mekonnen and Melissa Davis, both new to the GPHC ranks, were elected to At-Large representation.
Mekonnen said his neighbor, longtime Park Hill advocate Marge Gilbert, was his inspiration for joining the organization. Having lived in Park Hill for 25 years and with his children now grown, Mekonnen, the Executive Director of the Northeast Denver Housing Center, said he felt that it was time to give back what he’s learned professionally, but more importantly to be a good neighbor. Gilbert, also in attendance, added that her neighbor would be a great addition to the GPHC Board. “Vote for Gete!” exclaimed Marge.
Davis, an eight-year resident of Park Hill, said she felt a great respect for the organization and its legacy and that it was time for her to roll up her sleeves and get involved. Davis explained that she brings an MPA and professional experience as a volunteer manager and event coordinator to the organization. In addition, she and her husband run golocalparkhill.org (featured in GPHN’s April issue), a website that celebrates local business, schools and events.
Jim King, a member of the GPHC organization for nearly 30 years, withdrew his name for the At-Large representation due to health reasons. He received a hearty round of applause for his thirty-plus years of community service with the organization.
MacDermott, GPHC Treasurer, Receives 2012 Babbs Award
In keeping with tradition, Lynn Smith, 2011 recipient of the Dr. J. Carlton Babbs Award, introduced the 2012 winner Tracey MacDermott with a compelling speech lauding MacDermott for the hours she dedicated to bringing the organization back to solvency. See the full text of her speech at the end of this story.
In her acceptance speech, Tracey joked, “I knew there might be a problem tonight when I turned around and caught a glimpse of my mother’s red coat.”
MacDermott said she found it challenging to accept the award with so many other people in the room so much more deserving.
“I was just the treasurer who said, ‘You guys got a problem,’” said MacDermott. “And it was everyone else who looked at me for a minute, then rolled up their sleeves and got to work in fixing it.“
MacDermott said she was humbled by the award and thanked everyone for their kind words, at which point, more kind words were spoken.
“Together We’re Better”: Incoming Chair Anderson Discusses Her Agenda
LeAnn Anderson, who moved from Chair-Elect to the Chair position, expressed enthusiasm for the year ahead.
“I’m excited to be seeing the new faces, and I’m excited to be seeing the old faces in the room,” said Anderson. “And I think that, together, we will accomplish great things.”
Anderson said her focus will be on maintaining the strong fiscal responsibility now in place at the GPHC, by keeping membership numbers up and the newspaper in the black. She said she will also encourage participation in the organization and work to see the GPHC Food Pantry back online and serving the needs of the community in time for the holiday season.
“The GPHC can only be the voice of the neighborhood if the neighbors are involved in letting us know what they think,” said Anderson.
In addition to these goals, Anderson said she plans to fortify the lines of communication between the GPHC and Park Hill’s elected representation.
“It’s reaching out to them and saying, ‘This is what our community is about, this is what we value and this is how you can help us help you,’” said Anderson.
Anderson stressed the value of partnering, not only with elected officials but with neighbors and other Registered Neighborhood Organizations. She said that her involvement in the GPHC has made her aware of the power of an RNO in the City and County of Denver.
“The city gives us an opportunity as a community to have a say in things that affect our community before they happen. I’d like to see us embrace that. Our collective voice is very strong and it is influential,” said Anderson.
“We are a large community. That has its pros and cons, but more pros, because if we unite behind a cause, an issue, we can really honestly make a difference.”
To learn how you can become involved with the GPHC, email gphc@ecentral.com. To become acquainted with other board membership, click here.
Lynn Smith’s Introduction of 2012 Babbs Award winner Tracey MacDermott
“I’ll start by reading a nomination form. The person nominating on this particular form says, ‘The nominee is a true Park Hiller. She does not seek the limelight when working on numerous neighborhood projects. She takes on a wide range of projects from A to Z: Accountant to Zealous Recycler. This person’s middle name should be “Integrity” as she speaks the truth and is honest, even at the most difficult of times. It takes courage to live with such a level of integrity and you can always count on her for a direct answer. This person took on a role within the GPHC when no one else would come near it with a 10-foot pole, but she continues to face it day in and day out with enormous grace.
“But probably the most important reason for nominating this person is the unimaginable amount of time she has spent working on the financials for GPHC. She trained herself to understand the organization’s budget, and with determination and perseverance, successfully led the Executive Committee and Board to proactively address the organization’s serious financial situation. She researched and analyzed the organization’s budget, line-by-line; supported the Board’s decisions and heated discussions with facts and figures; and brought the organization from red to black in substantially less time than anyone anticipated.
“Whether its working with child advocacy groups, water conservation and recycling efforts. Performing a 40-hour stakeout in the dead of winter to save feral cats from freezing. Helping elderly neighbors maintain their yards and shovel their walks. Transforming a weed infested carriage lot to a garden of vegetables and flowers. Or spending incomprehensible hours over the last three years organizing, understanding and working the financials of GPHC. Tracey MacDermott thinks and acts the way the crow flies – direct, efficient and straightforward. And she does it all with delightful generosity of spirit.”