North Austin Civic Association
December, 2008
| Anthony Williams Steps Down as NACA President |
| After two highly successful years at the post,
Anthony Williams will be stepping down from the presidency of NACA as of
January 15, 2009. He leaves behind a telling infusion of dynamic leadership,
enhanced civic pride and an aggressive stance against crime and injustice.
Anthony's term in office has been one of greatly increased neighborhood involvement at the city, community and grass-roots levels. Throughout his tenure he established a precedent of open communication - and sometimes confrontation - that spotlighted the community's problems and pointed the way toward solutions. Beyond all else, Anthony will leave with us the stronger network of connections with city, police and community leaders that was his stock in trade. And while it's impossible to sum up his contributions in our limited space, this website is replete with projects in which his hand has been felt: zoning and rezoning; code enforcement; cleanup and beautification; parks and recreation grants and improvements; landlord/management accountability of rental properties; fundraisers and membership drives; and interaction with the City Council, APD, and other neighborhood associations. But it has been his stance against crime in all its forms, from graffiti to prostitution to drug trafficking to burglary to gang activity, that has served us above all else. As leader of the North Austin Coalition of Neighborhoods (NACN), he has been instrumental in organizing marches, cookouts, petitions and protests to fight the rampant criminal activity in proximity of the problem businesses near Rundberg and I-35, along with properties around Rutland and on Galewood. All of North Austin owes him a great debt. Whether it was for supporting abused tenants, opening communication with immigrants, arguing zoning restrictions, facilitating meetings of all sizes, or just mowing the grass at Heron Hollow, he has always been the first to step up to the plate. All that activity, of course, took its toll. No one can blame him for stepping back a bit after giving so much for so long. And he takes with him all he has learned along the way - two things, most especially: that you can't eat an elephant in just a few bites; and that not everyone, given the choice, will do the right thing. This, then, is not really a farewell. His cut-back in NACA activity is really not much more than a realigning of priorities. We'll continue to hear a lot from him, and more than likely it will be on a larger stage. Thanks, Anthony. We'll take it from here. ~by Keith Huntsman |
|
A Bittersweet Farewell to
All |
| Nomination of NACA
Officers A nominating committee is working on a slate of officers to present at the January meeting, so if you are interested in running for office, contact Anthony Williams at 1-866-531-4620 or Bob Baker, 836-6600. NACA officers must be current on their dues* and must live in the neighborhood boundaries. Anyone who fits these criteria can be nominated from the floor at the January meeting. The following people are running for office:Eleanor Langsdorf (the current vice president) for president, Joshua Tallent for vice president, Matt Myers for secretary, and Brian La Cour for treasurer. *NACA Bylaws, Article V - Voting , §1. Member voter privileges become effective 30 days after his/her dues are received by the Association. Those members who were members the previous year will have continuous voting privileges provided their dues are paid by January 31 of the current year. NACA Bylaws Duties of Officers |