Phone:
Twenty-four years ago when Joan and I retired from teaching and moved from Long Island, New York to Tucson, I already had 28 years of experience in teachers union leadership and negotiations and six years as president of a condo association under my belt. It was this background that propelled me into the early homeowners governance of SMVE, negotiating the resident takeover of the responsibilities of running the fledgling Homeowners Association from the Fairfield employees who had been doing it.
As I was not one of the original three elected to the SMVE HOA Board in the first election, I volunteered to work as secretary. Shortly after, when the Board expanded to five members, I was elected and became a Board member. A few years later when the president decided to retire, I was elected president and served in that office for 9 years.
All of us on the Board enjoyed serving with such a dedicated group of colleagues in such a great community which was still basking in the aura of residents who had moved from all over the country and were now bonding with new friends. We formulated the Rules tailored to the community with the goal of maintaining the standards set forth in the CC&R’s and the community that Fairfield had envisioned. What made the job so satisfying was the wonderful support of the residents in the community.
After nine years as president, I felt it was time for new leadership and so did not run for re-election. It was many years later when I heard that the Board was looking for a secretary and decided to help again. In 2006, I was appointed to the Board by then President Vaughan and became secretary and Chairman of the Architecture Committee. Even though many faces had changed on the again expanded Board, I once again enjoyed working with such a dedicated group and enjoyed serving the homeowners. Now, as President again, still chairperson of the Architecture Committee, and overseeing the trimming of trees in the common area behind our walls to improve views, I continue to meet residents who care equally about their community.
As we all have seen in recent years, more and more of the original residents who came here from 1985 – 1992 and enjoyed their time here are gradually moving away. Time has caught up with these homeowners and they either move to a facility that offers the services they need or move closer to family. It is a generational turnover and happens to all new communities in time.
Time is catching up with Joan and I too. Our daughter Linda, a teacher in Roseville, Calif., has been trying for two years to get us to move near her. Finally Joan and I have decided it is our time to go. We both have regrets at the thought of leaving the home we have lived in the longest in our 61 years together. We realize that few places in the world have the advantages of Tucson and we will be leaving wonderful friends. But we know it’s our time and have decided to put our home on the market in early November.
The saving grace for me is knowing that even though I will have to give up the best job in the neighborhood, I will be succeeded by an equally dedicated group of Board members, Committee Chairs and volunteers and some newer residents who are demonstrating their willingness to volunteer their efforts to help this community to keep up its high standards. I have informed the Board that, at their pleasure, I will continue to serve until the move is imminent. At some point they will have to replace me and I hope the interaction with the community will give the next president the same uplifting memories I will carry with me.
My sincere thanks to the SMVE community for the 24 years of wonderful memories I will take with me. I have been blessed to serve the best community I have ever lived in and those memories will help alleviate my missing everything from working with wonderful colleagues and neighbors to the fantastic views that I have failed to find a way to take with us.
Sincerely,
Bill Page