President’s Message – February 17, 2009
Jerome G. Williams
President, Greater Toluca Lake Neighborhood Council (GTLNC)
I’m grateful and thankful to be the President of the Greater Toluca Lake Neighborhood Council. Thank you to the board for electing me and for all of your support thus far. It is indeed an honor and a privilege to serve as President of the GTLNC.
I remember my first time at a board meeting a few years ago at Campo de Cahuenga. After watching a thought provoking interaction between board members and stakeholders, and offering my thoughts on a particular matter that was being discussed; I was inspired to serve my community. Afterwards, one of the board members had informed me about an upcoming election and encouraged me to run.
President Barack Obama has charged us as Americans to what he calls a “Call To Service.” Like our Nation’s President, I believe volunteering to serve our community is one way we can, in turn, serve our country. Like so many of you, ever since I was a young man growing up in South Central Los Angeles, I’ve always given back to my community whenever possible. I remember being a teenager and playing sports with younger kids in the neighborhood as a way of keeping them from joining gangs. And as a proud father of two wonderful children, I believe it is best to lead by example.
As many of you may know, I attend several meetings throughout LA and the Valley. Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils, Board of Neighborhood Commissioners, meetings put forth by the Mayor and the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, Town Hall meetings; and emergency preparedness meetings, just to name a few. This sort of schedule can be both exhilarating and tiresome but I do this so that our board and its stakeholders can be better informed about the issues that face our community.
The GTLNC is one of the best Neighborhood Councils in existence! We’re a cohesive group of volunteers that work for the betterment of the Greater Toluca Lake area. We’ve had strong leadership in the past and I will continue this tradition. We have a tremendous resource in our board members both past and present and we’re fortunate that many of them are still present at our meetings and offer their guidance and wisdom. At times the GTLNC feels like an extended family.
Having said that, there’s still always room for improvement. I’m charging each of our board members to reengage him or herself to “A Call To Service.” What does that mean? Rethink your commitment to the board. Assess your strengths and weaknesses and determine how you can best meet the needs of our community. Take the initiative and attend meetings that our stakeholders might benefit from and report your findings. Ask those self-motivated individuals that you encounter in the community to consider joining the GTLNC (on the committee level).
Understand that as your President, I welcome all good ideas, and will make myself available to assist you in your efforts as often as humanly possible. And, at this time, I’d like to welcome those that live, work, worship or conduct business in the area, otherwise known as a stakeholder to consider joining the GTLNC.
Thank you for your time and attention and your renewed spirit of cooperation.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Warmest,
Jerome G. Williams
President, Greater Toluca Lake Neighborhood Council
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