At its first meeting of the 2024–2025 year, the Board of Governors (BoG), which manages the operation of the Lyon Park Community House and the park, elected new leadership. The ten BoG members (five representing the LPCA and five from the Woman’s Club) meet monthly to approve repairs and maintenance, review budgets, and manage the calendar of community events, such as the Halloween Bonfire and Chili Cook-off.

After 15 years, Jeannette Wick is stepping down as chairman of the BoG. (See write-up in the September 2024 newsletter.) Jeannette served during a particularly intense period, as the community embarked on a million-dollar renovation. She helped negotiate a creative loan, followed by relentless fundraising that allowed the mortgage to be retired early—just months before the Community Center closed down during Covid. 

The new chairman is David Newman, who first moved to Lyon Park in 1995. He and his wife Sara raised three daughters (Sharon, 24, Emily, 22, and Carolyn, 19), all attending APS. David recently retired after 34 years “lawyering” for the federal government, giving him more time to care for Jethro, the family’s Bagel (Basset Hound/Beagle). He keeps busy as a substitute teacher in APS, as well as volunteering with the Red Cross for deployment across the US in mass disaster care situations. 

Ann Reimers is also new to BoG leadership, elected vice-chairman. She moved to Lyon Park in 2017, living right on the park for five years. She moved a block from the park with her husband, Bruce Pitts, two years ago. Both are engineers, she a mechanical engineer, he a civil engineer. No doubt Ann’s background teaching mechanical/aerospace classes at UVa will come in handy in a century-old building.  

David and Ann are already hard at work, strategizing how to approach Lyon Park concerns for the next 100 years. Their initial goals are:

– Instill a greater sense of ownership of the community center among our Lyon Park neighbors, supported by more transparency and responsiveness on the part of the BoG, and publishing more volunteer opportunities related to community activities at the Community Center

– Improve customer satisfaction with renting the community center

– Continue to act as fiscally responsible stewards of our valuable community-owned property 

– Continue to host more neighborhood activities that build community and a sense of inclusion 

Rounding out the Board of Governors roster: 

LPCA Reps

John Ausink – BoG Treasurer

Kim Franklin – BoG Secretary

Natalie Roy

Paul Showalter

Woman’s Club Reps

Bill Anhut

Shelya White

Jeannette Wick

Elizabeth Wray

Be sure to thank them all for their service to our very special community!