Why I joined the SCNA board

Treacy Duerfeldt, At Large Board Member

I moved into the South Capitol neighborhood in 2019, renting a home right on Capitol Way South. As a semi-retired financial guy, I want to understand where I live and what’s going on, especially after the Covid period.

Last May, I was invited to attend a South Capitol Neighborhood Association board meeting about St. John’s Episcopal Church and its challenges. My neighbor, Gerry, knew I had a financial background in development/ redevelopment and might be able to listen and shed some light on the issues at hand. My input was welcomed.

I then attended another board meeting and wanted to discuss safety and traffic. My input was again welcomed, and by the end of the meeting, I was invited to join the board.

I joined for one key reason – I was being empowered to problem-solve in my own backyard. While anything is a slow process if it was built to last, the board encouraged Gerry and I to get the traffic study done, and we are now in the process of managing the information to a positive outcome.

As I am now aware of various other issues facing the South Capitol Neighborhood Association, I see my involvement as urgent and impactful. We have board elections coming up in February, and the Mayor of Olympia is now planning to visit our board meeting in March to discuss safety and traffic.

Getting involved may not be as easy as complaining, but I can see where my issues are being addressed now. I encourage others in the South Capitol Neighborhood to become board members and get things done.