South Lake Union Park -- the beginning of the Lake to Bay Loop!
At our Thursday, May 5, Parks and Seattle Center Committee meeting we recognized four important people for new appointments.
First, Sharon Lee and Alec Stephens were reappointed to the 2008 Parks and Green Spaces Levy Oversight Committee, and Dorsol Plants joined them for his first term on this committee.
The Parks and Green Spaces Levy Oversight Committee is comprised of citizen representatives from our many neighborhoods. The committee’s job is to assure that our levy money is spent wisely and in accordance with voters’ expectations. It’s a serious job that requires many volunteer hours and financial analysis.
Sharon, Alec, and Dorsol received unanimous endorsement from our Parks and Seattle Center Committee, and their names have been forwarded to the full council for vote on Monday, May 9. Congratulations!
Second, Robert Nellams received the Committee’s enthusiastic endorsement for reappointment as Director of Seattle Center. Robert is a C.P.A. who has been the director of Seattle Center since 2007.
Pacific Science Center and tulips in full bloom. Photo credit to Seattle Parks Foundation and the Lake to Bay Loop website.
We have seen the Center truly become Seattle’s Center these past few years, as Robert and his team helped to complete the Master Plan, and they and their board have managed the campus through some significant changes.
Some of those changes are familiar ones: the economy tanked, the Sonics left for Oklahoma, the Storm and Falcons arrived, some of our favorite organizations have struggled, and new ones including Seattle International Film Festival and KEXP will be added. Pages have turned.
As Robert says, the goal of Seattle Center is to delight and inspire, and there’s much more to come. Love the red tulips on Broad Street. Well done, Robert.
Robert also reported on The Next Fifty. From April to October in 2012, we will celebrate 50 years since our Seattle World’s Fair, and showcase our expectations for The Next Fifty.
Next year, Seattle Center will be the hub of exciting events and activities building not only on where we’ve been, but previewing where we’re going as a city and region. Technology, sustainability, art, music, and more. If you, your business, or your musical group haven’t already signed up to be an ambassador or to participate, check out the website. We want YOU! You’ll be hearing much more about this as we move toward the celebration.