Letter to the Editor: There Are no Villains in MVCC Board Controversy

The following letter was submitted by Mar Vista Community Council Green Committee Co-Chair, Sherri Akers.

There has been a lot of controversy and speculation around the process to appoint a new board member at the Nov. 8 MVCC board meeting and the .

It’s important to remember that there are no villains here. We may look back and wish we had made other choices. But in the end, this is all about a group of individuals that care enough about their community to generously invest an enormous amount of time, talent and energy. And with that level of passion and commitment, sometimes we get carried away. Amidst the suggestions and speculation, I hope we don’t suffer the law of unintended consequences and have an even greater loss. We are risking the potential that others may be reluctant to serve.

We are blessed with a vibrant and energized community council. Where other communities struggle to get participation, we have abundance! There are 13 elected board members but this is just the top of the pyramid. Alongside them you have a multitude of community members – like me – who invest their time and talents at a similar level.

I made the personal decision long ago to serve as co-chair of the MVCC Green Committee without running for a seat on the board. I don’t feel less committed to the MVCC or the Mar Vista community because I don’t hold an elected position.

The difference? As an elected (but unpaid) official I would need to complete the DONE ethics training and be subject to the rules of the Brown Act. I would need to be committed to attending the monthly board meetings -  which sometimes runs until 10 p.m. - and do my homework to vote intelligently on the wide range of motions  that are presented to the board.

I love the 20 to 30 hours a week that I dedicate to the Green Committee and have made the very conscious choice that the community is best served by me continuing in that role without diluting my efforts to take on all of this as well.

That we had seven candidates ready to step up and serve is astonishing.  I for one would not like to be assigned the task of determining which one of those seven people should be nominated to a seat on the board. I don’t think any one person should be asked to shoulder that responsibility and I hope that when the open seats are filled, the Board will revisit the procedure so that the full board shares in the challenge. 

And I hope that as the inevitable differences of opinion occur, they are accompanied with a respect and appreciation for the time that all involved are generously donating. But most importantly, I hope none of the seven candidates nor others following this stressful situation lose the opportunity to experience the joy that I have known in serving – a joy that does not require a seat on the board.

Sherri Akers

Mar Vista Community Council Green Committee Co-Chair