Editorial: Our choices for GVR board

As a reminder, the Green Valley News has endorsed four candidates in the election for Green Valley Recreation’s board of directors: Chuck Catino, Marge Garneau, Eddie Peabody Jr. and Altie Metcalf.

Eight candidates are running for three-year terms. Ballots were mailed last week to prospective voters.

The newspaper based the decision on past performance and on candidates it thinks will work openly, congenially and effectively with GVR’s 22,000 members. Change is important for the all-volunteer board, which regularly needs to ask members what they want and not incorrectly assume it has all the answers.

In order of preference, here’s who we picked:

1. Catino: The San Ignacio Vistas resident knows the community and its issues as well as anyone. His real-life experience, intelligence, sense of humor and toughness make him an ideal candidate. The charter member of BAJA Sporting Club volunteers as an umpire and on committees with the Green Valley Community Coordinating Council. He serves as treasurer of the Green Valley Men’s Poker Club.

2. Garneau: Another friendly, outgoing personality, the Portillo Hills II resident would make it easy for residents to bring up concerns and get them resolved. She has experience in parks and recreation, having worked for a special district in Colorado for more than a decade, and she’s an expert in management, accounting and mediation. We like that she has a soft touch with people and a heavy-hitter’s resume.

3. Peabody: Before retiring to Green Valley, the Las Campanas-Sonoma resident helped towns and cities for 40 years deal with growth and planning, two of the biggest issues he would face in a three-year term. He’s familiar with Green Valley issues, having served on the GVCCC’s Architectural Review and Planning and Zoning committees.

4. Metcalf: The Canoa Seca Estates II resident knows how to handle money. She was senior adviser and budget officer for the National Science Foundation’s U.S. Polar Programs, managing an annual budget of close to $400 million. Another plus: During her 22 years with the Science Foundation, Metcalf was volunteer co-chairperson of its fitness facility, which served 1,200 employees.

An honorable mention goes to Teresa Foley, a psychologist who understands people and what motivates them. If there were five positions open, she would be our fifth choice.

Three other candidates for the board are current GVR president Jim Burt, Jim Molski and Joseph Schechter.