Four longtime members of the SCNA board submitted a joint letter of resignation in mid-June.
“It has become increasingly obvious over the past several months that our opinions, thoughts and ideas are not shared or respected by the newly elected majority of board members,” said the letter, signed by resigning board members Kat Haro, Eric Johnson, Jonathan LaTurner and Kate Van Buren.
The four were among nine incumbents re-elected in January, along with 14 new or returning board members. With the four resignations, only two of the re-elected members – Dan Pskowski and John Mathews – remain on the board.
The election followed a challenge by more than two dozen neighbors to bylaws approved by the previous board in 2018 and 2019 that first eliminated the voting rights of SCNA members and then eliminated membership entirely. In response to the neighbors’ challenge, the board conceded that the bylaw changes had been improper, and then ordered the new election.
Sierra 2 Executive Director Terri Shettle responded to the resignations with a letter of thanks to the four departing board members. “I will personally miss the energy, ideas, passion and the dedication to SCNA, Sierra 2 Center, and the neighborhood you have shown over the years,” she wrote. “To the rest of the board, honestly, I find these departures unsettling. With the loss of Eric, Jonathan, Kat and Kate, we not only lose a combined 23 years of board and organizational knowledge, we lose continuity of leadership and the intellectual stepping stones of our progress.”
SCNA President Bill Hoover offered a different view. “While the resignations are unfortunate, they should not detract from the fact that the SCNA board remains full of very talented, capable and experienced individuals,” Hoover wrote. “SCNA will continue to serve the community and fulfill its duties and responsibilities in maintaining and operating Sierra 2.”
Johnson was board president for six years and treasurer for two years. Haro was a former vice president. LaTurner was a former treasurer.
Van Buren was, at the time of her resignation, the incumbent secretary.