Meet the New Boss: As Mauve as the Old Boss

Catching up on a few nail-biters in recent weeks:

• In an election almost as exciting as last week's Pennsylvania primary, except that it was conducted by mail and didn't include a debate peppered with questions about loving the flag or has-been comedian Sinbad, Reston residents decided to vote for change... and experience!
  

  Residents voted to re-elect Cheryl Beamer to the Reston Association's Board of Directors as Hunters Woods-Dogwood district director and selected Richard Chew to serve as one of the board's at-large directors, RA announced during the annual member's meeting Tuesday. Beamer defeated John Bowman by 132 votes and Chew received 539 votes more than Barbara Zicari. Beamer and Chew each will serve a three-year term.

  Huzzah! So, what exciting issues will the new/old board tackle? Controlling the growth of RA dues? The ongoing challenge of maintaining meaningful design covenants in an aging community when such modern innovations as aluminum wiring, hollow, uninsulated metal doors and single-pane windows are laughably outdated? Who on the board does -- and doesn't -- wear an RA pin in their lapel?

  Chief Executive Officer Milton Matthews and Blackwell both said they are looking forward to creating an indoor tennis and recreation facility in the next year. Matthews said it is his top priority and he thought an indoor facility would serve residents well during the winter.

  Sorry we asked.
  
  
• The Reston Community Center has a new director, too, with that whole experience/change thing happening to boot.

  Leila Gordon began working at Reston Community Center in 1983, hired to supervise arts education offerings and working part time as a customer service representative. Twenty-five years later, she is running RCC, having been selected as the center’s executive director. Gordon, 53, spent 24 of her 25 years at RCC as the Performing Arts Director. Now she is the center’s third executive director since 2005. She has committed to a five-year contract with the RCC.

  That five-year contract is a good thing, because the RCC is closing its Hunters Woods facility for renovations this summer, and we all know how quickly contractors work! Who wants to guess whether the shiny new indoor tennis facility or the renovated RCC winds up opening first?
  
  
• The Herndon-Reston FISH Bargain Loft has a new manager, Chris Hartmus. We're sure Chris is a decent person, so we just thought we'd throw this in so no one felt left out.