By Gina Redican
Once again, I’d like to thank Derrick Muska for all his hard work and passion during this past year. His positive attitude was a light during this dark time and served as inspiration to the Board. A beautiful foundation has been laid for the BHCA by its former leaders, and I look forward to being part of its continuation. As I step into this role, it is my goal to re-engage and rebuild our sense of community.
The pandemic kept us in our homes and made us realize the importance of engaging with friends as well as sharing a moment with a stranger. I miss smiling at people as we walk past each other or striking up a casual conversation at a local coffee shop. I look forward to having those moments once again. As we get closer to a post-pandemic world, we can begin to build on re-engaging the neighborhood. The BHCA is excited to continue to inspire togetherness and compassion. We are working hard on events and activities that are inclusive and we want thoughts and ideas from our members.
Belmont Heights is iconic Long Beach. It’s a diverse group of homeowners, renters and business owners mixed together to form a beautiful network that we look to strengthen. The extraordinary diversity has inspired new goals for the BHCA: Finding ways to be more inclusive with all those who participate in Belmont Heights. For instance, we’d like to bridge the gap with homeowners and renters and build those relationships, to highlight the cohesion between our businesses and the neighborhood as many of those that own also live here. This is one of my favorite aspects of Belmont Heights and Long Beach in general: It’s a big city with a small-town feeling. We’re locally owned and supported. The BHCA remains committed to its mission: to engage, empower, and inform. We encourage all of you to get involved in the neighborhood. If you have an idea, mission, or goal, we’re a resource to help you achieve it. Community is created and fostered by neighborhood involvement.
Stepping into this role during this pivotal moment in our lives will certainly have challenges that I am ready to take on. The BHCA is looking to the future and is working to be part of the “RE” phase in your lives. We’re excited about businesses RE-opening, about people RE-connecting, about RE-igniting projects and creativity, about traditions REmaining, and being part of RE-constructing traditions that no longer serve the community. If I could leave the presidency with one thing, it would be to bring the neighborhood together even more.
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