I learned the power of volunteering and community early in life.
I was raised in Springfield, Ohio, the flattened heartland between Dayton and Columbus where my father was a small businessman and my mother a nurse. My budding interest in tennis was nurtured by people who gave their free time to a youth tennis program. These committed volunteers turned the youth tennis program into one of the largest and most successful in the nation. Besides teaching me a wicked backhand, these volunteers also showed me how people working together can make their community a better place.
This has been my life’s work – what can I do to make my street, my neighborhood, my community, my world a better place for everyone.
Not to tell my age, but I believe President Kennedy’s “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” still resonates. A college study program in Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe reinforced my belief that we all have a role to play in preserving democratic values.
I’ve taught political science at Columbia University but preferred more hands-on work. I served in leadership positions at several Washington, D.C. policy-oriented non-profits, including a stint as executive director of the National League of Women Voters. I also worked in the executive search field, seeking out the best leaders mainly for nonprofits and similar institutions.
Like many people, Rehoboth Beach was my respite for decades before becoming my full-time home with my spouse Leslie Calman. Here, I could continue my interests in volunteering and the environment. I’ve been a regular volunteer at Humane Animal Partners (HAP) Shelter, Rehoboth Film Society and Literacy Education Assistance Pups (LEAP) which improves reading skills of young children by having them read to dogs.
In 2022, I became involved with a group of people seeking concessions around the Coral Lakes development project in which scores of woodlands were clearcut. The one positive outcome from that event was the creation of the Sussex Preservation Coalition. As president since its founding, I positioned SPC to be a positive voice for sustainable development in Sussex County. SPC sought to bring together residents and state and local experts to discuss sustainability issues.
Recently, I resigned as SPC president in order to run for the District 3 seat. Since the birth this year of our first grandchild, Phoebe, it’s clearer than ever that we all must do more to leave livable communities for future generations. We all have a role to play in making our world a better place.