The City Clerk’s Office Presents the Monthly Board Member Spotlight:
Brian hawkins, bike and pedestrian advisory commission
1. Why would you encourage someone in the community to apply to be on a board, committee, or commission?
I would encourage anyone to apply to a committee (etc.,) if 1) it covers an issue or group of issues that they are passionate about, and 2) they are interested in learning more about how they can contribute. I think a lot of people hesitate to volunteer (I certainly did) because they don't "know how it all works"...don't worry about that! You probably don't! If you care about what you're doing and you're willing to learn (and put some time into doing so), everyone is going to be happy to have you on board and willing to help you out any way that they can.
2. What do you enjoy most about serving on your particular board?
More than anything, I've just been impressed (and humbled) to see how much gets done by people who care enough to give their time, and also by the professional staff from the City and County that put in extra hours to work with us. On BPAC a lot of what we do intersects with planning and development, which are really complicated issues. People get degrees and spend entire careers working on a lot of the things we talk about, so the learning curve is steep, but rewarding. I've learned a lot in the few short months I've been involved, and expect to learn a lot more to catch up with everyone.
3. What is your favorite part about living in Durham?
There are a lot of people in this city that I think truly love it. Not just in the superficial "I like the restaurants and the weather" sort of way that boosters often talk about "loving" a place, but in a much deeper way where we not only like what's easy to like but also take responsibility for protecting what we have and for helping it to grow into something even better.
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