Reston Association’s board chose Dannielle LaRosa as the temporary North Point director at their July 31 meeting. Photo by Reena Singh.
A longtime Reston resident was chosen to be the temporary North Point director at Reston Association’s last board meeting.
The board voted to place Dannielle LaRosa into the position at the July 31 board meeting due to her community involvement and financial expertise.
“We had four very good candidates, so it was a very tough call,” said board president Ken Knueven.
LaRosa is replacing Tim Cohn, who left for health reasons. LaRosa’s position is effective until the board election in May.
“There are so many aspects to North Reston that it is hard to choose just one area to tackle first,” said LaRosa. “First would be to ensure that the lines of communication are wide open between residents, cluster associations and RA to make sure that concerns, comments and ideas are responded to in a timely manner.”
She also wants to address cyclist and pedestrian traffic in the area and “make sure Reston residents are getting the most out of their dues.”
She has lived in Reston since 1991 and has served as Parent-Teacher Association president and treasurer at Aldrin Elementary and a girl scout troop leader, among other community roles.
“Longevity, especially in Reston, is important,” LaRosa said during her interview with the board. “It shows how long we’ve received the benefits of living here, and it also shows how long we’ve seen changes here and what changes we’ve seen.”
She also has more than 15 years of experience in finance and accounting.
“This is not an easy position,” said South Lakes district board member Richard Chew. “It’s frustrating. It’s also a great deal of fun if your mindset is right.”
Board Vice President Ellen Graves asked how LaRosa plans to improve the board’s communication with the community.
LaRosa said she likes the weekly emails the board sends to the community, and suggested a separate North Point newsletter be sent out while she is on the board. She said it would be important to embrace the Internet for communication.
“I feel you guys are a talented board, and I would love to be a member of it and hope my financial background can fit in,” she said.