City fills vacancies on 7 boards and commissions

Seven city boards and commissions welcomed new members on Sept. 11 after the City Council vetted nominees and named successors to fill vacancies.

The council considered over 30 nominees to fill open seats on the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee, Human Relations Commission, Human Services Commission, Judicial Appointments Advisory Board, Neighborhood Advisory Commission, Tourism Development Commission and the Transportation Commission.

Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee

The council selected Laraine Rodgers to fill the only vacancy on the bond oversight committee. Rodgers, the sole candidate for the post, has lived in Scottsdale for nearly 30 years and previously served on the Library Board.

Rodgers said she wanted to continue her public service via the bond oversight committee and that she brings a wealth of leadership to her role, having held project management positions in the past with private and public entities, including City of Phoenix.

She also was treasurer for a local chapter of the Red Cross and served two terms on Arizona’s Information Technology Authorization Committee.

“I believe the top issue for the committee is to ensure these citizen-approved bonds are implemented (properly),” she said during her interview with the City Council.

Human Relations Commission

Seven nominees contended for two positions on the Human Relations Commission, and the council ultimately selected James Eaneman and Emily Hinchman to fill the vacancies.

Eaneman has lived in Scottsdale for just over two years and previously spent 32 years working at Pacific Gas and Electric in California. He last worked as the company’s manager of human resources, planning, development and diversity.

The company won awards from the Department of Labor for inclusion, diversity and community outreach during his time there.

Hinchman, a nurse practitioner, has lived in Scottsdale since 1999 and owns a medical practice with her husband in the city. She is also a volunteer team leader with the nonprofit Compassion & Choices Arizona.

Additionally, Hinchman has served on Arizona State Board of Nursing subcommittees and is currently enrolled in Scottsdale Leadership.

She said a key issue for the commission is the fact that Arizona is one of two dozen states without an anti-discrimination ordinance, and she hopes the commission will help promote equality for peoples of all backgrounds in Scottsdale. 

Human Services Commission

With two vacancies to fill, the City Council considered five nominees and appointed Janice Eng and Andrew Song to the city’s Human Services Commission.

Song, a Scottsdale resident of eight years, previously served on the Human Relations Commission and credits his work as a realtor with giving him exposure to residents across the socioeconomic spectrum in the city.

He also said that he comes from a humble background and his family was the recipient of some food assistance from the local community in California where he grew up.

Song, who learned to cook using food his family received, said the experience ignited a lifelong love of cooking and gave him “hope and something for me to be encouraged with, and I believe the Human Services Commission (does) just that.”

Eng, also an 8-year resident of Scottsdale, is completing the third year of her first term on the Human Services Commission and plans to use the experience she gained during her tenure to benefit the commission and ensure transparency with the public.

She said she hopes to “build on what we’ve already put in place.”

Judicial Appointments Advisory Board

The City Council had two vacancies to fill on this board, with one seat going to a member of the Scottsdale bar and another to a citizen.

The council looked at two nominees for the bar representative seat and selected Robert Gruler Jr., a defense attorney licensed in 2013 who leads a team of five attorneys at his firm.

“I am eager to serve on the board because I am a strong advocate of an independent judiciary,” he said.

The council appointed Susan Galpin-Tyree to fill the citizen vacancy on the board. She has worked as a legal secretary at ON Semiconductor and previously served on the Human Services Commission.

Galpin-Tyree, who recently earned a masters degree from Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, also stated her support for an independent judiciary.

Neighborhood Advisory Commission

The council reviewed four nominees for one vacancy on the Neighborhood Advisory Commission and selected Amanda Nash to fill the role.

Nash, a real estate agent, holds a masters degree in public administration and previously worked in public policy and grant management before entering real estate.

She said that as a member of the commission she hopes to participate in the ongoing revitalization of south Scottsdale and that she believes “boards and commissions are a vital part of local government.”

Tourism Development Commission

The Tourism Development Commission had one vacancy for an hotelier and one vacancy for an industry member.

The council considered three nominees for the industry position and reappointed Linda Dillenbeck to fill the vacancy. She currently serves as the chairperson of the commission.

Dillenbeck, a Scottsdale resident since 1976, said the first year on the commission is spent learning about the program and use of funds, and the second and third year are spent finding the resources to make the right recommendations about how to use those funds.

“Another term will put the education and knowledge I have gained to its greatest use for the (commission),” she said.

She said the city has a long list of projects that will require funding and support, including Scottsdale Stadium, Canal Convergence, Civic Center Mall and the Scottsdale arts community.

The council selected Richard Newman, the only nominee, to fill the hotelier position.

Newman has been the general manager for Gainey Suites since 2003 and currently serves on the Board of the Valley Hotel and Resort Association.

“As a longtime resident and independent hotel operator, I feel like I have developed a balanced perspective of how tourism impacts the community we live in…” he said at the City Council hearing.

Transportation Commission

The Council selected B. Kent Lall from a field of six nominees to fill one vacancy on the Transportation Commission.

Lall has a varied and extensive resume, which includes over 34 years as professor at Portland State University in Oregon with a focus on transportation engineering. He retired to Scottsdale seven years ago.

Lall said he has written over 50 technical publications, authored a book used to teach undergraduate and graduate students and maintains active membership in multiple industry organizations, including the American Society of Technical Engineers.

Lall said he wants to “contribute to developing a futuristic transportation system that is practical and safe and acceptable to our community.”