The Urbana Park District Board of Commissioners held its organizational meeting Tuesday night where two new board members were sworn in, the board elected new officers, and the community bade goodbye to two retiring board members.
Sarah Roper and Ashley Withers joined the board and took the oath of office for the first time. They will join veteran board members Cedric Stratton, Meredith Blumthal and Laura Hastings.
The board, staff and community also saluted retiring board members Roger Digges and Michael Walker. Digges retires after seven years on the board and Walker retires after 42-years on the board.
The new board voted to have Stratton be the board president and Blumthal the vice president. Stratton thanked board members for their confidence in him and remarked that he had "large shoes to fill" as he replaced Walker as board president. "Birkenstocks!" many board members jokingly corrected him, referencing Walker's favorite footwear.
The board will serve from now through the 2027 Consolidated Elections.
(Photo below, L-R: Laura Hastings, Meredith Blumthal, Cedric Stratton, Ashley Withers, Sarah Roper.)
