Friends and city officials gathered at a spacious Sandy Springs home on North Island Terrace on Sunday, Nov. 24, to say goodbye to one of the city’s founding city council members.
District 6 Councilwoman Karen Meinzen McEnerny is hanging it up after two terms on the council. She was elected to the first city council in 2005, but decided not to seek a third term. Here is her farewell address to supporters, republished with her permission.
Saying Goodbye
November 24, 2013
Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy lives for me this evening. Especially to our hosts.. Bert and Laura Jones for opening their gracious and visionary environmental ly sustainable home for this event; to Marty and John Gillin for their love and unwavering support and guidance; Chris and Nina Cramer for their love, friendship and steady encouragement as well as her huge effort organizing the delightful food for this evening ; and Patty Berkovitz and Jack my friends who gave me courage to keep on pushing and to my incredible Brother and confidant Rob Meinzen.
I see several elected officials here as well and thank them for joining us.
But most importantly this evening is about YOU, each and everyone of you. I look out and see in your faces, your hopes for the future and appreciation for the battles fought. I see courage. I see character and steadfastness of purpose. I see integrity and love.
I also see kindness in your smiles and hugs. Your kindness to me is the most special as it is a gift and not one often seen in the political arena. Kindness is a gentle act that will help another when other alternatives can include doing nothing or worse yet being unkind.
Everyone one of you here has been kind in some material way to me and that kindness will never be forgotten as I leave office to go back to what I always have been.. an interested and engaged citizen who really cares about people and my community.
I join you as we continue to hold our elected officials accountable to protect our ways of life in Sandy Springs. That means handling themselves in a courteous and kind manner to reflect our highest ideals of Character Values and integrity, accountable for preserving current densities in our Protected Neighborhoods, protecting our quality of life in meaningful ways including preservation of our Tree canopy, water and air quality and providing for balanced re-development along our established commercial corridors where infrastructure allows. Sound Familiar?? These are all my campaign platforms from my first run for office in 2005!
Thank you for giving me the honor to serve you and your families and for the chance to re-characterize our relationship from that of voter to my friend.
My best,
Karen