By Mark Mehringer, President SUN Board of Directors

SUN elections will take place at the Annual Community Forum on May 17. If interested in a seat on the SUN board, please submit bio by Monday 3/14.

The first board of directors of Stapleton United Neighbors (SUN) was elected in the spring of 2004. During the past 12 years, a lot has changed in our community, and your neighborhood association board has always sought to keep the community engaged in every key decision along the way.

Not only does SUN organize the annual Stapleton Block Party Day and the Kickball Tournament to help bring neighbors together, but the SUN Board and SUN’s committees have also played key roles in the development and layout of new schools, streets, buildings, blocks and parks, and that will continue to be the case as long as Stapleton grows and residents remain involved.

A commuter train line starts service next month, and in the next couple of years, Stapleton will see another new elementary school open, new pools and parks built, and many more businesses open. Because of SUN’s success in providing a voice for the Stapleton neighborhood, SUN is often consulted for partnership in the early stages of projects to provide community feedback on possible new actions or changes.

Now it is time to make plans for another year of progress with the election of members to the SUN Board of Directors. Of the 15 seats on the SUN board, seven are up for election this spring.

A nominating committee has been formed to identify members of the Stapleton community who are committed to leading efforts to organize neighbors according to SUN’s mission. Please consider sharing your voice and experience by becoming a candidate for the SUN Board of Directors. As Stapleton is always growing, SUN is committed to a diverse board and welcomes residents from all areas and parts of our neighborhood.

Stapleton United Neighbors Board Election FAQs

1) What is SUN, and what role does it play in the neighborhood?

The mission of SUN is to work for the betterment of the Stapleton neighborhood and the City and County of Denver by providing: (i) a forum for residents living within the boundaries of SUN to discuss and resolve issues; (ii) a network of communication; and (iii) a means of acting on matters of importance to the community as a whole.

2) What do SUN board members do?

SUN board members are responsible for helping bring the mission of SUN to life. This entails at least the following responsibilities:
Attendance at eight or more of the 10 SUN board meetings each year;
Chairing or serving on at least one SUN committee or serving as a SUN liaison on a Stapleton Citizens’ Advisory Board (CAB) or Stapleton Development Corporation (SDC) committee (Parks Advisory Group, Zoning and Planning, Housing Diversity, Community Communications and Design Review) or serving as a SUN liaison to Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation (INC);
Authoring at least one article per year for the SUN Spot section of the Front Porch; and
Attending and helping out with SUN-sponsored community events and forums.

3) What is the time commitment involved?

Monthly SUN board meetings typically last an hour and a half and are held about 10 times a year. Beyond that, keeping up with voicemail, email, authoring a SUN Spot article and attending other events and meetings can add as little as a few minutes to a few hours per week. As a general rule, SUN will involve about 5–10 hours a month of time commitment.

4) What do I need to do to run for the board?

The application process entails submitting a 200-word statement of interest and bio to SUN (StapletonUnitedNeighbors@gmail.com) and attending the SUN Forum and Election on May 17 at 6:30pm. Statements of interest and bios of recommended candidates will be published in the April issue of the Front Porch. They will also be posted online on SUN’s website at www.StapletonUnitedNeighbors.org.