There’s an election – ballots are due by May 20th – and should be in mailboxes the next day or so – for many special districts and boards. These local special districts are the very foundations of our communities — water and sewer districts, school districts, fire boards and more. For the seats that had more than one candidate, the Pioneer has sent out it’s semi-annual “questions for the candidates.” Here are the answers we received for the candidates for the North County Recreation District, Position #5 – Doug Sparks and Christy Kay.
North County Recreation District Position #5 – Doug Sparks
- Why are you running for this board position?
I am committed to serving our community and am passionate about the NCRD’s mission of serving the educational, social, and physical well-being of our entire community. I’m running for this board position to leverage my professional experience and personal interest to improve and sustain NCRD for the future.
- If elected, what will be your priorities?
My first priority is the successful onboarding of our new Executive Director, Justin Smith, providing him with the support and resources necessary to lead the organization effectively.
Secondly, I would dedicate myself to the successful completion of construction and activation of the new Aquatics Center. This facility represents a significant investment in our community’s well-being, and I would work diligently to ensure it opens smoothly and serves our residents for years to come.
Finally, I believe in the importance of deepening community engagement, transparency, and accountability. I will work to foster open communication, ensure responsible stewardship of resources, and actively seek input from our community to ensure NCRD is serving its needs effectively.
- What motivates you to serve on this board?
My motivation to serve on the NCRD board stems from a deep appreciation for this organization and a strong desire to contribute to its continued success. As a member of NCRD for the past seven years, I’ve personally experienced the value it brings to our community, and I see tremendous opportunities for its future.
To gain a better understanding of the organization’s operations, I began attending board meetings in 2023. When a board position became vacant, I was honored to be appointed in April 2024. Now, having served for a year, I’ve gained valuable insight into the board’s responsibilities and the challenges and opportunities facing NCRD.
Most recently, I’ve had the privilege of leading the Pool Oversight Committee, focusing on the successful completion of the new Aquatics Center. This experience has further solidified my commitment to NCRD. I’m eager to continue and contribute my skills and experience to ensure we are serving our community effectively.
- What experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
My seven years as an active member of NCRD have provided me with a firsthand understanding of the organization’s importance to our community and the needs it serves. My professional background has also equipped me with skills that directly translate to effective board service. Prior to moving to the North Coast, I managed a large corporate campus in Beaverton, overseeing operations for over 10,000 employees across 60 buildings. I was responsible for the operation of gyms/wellness centers, childcare facilities, restaurants, and meeting/event venues and services. Through this experience I learned to engage the community we served, manage complex operations, oversee budgets, and ensure the delivery of high-quality services to a diverse population – all skills that are essential for effectively contributing to the NCRD board.
- What community activities/organizations have you been involved with?
I co-lead Rainy Day Village, a volunteer service organization dedicated to helping our community members age in place with dignity and support. This experience has given me an understanding of the needs of our residents and the importance of fostering a strong, caring community.
I believe in staying informed and engaged in local governance. I make a point of attending most Manzanita City Council meetings to understand the issues facing our city. Similarly, I’ve been attending NCRD board meetings since 2023, to better understand the workings of the organization and the needs of our community.
- Why should you be elected?
I hope the community will elect me because of my passion, experience, and demonstrated dedication to serving NCRD. My seven years as a member and most recently as a board member have given me a deep appreciation for the organization’s vital role in our community, fostering the educational, social, and physical well-being of North County.
- What differentiates you from the other candidates?
I’m committed to NCRD, demonstrated by my daily presence, active board participation, and willingness to take on added responsibilities. I champion transparency and accountability, ensuring decisions serve the community’s best interests and resources are used wisely. My collaborative, solution-focused approach aims to work with everyone to address challenges effectively.
- What steps, if any, will you take to ensure full equality for marginalized demographics, such immigrants, LGBTQ+ people in our community?
Ensuring full equality for marginalized demographics is a priority for me. Recently, I participated in training focused on our responsibilities as an organization within a sanctuary state, demonstrating my commitment to understanding and upholding these principles. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I have a personal understanding of the importance of inclusivity and creating a welcoming environment for all members of our community. I will actively advocate for policies and practices that promote equity and ensure that NCRD serves everyone with dignity and respect.
- What issues do you believe the board/organization needs to address in its programs/offerings and community image?
I believe the board should collaborate with staff to:
- Strengthen partnerships with local government agencies (City Councils, other Special Districts, School Districts etc): This collaboration can help us leverage resources and better align our programs with community needs.
- Broaden community outreach: We must proactively reach out to diverse populations to ensure our programs are accessible and relevant to everyone.
- Involve the community in key decisions: Creating opportunities for community input and feedback will foster a sense of ownership and ensure our programs truly reflect the needs of our residents.
By prioritizing these strategies, we can enhance our program offerings, improve our community image, and ensure NCRD is a vital and inclusive resource for all.
- What changes would you recommend?
NCRD is entering a period of significant change including:
- Successfully onboarding our new Executive Director, with his proven track record, who will bring fresh perspectives.
- Successfully opening the new Aquatics Center which doubles our capacity and which will dramatically transform NCRD and our community.
- Finally, decommissioning of the old pool presents an opportunity to engage the community in its future purpose of this large space.
North County Recreation District Position #5 – Christy Kay
- Why are you running for this board position? I am running for NCRD board to further my commitment of service to my community. I have been a member of the NCRD community, in many ways, and would like to see it expand into its potential, as a hub of health and wellness within our community. As a current HUGGS board member who works diligently to serve the needs of my community, as a chaplain and spiritual advisor, as an Oregon State Certified Traditional Health Worker, and as a healing arts practitioner, I know that the foundation of individual wellness rests heavily on a strong, healthy community. I want to be a part of creating, and building off, that strong foundation. I believe NCRD could move further into its role as a hub of health and wellness, to create more opportunities for building a stronger, sustainable community that serves the needs of all.
- If elected, what will be your priorities? I would like to build on the services already offered, to include more engagement with our youth, teens, and young adults. I see a deficit in opportunities for wellness for our young population. I would specifically like to move more fully into one of the initial goals of NCRD, included in the original mission statement, to have a teen center, a safe space for our youth to learn, grow, and play, a place to engage with their peers, and the elders of our community, thus creating more cohesiveness, engagement, and health within our wellness community. I also want to see more services available for our differently abled neighbors. This includes more opportunities for health and wellness accessible to all, and not limited by ability, with programs curated to adults of all abilities, as well as access to more diverse and cultural content, events, and opportunities. As a professional bookkeeper, successful business owner and former budget committees’ member, I think it is important to look at more sustainable financial funding. All services, and administrative costs, are currently operating at a loss, and are fully dependent on bond or levy and timber revenue. As global markets and federal funding and grants shift with the changing world, these sources are no longer guaranteed, I would work hard to create programs and services that are creating revenue, which makes NCRD more sustainable in its ability to support and create wellness for our community.
- What motivates you to serve on this board? My vows for chaplaincy include deep commitment to creating peaceful, safe spaces that help build a healthy community and ensure a state of health and well-being for all. The NCRD mission statement includes “promoting the educational, recreational, social and physical well-being of the entire north Tillamook County community by offering activities for all ages and abilities in an inviting environment.” These ideals are in direct alignment with my own. I want to be a part of helping NCRD move deeper into its great potential within its role in our community, as a safe space and wellness hub for all to be within community- in whatever way is best for them – whether that’s through use of the pools, the gym or wellness activity like yoga, or through artistic venues of the beautiful theater or the opportunity to show your work in the art gallery, from adult to child activities, the wonderful youth sports program, to a disaster meeting place, and everything in between. My focus and intention for running for NCRD board is to further engage my commitment to our community, to create those healthy safe spaces that promote the well-being of all who live here. I believe NCRD can rise to meet the challenges of sustaining a healthy community in this changing world.
- What experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member? I have a wide range of skills and experience developed through ongoing continued education, diverse work history, and extended volunteering experiences. I have spent most of my adult life working in community building in a variety of ways – including hosting community potlucks, free community events like game night, or open music jam, or working cooperatively with NCRD to create the Lee Blackmon Annual Soccer Scrimmage. I also coordinated the summer lunch program for several years and was able to improve our ability to meet the needs of our children, to include nutritious hot meals, while other programs remain limited in their offerings. As a former professional bookkeeper, and a successful business owner, I have knowledge and understanding of the budget process and financial wellness. Because of this background, I have been appointed and held various roles in local government- as a budget committee member, an urban renewal district member, and on various committees that help create a comprehensive vision for future planning. As a chaplain and a State Registered Traditional Health Worker Peer Support Specialist in Mental Health and Drug Addiction Services, I have developed skills in deep listening, identifying root causes, and know how to facilitate hard conversations that are needed to create wellness for the individual as well as the community. As an award-winning healing arts practitioner who has certifications and training in dozens of modalities and services, I know what wellness looks like, and how to facilitate it. I am currently a HUGGS board member who hosts community conversations, and local teen night events and is planning for a teen art gallery space, for our youth. In my role with HUGGS I also actively work to bridge gaps in resources for our community in a variety of ways, connecting services to those that need them. I have created an ability to collaborate with members of this community, and with other agencies and groups, for the wellness of all. I can see that there are needs not being met, and I work diligently to find ways to meet them. I would bring all these skills into my role as an NCRD board member.
- What community activities/organizations have you been involved with? I helped create a neighborhood watch program in the city of Garibaldi when my child was young, helped start the Garibaldi Art Guild, and ran Grub Club (summer lunch program) for many years, I started the Healing Arts Guild of the North Coast which helped host the Healing Arts Faire, an event that brought local wellness practitioners together to engage and educate our community on wellness services and practices available to them. I have volunteered, and continue to volunteer, for many different organizations including the North County Food Bank, Animal Haven by the Sea Rescue, and Nehalem Bay Community Services. I am currently a HUGGS board member and am an Oregon State Registered Traditional Health Worker Peer Support Specialist.
- Why should you be elected? I am not running Against the current board member, but rather, I am running FOR our community and its wellness. I believe I have shown a deep commitment to improving the lives and wellbeing of all within my community, through my lifelong volunteer service, in all the ways I have been able, for as long as I have lived here. I am deeply invested in and care for all of my neighbors. I genuinely care about meeting the needs of all and creating wellness and health for everyone.
- What differentiates you from the other candidates? As a long-time community member, with skills in a wide range of areas, and a deep calling to be of service to those I live, work and play with, I have an inclusive world view that others may not. I have a 20-year history of local community involvement and engagement, and I know the strengths and challenges of this community and its members. I have and continue to work tirelessly to better lives and create wellness for all who I share this beautiful district with. And I have been an engaged member of NCRD for as long as I have lived here. I hosted Socrates Cafe at NCRD, attended yoga and other wellness classes, and hung art in art shows. I have seen plays, watched live music and attended many other event offerings in the theatre. My son learned to swim in the pool, skated on the skate ramp, took part in various classes and camps, and played youth soccer until he was old enough to be an assistant coach. We are part of the NCRD community, in all aspects. My extensive background in wellness helps give insight and vision for future planning and expansion of what could be made available for the health of NCRD and its patrons.
- What steps, if any, will you take to ensure full equality for marginalized demographics, such immigrants, LGBTQ+ people in our community? Diversity is the sign of a well and healthy community. It is important to address the needs of all. I will make myself available to start a conversation on how to improve and best meet the needs of our local marginalized community members. There are still gaps in creating safe opportunities and services that meet the needs of these populations. All staff have been trained and educated in a wide range of equity and diversity practices. However, that doesn’t necessarily translate into everyone’s needs being met, in a tangible way, as there isn’t always full implementation of these practices, across the board. I would open a forum to ask these marginalized communities how their needs might best be addressed and then work to meet them, as is possible. When someone speaks to their challenges and asks for help, I would not dismiss them as invalid or see them as “special privileges” but as the equitable accommodations required for an inclusive, healthy community.
- What issues do you believe the board/organization needs to address in its programs/offerings and community image? There is a large part of our community that currently feels excluded from NCRD or simply doesn’t have access to the services offered, including the marginalized communities mentioned in the above question. This is partly due to financial constraints. I would like to see easier and more accessible access to scholarships, and awareness that these things even exist. I have also heard stories of those who have had adverse experiences when trying to access services, they have been denied special needs help, or don’t feel heard or listened to, and often feel dismissed by the current staff and board. I believe this may be a lack of understanding and knowledge of how to meet the needs of everyone in our community, I don’t think it is intentional negligence, but I would work to correct this oversight.
- What changes would you recommend? I would like to see more opportunities for the community to have input relating to the services, resources, and other offerings available through NCRD, including access to the board who serves them. If I am elected to the board, I will make myself available for regular “office” hours, to engage and try to meet the needs of all within the community we serve. I am concerned that a large population of our neighbors do not currently feel welcome or able to participate in NCRD’s range of services. This feeling of exclusion limits the ability of NCRD to live up to its mission statement of, “promoting the educational, recreational, social and physical well-being of the entire north Tillamook County community by offering activities for all ages and abilities in an inviting environment.”
- Any additional comments: Thank you for the opportunity to speak to my passion for community wellness, my commitment to community health, and my love of my neighbors and all who live, work and play in the district I live, work and serve in. Thank you for reading my words, and your consideration in voting to elect me to the NCRD board, Blessings of Health and Wellness!