Hayward Area Recreation and Park District Fills Vacancy

The Hayward Area Recreation and Park District (H.A.R.D.) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rick J. Hatcher to the vacant Board of Directors position. Mr. Hatcher was appointed at the bi-monthly meeting held on February 9, 2015.

Mr. Hatcher was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Mr. Dennis M. Waespi who was elected to the East Bay Regional Park District Board of Directors in November. Mr. Hatcher’s term will expire in November 2016.

Twenty-three residents from the communities the District serves applied for the vacancy and of those, seven were chosen as finalist. Current Board Members – President Paul W. Hodges Jr., Vice-President Minane Jameson, Secretary Louis M. Andrade and Director Carol A. Pereira, made their decision after interviewing the finalists at the Board of Directors meeting.

Long-term and continuous involvement in the District’s communities was one of the reasons the Board felt that Mr. Hatcher was the best candidate for the position. Board Member President Paul W. Hodges, Jr. stated, “It was a very difficult decision because many of the candidates were extremely qualified. Ultimately, the majority of the Board felt that Mr. Hatcher would best represent the District’s mission.”

Mr. Hatcher stated that one of the many reasons that he applied for the position was because “I’ve seen how H.A.R.D. programs positively impact the lives of District residents and I want to be a part of that community enrichment.”

As a long-standing member of the District, Mr. Hatcher grew up in San Lorenzo and currently resides in Cherryland. He owns his own business, Hatcher Insurance, in Castro Valley and been part of the Cherryland Community Association since 1997. Mr. Hatcher is a member of the following organizations: Ashland Cherryland Food Policy Council, Blue Ribbon Steering Committee, Eden Urban Farms, Project Eat Paradise Garden, Hayward Community Garden, Alameda Creek Alliance and the Alameda County Beekeepers Association. Mr. Hatcher will be sworn in at the next Board of Directors meeting on February 23, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.

Information, photo courtesy Hayward Area Recreation and Park District