A Great Day for Collington by George Newman
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Marvell Adams Reflects on his Two Years at Collington’s Helm -- page 3 The Collingtonian Photo by: Jim Giese Vol 25 No. 7 A Monthly Publication of The Collington Residents Association September 2013 A Great Day for Collington by George Newman Collington Board Chair the remaining original residents Annetha Hall called it the -- and the one original employee, “best day of the year.” She Receptionist Priscilla Atkinson. was referring to the weather After the brief speeches, -- crystalline air, comfortable residents, staff and friends temperatures, a porcelain- blue sky -- but she enjoyed a munificent buffet, complete with ice could also have meant the spirit of celebration sculpture, prepared by Dining Services Director that animated Collington’s 25th anniversary gala Eli Ayoub and his hard-working staff. Truly a on Sept. 6. great day. In addition to the Board Chair, Kendal CEO John Diffey, Residents Association President New Collingtonian Editor Named Grant Bagley and Collington Executive Director by Jim Giese Marvell Adams addressed the gathering. All Welcome George Newman, editor of the proclaimed that Collington, in partnership with Collingtonian beginning with this issue. Although Kendal, was undergoing a renaissance, “a return relatively new to Collington, George comes with to its origins,” in Diffey’s words, “a rebirth” in extensive journalistic experience. Adams’. And all agreed George and his wife, Barbara Fairchild, that the quality of the a retired school librarian, moved here from residents defines the Chesapeake Beach in March. When Barbara, a institution -- “a rich body member of the Annapolis Chorale, learned that of life work that has not Pat and Joe Howard (Joe also is in the Chorale) been left behind,” as had moved here, she and George decided to Adams said. take another look at Collington and signed up. The ceremony George has a son who is an attorney and a step- also honored the 11 Collington Board Chair daughter who is a nursing student. Annetha Hall Collington pioneers -- Editor Cont’d p.2 Although journalism has been his lifetime Returning to calling, George said he approaches the journalism after a 10- Collingtonian editorship with some trepidation, year hiatus, George still having much to learn about Collington. His joined the Utica (N.Y.) goal is to build upon the work of his predecessors Observer-Dispatch, and he feels privileged to have former editors eventually becoming around to help. editorial page editor That the Collingtonian is solely produced and writing a weekly and financed by residents makes it unique and column on politics. George wants it to serve as their voice. He Also, for three years hopes the newsletter will always be interesting he was a regular George Newman―JKG and occasionally entertaining. While there panelist on a political already is a large staff, he hopes to involve even discussion program on the local ABC-TV affiliate. more residents in its production. After 16 years, George left the paper to join George sees possibilities for expanding the the U.S. Information Agency. Before he retired newsletter’s service to residents through greater 10 years later in 2002, George and Barbara were use of the KeepingupwithCollington web site posted to Vienna, Austria; Leipzig, Germany; and and plans to work with webmaster Curt Bury on the countries of Togo and Zambia in Africa. adding new features. “What makes Collington what it is,” George says, “are its residents. I want the Collingtonian to be a showcase for their talents.” The Collingtonian George was born in Austria, but shortly Financed by Residents, thereafter Hitler annexed Austria and George’s Written by Residents for Residents family fled to the United States, settling in 10450 Lottsford Road, Mitchellville, MD 20721 Massachusetts. Phone: 301-925-7330 Published monthly (except July and August) After graduation from McGill University by the Collington Residents Association, Inc. in Montreal, Canada, George enrolled in the Editor: George Newman; News Editor: Frances Columbia University School of Journalism and in Kolarek. Staff for this issue: Barbara Allen, Jean 1960 was hired by the Associated Press (AP) as F. Getlein, Jim Giese, Pat Howard, Bill Preston. Webmaster, Curt Bury. Distribution Manager, a summer fill-in in New York. After Army service Ernie Blake. Composition and Graphics by Steuer he rejoined AP and was sent to Salt Lake City Consulting. and then back to New York. Internet: Read this issue, selected past issues and the “Collingtonian Extra” at keepingupwithcollington.org George left AP in 1966 and did public information work for Columbia University and The Collingtonian invites all Collington residents to submit articles, photographs and story suggestions, for the Peace Corps. He then served as public preferably concerning Collington and its people. We relations director of Hamilton College in Clinton, also welcome “Letters to the Editor” commenting on the Collingtonian and its content. Submissions may be N.Y. e-mailed to [email protected] or placed in the Collingtonian mailbox. All submissions are subject to 2 The Collingtonian September 2013 editing for length, clarity and style. Marvell Adams on His Two Years as CEO: Five years’ worth of change, ‘couldn’t happen without Kendal’ On Aug. 7, two years and a day after he took else we can do to help?’ and that says to me office as Collington’s Executive Director, Marvell there’s no agenda being imposed, we are one Adams sat down with Collingtonian Editor big family, and how can we all improve?” George Newman to review Colllngton’s recent • On Kendal’s past and address its future. The interview influence in ranged from the state of Collington’s grounds, Collington’s to future “right-sizing,” to the extraordinary beginnings: generosity of Collington residents. Clearly, ...”It’s a fact that Marvell came to Collington at a challenging I think is not time. He noted that over the past two years widely known many of those challenges have been met, but that one reason many remain. Following are some highlights the Kendal of the interview. For the full transcript, affiliation worked visit keepingupwithcollington.org to read is that Collington “Collingtonian Extra,” our new web supplement is modeled Marvell Adams to the print Collingtonian. A paper copy of the on a Kendal For a very different view of transcript has been placed in the library, in the community ... The our CEO see back page room containing filed Collingtonians. founding committee at Collington 25-plus years Interview excerpts: ago went to Kennett Square in Pennsylvania and toured Kendal Crosslands • On the pace of change and “Collington is modeled and came back and built what the Kendal affiliation: Over the on a Kendal community” past two years, Collington has they saw ... If you tour Kendal dealt with the “strategic planning process, a Crosslands, it looks very similar, major refinancing, an almost-new leadership [with] covered walkways around a community team. Most [organizations] would see that center... But what the Kendal affiliation has happen in five years. We’ve seen it in two, and meant, really, is Collington getting the support it would have been impossible without Kendal’s to get the bigger things done.” support. And it’s important to use the word • On the thinking behind hiring Kevin ‘support’ because I think a lot of folks believe Seawright as Chief of Facilities:: “When that Kendal calls the shots, and that’s so far I arrived Collington had two departments from the truth. We have our own independent that served the bricks and mortar of the board of directors; I report exclusively to our organization. You had Plant Operations board; I don’t report to anyone at the Kendal -- maintenance, grounds -- and you Corp. I work in collaboration with members had Environmental Services -- security, there, and I think the thing that makes the CEO Cont’d p.4 difference is, each time I talk with someone September 2013 The Collingtonian 3 at Kendal, they always ask, ‘Is there anything transportation, pest control, that kind of thing. relationship with lending banks:: “Collington ... Even though they worked together as has, in a sense, a mortgage with four banks needed, it still left two departments. So I made ... Collington has never missed a mortgage a decision that we needed to restructure so payment, but that doesn’t matter to those four that it was one department, and that brought banks that no longer want to be in this service forth bringing in a Chief of Facilities who line... Our “The partnership with residents could oversee and understand all sides of it, letter of makes Collington better” not only gaining efficiencies but also gaining credit that effectiveness in, quite frankly, just getting the they hold is about to expire. So we’ve begun job done. I think we’ve seen improvements conversations about what it would look like in the grounds, but every time I say that, the to refinance with a different set of banks. ... caveat is, we We’ve gotten a lot of support and assistance “In years past there was a path of just getting by” have a lot from Kendal, and support and guidance from more to go. our board, and it’s moving along really well. At Collington 10 years ago, there was a path of Our hope is ... a tangible deal by the end of just getting by, and that’s manifested itself over this calendar year or at the very least by the the years where we have some serious issues first part of next year.” like our HVAC [heating and air conditioning] • On residents’ participation in Collington’s system needing to be replaced. ... There’s governance and whether it complicates some real substantive stuff [needed] to get life for the administration: “You’ll find things moving in the right direction and Kevin’s other communities where residents are on recruitment was a big part of that.” the board but do you find that residents are • On the need for rapid change:: “We went constantly part of the interview process, that from the lowest of the low, when Collington’s the residents’ fiscal committee gets a report occupancy was 67 percent, and that was April on the finances every month? Not really.