A NOTE FROM THE RCA PRESIDENT

Dear Rowaytonites,

I wanted to take this opportunity to reach out to you and simply say hello! It has been way too long since we have been able to gather at the many coveted RCA events we host each year and enjoy all that Rowayton has to offer to our community.

While it feels good to bid 2020 goodbye, I wanted to take a moment to share with you how the RCA pivoted during 2020 and reflect on what we were able to accomplish as an organization during these unprecedented times. I am very proud of how the RCA board continued to persevere and find new innovative ways to support and connect with the community throughout the year. In lieu of the Easter Egg Hunt and Memorial Day Parade, our communications lead spearheaded the creation of a fun Easter Bunny video for the kids, and created a social media tribute to the veterans of Rowayton. The River Ramble was held from afar last year with a jam packed online live auction, which led right into our first ever live virtual concert, Rowayton Unwind, featuring The Samples and many local bands. Luckily we were able to host our Santa Run and Bundle Up Rowayton Coat Drive in a socially distanced manner, and the Nativity Pageant team created a wonderful Nativity video for everyone to enjoy during the holidays. Due to your generosity and continued support of the RCA, we were able to donate $35K to our local schools and local organizations to help support our community during the pandemic.

I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to provide a quick refresher on what the Rowayton Civic Association strives to be in our community. The RCA is a non-for-profit organization committed to improving the quality of life for Rowayton residents and neighbors through providing cultural programs, educational events and supporting local community initiatives. The RCA invites all residents to become involved in the RCA through volunteerism and helping to identify the needs of our community.

At our annual RCA meeting this month, the RCA Board will say farewell to three amazing board members who dedicated so much of their time and effort to this board and to our community:

- Chris Gorman: Served on the board for 5 years. Chris was the Summer Music Chair for the past 4 years and was an integral part of finding amazing bands for each concert. Every Sunday without fail, he was at the concerts ensuring everything ran smoothly. Thank you Chris for making Sundays in the summer so much fun for all of us!
- Tracy King: Served on the board for 4 years and took on the role of Treasurer for 2 years. Tracy was also a key member of the Comedy Night committee. We can’t thank Tracy enough for her devotion to this board and for always ensuring that the RCA was financially in the best possible position, particularly this past year.
- Meg Schwanhausser: Served on the board for 4 years and took on the role of Communications Lead for 2 years. The Communications role involves publishing Currents and managing all of the marketing and communications for the board, which is a huge job. Our social media presence and messaging to the community has immensely evolved while she has been in this position. We can’t thank Meg enough.

Each of these board members will be missed this year! I am certain each of these individuals will continue to give back to our community in the future.

We are also excited to welcome four new board members for 2021: Jerry Allen, Mark Herzlich, Jen Farnum, and Paul Seymour. I would like to take this opportunity to also thank the current board members for their continued devotion to making each year in Rowayton even better than the last. The 25 all-volunteer RCA board members take time out of their lives to provide our town with amazing events and to support worthy causes in our community.

I am confident that in 2021 we will continue to provide great experiences to Rowayton residents and put the best interest of this town at the forefront of our mission. I am so honored to be a part of this special community and excited for my 6th year on the RCA Board and 3rd year as RCA President. I am always available to hear how we can continue to make Rowayton the absolute best place to live, now more than ever.

Thank you for your continued support of the RCA!

Heather Drstvensek

RCA President