Thursday, January 12, 2006
Cleek is new president of Westside Improvement Association
 Linda Cleek, director of Continuing Education, began a one-year renewable term as president of the Westside Improvement Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the betterment of western Vanderburgh County, on January 1. She replaces Fred Padget, who was president for four years.In a statement, Padget wrote that Cleek “comes to this position with a long history of Westside Improvement Association involvement as well as a high degree of support for the Westside Improvement Association mission, goals and objectives. The membership has made an excellent choice. She’ll also have a dedicated group of officers, board members and committee members to help carry the Westside Improvement Association mission to a higher level.” Cleek, who also serves as associate dean of Extended Services, has served as USI’s representative on the Westside Improvement Association board for approximately eight years. The University has an automatic seat on the board. Cleek said that as president, she is still a member of the board, but she would be “pleased as punch” to recruit a new USI member. She said University employees and west side residents have common concerns. “USI is the 900 pound gorilla on the west side of Evansville,” she said. “What is important on the west side of Vanderburgh County is important to campus, and vice versa. The better the communication between the campus and the rest of the community, the better off we’re all going to be.” Anyone who lives or works on the west side, or is a Vanderburgh County resident with west side interests, can be a member. Cleek encouraged USI employees to get involved with the Westside Improvement Association whether or not they live on the west side. “People who live other places have to travel to the west side, so transportation and development issues are especially important for them,” she said. “When you work full time you spend half your waking life in and around your work place, so why would you not be concerned with what things are like in the immediate surrounding area?” The Westside Improvement Association has recently been involved with improving the Kohl’s development and thwarting a developer’s rezoning proposal. Cleek said, “At first the Kohl’s development looked bad in terms of drainage, but we were successful in getting a great many things improved from the original plan, and feel that Kohl’s is a great addition to the west side. “We also were involved in getting the rezoning stopped for more apartments near the University Parkway. The developer wanted to put high density student apartments in a residential, single-family area, and we worked to get that denied by the county commission.” Cleek said that in its almost 30 years of service to the community, the Westside Improvement Association has developed a good reputation. “We get listened to a little more than people who are not part of an organization,” she said. “We can go to officials and make a case, and people pay attention. We have a history of doing our homework.” Future issues of concern include the state’s proposed plans for changes to the Lloyd Expressway. “We’re certainly not opposed to improving the flow of traffic, but the way the plan is now, we think it will cause more problems than it will solve,” Cleek said. For more information, contact Cleek at ext. 1932 or go to the Westside Improvement Association Web site. |
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