Read About the NHCA’s Impressive March 23 Annual Meeting!

By all accounts, the North Hills Community Association’s (NHCA’s) annual meeting on March 23 at the (Hiller) Highlands Country Club was one of the best and most successful in recent memory. Organizers Vicki Oliveira, Dan Conolly, Shivani Grover and Carolyn Burgess arranged an impressive spread of food, beverages, snacks and sweets. They managed to keep the business portion of meeting running on schedule like a well-oiled machine, ensuring there would be ample time to hear from the evening’s guest speakers – Oakland’s newly-elected Mayor Sheng Thao and District 4 Councilmember Janani Ramachandran, and Oakland’s Fire Chief Reggie Freeman. All three speakers shared their thoughts on current challenges facing the city and plans for moving forward, and they answered questions from attendees.

This was the NHCA’s first “in-person” annual meeting since March 2019, and it attracted an audience of approximately 75 members. The NHCA used the meeting to conduct business as required by its bylaws, including reviewing the state of the Association, its finances and accomplishments, and electing members to serve on the NHCA’s board of directors for the coming year.

Six current NHCA board members – Carolyn Burgess, Daniel Conolly, Shivani Grover, Donna Karch and Nancy Mueller and Vicki Oliveira – were re-elected to serve in the 2023-24 board term starting April 24. Three additional NHCA members – Fred Booker, David Kessler and Nina Rezai will join the board on that date. Carolyn Burgess was re-elected to continue in her role as the North Hills’ Beat 13-Y Public Safety Chair.

This was also a time for the NHCA to thank outgoing board members Steve Hanson, Chris Johnson and Elizabeth Stage for their many years of leadership and contributions to the NHCA and the greater North Hills community. Their energy and ideas will be missed, and we wish them well.

The meeting ended with a raffle of fabulous prizes donated by community leaders and Oakland businesses. Prizes included a wine gift, dinners at fine Oakland restaurants, and an overnight stay at the Claremont Resort and Spa. (see the full list below)

If you’re interested, you can review the slides used during the business portion of the meeting. You can also read short statements from newly-elected board members. Finally, Board members Nancy Mueller and Elizabeth Stage’ provided recipes for the delicious cookies she served at the meeting.

The NHCA wishes to acknowledge and thank the following raffle prize donors for their generosity:

Casa Orinda Restaurant: Fried chicken dinner for 4
Scott’s Seafood: Basket plus food discount for 2
Carolyn Burgess: Custom-designed plant/floral arrangement
FDR Potomac Jack London: Boat cruise for 2
Star Grocery: Boutique wines (3 bottles)
Oakland Police Department: Ride-Along
Claremont Club and Spa: Dinner for 2 at the Limewood Bar and Restaurant
Claremont Club and Spa: Deluxe suite for 1 night

: Garden Committee Co-Chairs Vicki Oliveira and Dan Conolly helped organize the NHCA’s 2023 Annual Meeting and prepared some of the food that was served.

: Local resident and realtor Julie Nachtwey, Oakland Fire Chief Reggie Freeman, Councilmember Janani Ramachandran and NHCA Board Member Nancy Mueller pose for a photo.

: Here are a few of the many meeting attendees waiting patiently for things to get underway.

: Board Member Shivani Grover helped organize the NHCA’s 2023 Annual Meeting and prepared the slides used during the evening’s presentations.

: NHCA Chair Steve Hanson discussed the current state and mission of the NHCA.

: NHCA Treasurer Chris Johnson summarized the Association’s finances for calendar year 2022.

: Garden Committee Co-Chairs Vicki Oliveira and Dan Conolly highlighted some of the remarkable work undertaken in the NHCA’s gardens in 2022 and 2023.

: Board Member extraordinaire and Public Safety Chair Carolyn Burgess facilitated the Annual Meeting’s agenda and introduced the guest speakers.

: Oakland District 4 Councilmember Janani Ramachandran provided an overview of her office’s activities.

: Oakland Fire Chief Reginald (Reggie) Freeman answered questions from the audience.

: Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao discussed some of the challenges of balancing numerous priorities in an era of constrained resources and finding the best path forward.