EDITORIAL: Meet the new members of the Reporter-News Community Advisory Board

April 06--The Reporter-News has selected its new Community Advisory Board.

Chosen are:

Kay Babington, a 45-year Abilene resident who may be one of the few people to have voted for Richard Nixon and Barack Obama. She is in the rotation to drive the Veterans Affairs van from Abilene to the medical facility in Big Spring.

Jesse Cardenas, a 20 Under 40 honoree who is a Prosperity Bank vice president who works downtown. He is very active in the community but still finds time to coach his sons' soccer team -- Team Inferno.

Jason Conley, a tech sergeant in the Air Force whom many will remember ran for the Wylie ISD board in 2013. He is interested in education and quality-of-life issues in Abilene. He has Anson roots.

Alec Egan, a 2009 Abilene High graduate who went on to get his degree from Princeton. He is back in Abilene for a while and accepted our challenge to bring the viewpoint of a 22-year-old Ivy Leaguer to the board.

Martha King, who has served on the United Way of Abilene board and twice has chaired the Disability Resources Inc. board. She is retired from the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation.

Dale Scoggins, a self-described history buff and faithful Dallas Cowboys fan who has served on city of Abilene boards and commissions, including Planning & Zoning. He provides real estate appraisal and counseling services.

Leesa Stephens, a teacher in the Bangs ISD for 28 years who is so involved in BISD that she even provides reports on Dragons football to the Brownwood Bulletin. Her Big Country perspective will be welcome.

Delores Washburn, who served in the English department at <org>Hardin-Simmons for 27 years. Her husband is Paul, whom many know as the man behind Rescue the Animals.

The board is evenly split in gender and this year has eight members so as to include Ms. Stephens.

Ages range from 22 to 80, and life experiences vary.

What these folks have in common is an interest in Abilene -- even Stephens, who has a son in graduate school here and knows we have a good mayor's race coming up.

We will be relying on them -- and those whom they know and converse with -- to help us with coverage of Abilene and Big Country news.

The new members succeed Jason Beard, Ron Cook, Deonna Galbraith, Mary Palmquist, Barbara Rollins, Ernesto Segura and Ashley White-David. We thank them again for their time and their interest in our city.

Here's more about each of the new board members:

Kay Babington

Some Abilenians may remember her husband, Mike, who ran Mike's Bikes on South First Street. She is a dedicated advocate of veterans, especially because Mike, who served in Vietnam, now is 100 percent disabled.

She is a 1973 McMurry graduate and a 40-year member of St. Paul United Methodist Church.

Politically, she calls herself an Independent. She opposes abortion but is pro-choice, she says. She supports gun control on the state and federal levels, and believes in equal rights for gays and lesbians.

"I see absolutely no conflict between my Christian beliefs and my views on homosexuality," she says. "I strongly believe that no one should be judged because of their race, religion or sexual orientation."

Kay, 62, believes change comes through voting, and she has served Taylor County as a paid election official for eight years.

She is concerned about health insurance, knowing firsthand what it is like to choose between paying bills and purchasing medication, she says.

Jesse Cardenas

Jesse, 32, was born in Abilene and his siblings include twin brothers and twin sisters. He is a 1999 AHS graduate and earned his undergraduate degree from Abilene Christian and his master's from Hardin-Simmons. He graduated from the Texas Tech School of Banking in 2010.

He joined what now is Prosperity in 2007 and has advanced in leadership roles. His community involvement includes Leadership Abilene (Class of 2012); the United Way loaned executive program; co-chairing Business Mercado (2012); and chairmanship of the Hispanic business executive committee of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce. He presently is a member of the chamber's board of directors and executive committee.

Jesse calls himself a conservative but "liberal minded," especially on issues regarding youth.

"I'm often reminded of the importance of mentorship and the positive effects it has on a child," he says, referring to his involvement in Big Brothers Big Sisters. He says volunteering "has opened my eyes to the needs and challenges facing our community. I believe, however, that Abilene is more than capable of meeting those needs and challenges."

Jason Conley

Jason did not win election to Place 1 on the Wylie ISD board. During his campaign, he noted how many Dyess AFB families were part of that school system and wanted to be their voice. He believes he can "effectively represent" the military community on the Reporter-News board.

He is 33 and grew up in Jones County. He previously was stationed in Alaska before returning to Texas.

He considers himself a conservative, "but Republican does not fit my political affiliation. If my political leanings were a party, we would be called Republicratitarians." He is fiscally conservative and believes in the right to bear arms, but he also supports marriage rights and equal benefits for the LGBT community, and believes the minimum wage "should be set by economy and inflation instead of being an arbitrary number given by those who have never had to live on it."

As for Abilene, he supports greater transportation infrastructure, believes the City Council too often "stifles business that do not fit the traditional Abilene model" and supports school programs that prepare students not going to college for the workforce.

ALEC EGAN

Alec, 22, was a captain on the AHS Eagles football team. But he was far more than a jock, serving as senior class president, participating in the show choir Pure Gold, and performing in musicals and plays.

He went to Princeton to play football, and did so for four years as an offensive lineman for the Tigers. At 6-foot-5 but probably not his 275-pound playing weight, he may be the most physically imposing Reporter-News board member ever.

He studied history and completed the majority of his classes needed to enter a pre-med program. He was president of an eating club, Cap and Gown -- one of 11 at Princeton that serve as the equivalent of social clubs.

He relishes his time in New Jersey because it offered the chance to experience new things and meet a diverse group of people. Still, he missed home -- Big Red, Friday nights at Shotwell Stadium and barbecue from Harold's (don't we all).

While he studies for his MCAT, he has offered his time and insight to our board. He has wedding plans (Claire Johnson is his girl) and is working as director of youth ministry at First Central Presbyterian while back home.

He calls himself a "very moderate conservative" whose "narrow" perception of the world widened at Princeton.

He believes Abilene schools and colleges must be enthusiastically supported and youth talent championed.

"I think Abilene could do a better job of attracting more diverse families," he says. But, our city has an "honesty, compassion and drive that can't be taught, can't be faked and sets us apart."

Martha King

Retired, active and healthy, Martha has lived in Abilene since 1971. She is from Tennessee -- eastern, she says, because there is a difference. She added studies at HSU to her degree from the University of Tennessee.

They are the Volunteers, which may have inspired Martha in her volunteer efforts here. In addition to working at MHMR (now Mental Health and Substance Abuse Division of the Texas Department of State Health Services) as director of community services, overseeing 22 counties, she has been involved with United Way, DRI and the Betty Hardwick Center.

She has great concern for the communities that surround Abilene and rely on our city for many services.

"I traveled many miles," she says.

She also worked for eight years at the Region 14 Education Service Center as a special education consultant. That jobbed entailed working with area school districts to help severely developmentally delayed students.

As for Abilene, "I love this city."

She sees the promotion of education opportunities and support of nonprofits here as priorities. She also believes more attention must be paid to our water needs, both now and in the future.

Martha calls herself a conservative but is not active in party politics.

DALE SCOGGINS

Dale, 68, is a real estate broker, appraiser, investor and developer. He is a University of Texas-Austin grad who got his master's at ACU. He served in the Air Force from 1970-1976 and was stationed at Dyess for five years as a C-130 command pilot.

He has served on the boards guiding the Abilene Gun Club, St. John's Episcopal School and Ben Richey Boys Ranch. He formerly was an Abilene Exchange Club member. In addition to his former P&Z service, he was on the Central Appraisal District board of adjustment and served on committees that addressed Abilene's Comprehensive Plan and environmental issues such stormwater drainage and flood plains.

Dale owns an interest in an airplane -- he and his wife fly regularly -- and enjoys reading about ancient history.

"It is amazing how many of our current problems have occurred in the past and how long politicians have indulged in the same scams," he says.

He enjoys traveling the world, an interest piqued by his Air Force service.

He calls himself a political Independent, though he probably has voted Republican more frequently. He favors term limits.

"I am more candidate and issue oriented than party oriented," he says. "I hate our current environment where interest groups have been able to impose orthodoxy on candidates. I am concerned over the polarization of the politics of our country and state, and the lack of common purpose in pursuing our collective best interests.

"On a local level, it is important that our resources and policies be directed to the best interest of the community and all of the citizens."

Leesa Stephens

She teaches government, economics, sociology, psychology and journalism. And is the yearbook sponsor. And is the UIL academic coordinator. She previously taught English.

"I like kids and I like being busy," she says. She has been known to offer extra credit to students who watch "Saturday Night Live."

In college, she won third place in editorial writing in the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association contest and received her award from ABC News' anchor Sam Donaldson.

Her volunteer work includes working with a Bangs ministry called Celebrate Recovery. She even finds time to play keyboards in two worship bands.

Throwing money at education is not the answer, she says.

"More money without better state and federal guidelines" can lead to money not spent in the classroom, she says.

Leesa, who's in her mid-50s, "tends" to vote Republican but "I could not bring myself to vote for Ted Cruz."

Leesa and her husband are small-business owners.

Delores Washburn

She is from the Panhandle, graduating as the first Distinguished Graduate from Frank Phillips College and then from West Texas State (now West Texas A&M) in Canyon. She has a doctorate from Texas Tech.

She joined the HSU faculty in 1968, twice served as faculty president, sponsored the college's Republican club and won numerous honors.

Delores, 80, married Paul Washburn, former Taylor County Republican Party chairman, in 1977. In addition to supporting his efforts on behalf of critters -- "I adore animals," she says, she has been involved in the Abilene Woman's Club and other organizations, including Friends of the Abilene Public Library and the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature. She quilts, making 30 as "love tokens" for former students and their families.

She reads literature and newspapers (hooray for that!); listens to talk radio and classic music; and her world travels have taken her to the places she once taught about.

"I am a conservative," she says, adding that her children "are all bleeding-heart liberals." She believes that elected officials must "uphold their oath to defend and protect the Constitution."

___

(c)2014 the Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, Texas)

Visit the Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, Texas) at www.reporternews.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services