DINA seeks new leadership

The time has once again come for a change atop the leadership pyramid of Daniel Island’s only island-wide neighborhood association. The close of 2016 brings with it the end of the two-year terms of Daniel Island Neighborhood Association (DINA) President Glenn Williman, Vice-President Bob Graham, and Secretary Nicolette Stocker. Each has opted not to seek second terms and thus, up until the next meeting on February 7, the group is pushing for its members to submit nominations for their replacements. The newly elected leaders will serve the next two-year administration of Daniel Island’s oldest and most important citizen group.

DINA is not only seeking new officers, but is also accepting nominations for volunteer positions on a trio of important citizen committees that have a major impact on the island’s quality of life - the DINA land use and zoning committee, safety committee and membership committee. At their February 7 meeting, the members of the organization will be, by secret ballot (when necessary), voting on various nominees to not only fill the three officer positions but vacancies on those committees as well.

Since its formation in 1998, DINA’s purpose has been to represent the interests of all Daniel Island residents in communications and interactions with the municipalities that govern the island, the City of Charleston and Berkeley County. The role of the organization is to foster communication, cooperation, and community on the island and to present a unified front, when necessary, on issues of importance that come before the respective municipal governments.

To understand the importance of DINA one must know its history in serving the island. Also relevant to the story of DINA is that it wasn’t an easy organization to create; the citizen body that formed the group initially faced resistance during the process.

That process began in earnest back in 1997 when, frustrated by what was perceived as a lack of communication between the Daniel Island Company, residents, and the City of Charleston, a group of early island residents banded together and began exploring options for organizing. It was right about that time that former Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley, Jr. announced his plan to create an organization of neighborhood associations throughout the City. The plan was adopted by City Council in September of 1997, and the group on the island took notice. When DINA officially formed the following year, Daniel Island resident Mac McBride was elected as the organization’s inaugural president.

“We approached the City Neighborhood Association and gathered information about how we could form our own neighborhood association for Daniel Island,” wrote McBride, in a letter posted on the DINA website. “We discovered it was not going to be an easy process. To initiate the process, we had to draft by-laws and then contact the City of Charleston’s Neighborhood Council and make our request public...After three, sometimes contentious meetings, the Neighborhood Council approved our association covering the entire 4,000 acres on Daniel Island.”

Since that time, the organization has prodded and prompted the City and Berkeley County to act on behalf of island residents, on issues large and small. As of 2014, some of the accomplishments DINA has been directly involved in include the completion of Governors Park, the establishment of one-side parking, the completion of tree trimming of street trees, and the negotiation of an improved street lighting agreement with the City. Additionally, DINA initiated the study that ultimately led to the Berkeley County School Board to commit to keeping the Daniel Island School a K-8 facility.

“What gives us some importance is that we’re recognized by the City (of Charleston) and that’s a great thing,” said Williman. “We do get heard by the City, and so when we put in a request in theory it has more sway than a request put in by a private citizen. And it’s the same with the County.”

Having held the position for nearly two full years now, Williman has an idea of what qualities he’d like to see in nominees to both leadership and committee positions within the organization.

“I think they have to want to serve, they have to take some pride in where they live and the fact that we’re trying to make our home better or at least as good as its been,” he said.

One of the DINA committees that needs volunteers is the land use and zoning committee. The mission of the committee is to monitor development on the island. Whether it be the construction of new buildings, the creation of parks and recreation areas, enhancements to those parks, or the effects of those projects on the population of the island, the land use and zoning committee is the place to go for residents with concerns about how property on the island is being utilized.

Williman beams when discussing the activities of that body, which serves as DINA’s de-facto watchdog when it comes to major development and infrastructure projects coming to the island.

“We certainly ramped up our communication on the land use and zoning stuff,” he added of the committee’s last two years of activity. “We attended several zoning board meetings, we actually were successful in getting one thing turned around, and on others at least made our voices heard.”

A second committee needing new volunteers is the membership committee. This group is dedicated to enhancing citizen participation on the island as well as Daniel Island’s sense of community. The committee was formed to grow the organization’s membership and communicate DINA’s role in the community at meetings, with realtors, and through their public presence at events.

The final committee accepting new members in 2017 is the safety committee. This group coordinates with residents, businesses, civic and municipal organizations, and law enforcement to promote safety and security across the island. The safety committee is the hub around which communal public safety efforts are coordinated.

“On the safety side of things, we did a number of good things...in terms of traffic calming,” noted Williman. “A lot of single-side parking, which I think improves traffic flow quite a bit, and we have introduced a number of still pending requests for crosswalks and things like that.”

Williman also stresses the importance of the membership committee and the role it plays in not only growing the size of DINA, but also communicating what DINA does and doesn’t do.

“I still think there’s an education problem,” added Williman. “People are moving on the island all the time and a lot of times people don’t understand the difference between DINA and the Daniel Island Property Owners’ Association. They don’t understand the different organizations.”

If you want to learn more about how to nominate someone for a DINA leadership or committee post, the organization itself, or how to join, see DINA’s website at www.dineighborhoodassociation.org.