DINA welcomes new board members, sets agenda for Feb. 6 meeting

The Daniel Island Neighborhood Association (DINA) has a new slate of executive officers for 2018. The organization announced the posts in a recent newsletter. Serving on the executive board along with President Marie Delcioppo are Bob Graham, vice president; Stewart Miller, treasurer; and Margaret Case Little, secretary. Below is information provided by Delcioppo in the newsletter on each officer.

Bob Graham and his wife Maureen have enjoyed calling Daniel Island home since 2005. Prior to moving to Daniel Island, Bob served 10 years as an elected member of Town Council in Wilton, CT. Since moving here, Bob has continued his passion for community involvement, first as a board member of the Daniel Island Community Fund for five years, and second as DINA vice president from 2011-2016. He served under three DINA presidents. During his tenure, he especially focused on the membership committee and planning the bi-monthly meeting agendas.

Stewart Miller has long served as DINA’s treasurer and a member of the Safety Patrol at Daniel Island School. Stewart and his wife, Marcia, retired to Daniel Island and enjoy being involved with numerous activities on the island. Stewart continues to work part-time at the cruise ship terminal, helping both locals and tourists feel welcome.

Margaret Case Little and her husband, Mike, have been a part of the Daniel Island community since 2013 and live in Codner’s Ferry Park with their 6-month-old daughter. Margaret is the managing director of the Creative Team at Seacoast Church and has over a decade of experience in political communication and advocacy campaigns. In 2013, she was named one of PR News’ People-to-Watch Under 30. She is excited at the opportunity to meet even more neighbors by serving on the DINA Board.

Feb. 6 DINA meeting agenda set

The first DINA meeting in 2018 will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at Church of the Holy Cross on Daniel Island. According to Delcioppo, a panel will be present to “walk us through the development processes and procedures for both the City of Charleston and Daniel Island.” Among the planned speakers is Josh Martin, senior advisor to Mayor John Tecklenburg on the “built environment.” The session begins at 6 p.m. with a meet-and-greet, followed by the main program from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

DINA Safety Patrol forced to shut down

In the DINA announcement, Delcioppo also addressed the recent decision to shut down the Daniel Island Safety Patrol, a volunteer-led effort that began 20 months ago in response to a child being struck by a car and other “near misses.” The volunteer-led program, coordinated by Daniel Island resident Carina Buckman, provided assistance to hundreds of children each week in crossing the intersection of Daniel Island Drive and Pierce Street on their way to and from school. The program began in the spring of 2016 and yielded many positive results in helping to curb potential crosswalk hazards for both students and drivers. Due to a lack of volunteers, and despite Buckman’s continued pleas for additional help, organizers were forced to discontinue the initiative last week.

“I’d like to thank the 20-40 volunteers that helped create a safer route to school over the last 20 months!” wrote Buckman in a Facebook post about the shutdown. “Many of which were retired residents and local business owners without kids at DIS. Your support was very much appreciated.”

“We want to thank Carina Buckman for leading the Safety Patrol program and stepping up not only to positively impact our children’s lives but also to foster a sense of community,” added Delcioppo.

For additional information on DINA, please visit www.dineighborhoodassociation.org.