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FOCUS: When were you first elected to the Lancaster County Redevelopment Board? FLETCHER: My first board meeting was May of 2003. Q: What made you decide to get involved with the Authority Board? A: I was recruited. Mr. (Randy) Patterson called and asked me (to serve on the Board). I think they were looking for someone from the Northwestern part of the County, which had been under-represented. And I had served two terms on the Marietta Borough Council and was president of the Council. Q: What is your educational background? A: I have a Bachelor of Art degree in Romance Languages, French Literature, and I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Masters in Social Work. Q: What is your professional background? A: I taught Spanish at Hempfield High School and was a caseworker for the Pennsylvania Board of Assistance. Then I served as Chief of Social Services for the School District of Lancaster for 23 years. I retired in 1991. Q: What do you feel you personally bring to the Authority Board? A: A wealth of knowledge, particularly of community needs. I worked with Eleanor Taylor at Family Service, (where we) did a lot for fair housing. So I knew the need (in the County) for affordable, decent housing. Through my involvement with Marietta Borough, I have a pretty good understanding of community infrastructure. . .There is one constant and that is change, and it really should be planned change. Q: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Lancaster County today? A: Lancaster is one of the fastest growing counties, and I think it’s extremely important that we look at managed growth. (There is) a shrinking tax base, yet more and more demands are being made on municipalities, (especially with) housing and transportation.
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