Long-time council member is moving to Arizona to be closer to her adult children and grandchildren
RIDGEFIELD — Ridgefield City Council Member Sandra Day is resigning her position effective June 1, 2021 due to her plans to move out of the city. She is moving to Arizona to be closer to her adult children and grandchildren.
Day chose Ridgefield as the “right place to live” following her retirement in 2008. Her excitement for the future of the community and connection she developed to the residents of Ridgefield are evident in her parting words:
“The children’s book, The Invisible String, shows that love and friendships continue across miles as an invisible string and connection. My support for the issues of the Northwest will continue, as will my love for the work that is done by both elected officials and volunteers.”
Day was appointed to the Ridgefield City Council, Position 7, in September 2012 when the council, by city charter, grew from five to seven members. She was re-elected for consecutive terms for eight years and seven months. Her focus on the council has been economic development, regional transportation and infrastructure, and managing growth of the city with a special interest for parks, trails and open spaces for quality of life and sustainability.
Day actively demonstrated her passion for the natural environment as an active member of the Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and the Parks Foundation of Clark County, an advocate for embedding environmental and garden education in our schools, and by taking a leadership role in planning the annual community event – Ridgefield Big Paddle.
Day further demonstrated her volunteer spirit by writing grants for nonprofits including the North County Community Food Bank and Clark County’s Whipple Creek Regional Park for restoration of trails and the old mill. She has also supported the Friends of the Ridgefield Library which will soon be celebrating a newly remodeled and expanded library. She has been a volunteer on the Board of Trustees for the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District for more than three years, where she helped guide policy, personnel and budget. Day will also be vacating that position effective June 1.
Recently, the Clark County Nature Network has been a new interest of Day, as well as highway and river trash cleanups. She has been a team leader under WSDOT for a section of Interstate 5 and for a regional organization, SOLVE of Oregon, for beach and river cleanups.
When informed of the resignation, Mayor Don Stose thanked Day for her contributions to the council:
“On behalf of the entire City Council, I want to express my sincere appreciation to Sandra for her exceptional service to the City of Ridgefield,’’ Stose said. “Her enthusiasm, southern charm and collaborative influence on the Council and the community will be missed.”
With a vacancy, the council will begin a process to appoint a qualified replacement beginning after Day’s resignation is effective in June.
Information provided by the city of Ridgefield.
