Jen Rowe is the new manager of the Harfield Village Community Improvement District (HVCID).
Ms Rowe, 55, took over, on Monday March 1, from Jenni Coleman, who was at the helm for the past five years.
Ms Rowe and her husband, Graham Rowe, have lived in Harfield Village since 1995. They run a guest house in the neighbourhood. Ms Rowe also owns a tree-gifting business and is chairwoman of her local running club, the Harfield Harriers.
Ms Rowe said she had applied to take over as the HVCID’s new manager because she loved getting involved in the community and making a difference.
“I could see that people experiencing homelessness were on the increase, litter was increasing exponentially and we needed to connect with people, organisations and role players in the community to find ways to work together to keep our spaces clean and safe,” she said.
She said she wanted to promote recycling and would encourage residents to take more responsibility in keeping their neighbourhood clean and safe.
“I want to look at improving the community on a broader scale,” she said.
The HVCID, she said, would strive to strengthen its working relationship with, among others, the Harfield Village Association, Har-Lyn Neighbourhood Watch, Friends of Harfield Parks, Claremont police, Fidelity ADT, U-Turn and the ward councillor’s office.
“It’s important to work well with other associations; It’s when we work together, we can get things done,” she said.
“I have a passion for people and connectivity. I look forward to interacting with the community, and there are a lot of people that care. We saw that become visible since the start of Covid-19, and together we can make a difference.”
The HVCID would continue to keep in touch with the community through the local Facebook group and weekly newsletters, she said.