I received a postcard early in 2016 with an invitation to take the first Vision Fountain Hills community survey. Little did I know that those five minutes of taking the survey would begin a new journey for me.

Shortly after submitting it, I received an invitation to attend the VisionFH follow-up workshop. Since moving here in 1997, I had been too busy raising my kids to get involved in the community or to meet any of the community leaders. Attending the workshop gave me my first real glimpse of our community and how it functions. Not only did I learn about our town, I was also able to share my opinions. My desire to get involved grew from there.

The Fountain Hills Leadership Academy was birthed out of the VisionFH workshop and I learned about it in the newspaper. I immediately signed up. My experience in the Leadership Academy was a pivotal moment for me. Since that time in 2016, I have learned so much through these organizations that I have volunteered with: The River of Time Museum, Fountain Hills Cultural & Civic Association, Fountain Hills Dark Sky Association, International Dark Sky Discovery Center, Fountain Hills Leadership Academy, Sister Cities Advisory Commissioner and more!

Before I took that VisionFH survey, Fountain Hills was just a place where my family and I lived. Now, it’s a community where we belong and feel connected. This entire shift started with filling out the survey.

VisionFH currently has the Community Satisfaction Survey online and workshops will follow to provide even more opportunities for our residents to stay informed and participate in important discussions for our town. I believe it’s worth your while to participate. You can go to VisionFH.org to take the survey and share your ideas. Then, stay engaged so you can find connections that I believe will bring you valuable experiences within our community!