People Engaged in Raising Leaders (P.E.R.L.) January Newsletter

The Boulder County
boards and commissions bi-annual recruitment is underway.

Nearly 60 positions will be open, including the Adult Protection Board, Board of Review,
Aging Advisory Council, Board of Health, Board of Review, Cultural Council, Housing and Human Services Advisory Council, among others.

You
can view the descriptions of each board and commission here. If you are interested and would like
more information, please contact Robin Valdez at ravaldez@bouldercounty.org.

The deadline to submit applications for the winter recruitment session is Friday, Jan. 19.

AND

To help you with this process, The
Community Foundation Boulder County is holding two upcoming gatherings for PERL graduates about Boulder County Boards and Commissions in
Longmont & Boulder.

Deb Gardner, Boulder County Commissioner, has
graciously agreed to join us to go over Boulder County Commission openings and
walk you through the process to apply.

Wednesday, Jan. 3 at 12 p.m. at the The
Community Foundation, 1123
Spruce St. in Boulder. http://goo.gl/maps/4lz4B

Park
in the garage across the street from the Foundation office.

Thursday, Jan 4 at 5:30 p.m. at the St.
Vrain Community Hub, 515
Coffman St., in Longmont, https://goo.gl/maps/mWVvpLyvE5E2

Please
RSVP to Elvira Ramos at elvira@commfound.org

The Lafayette Cultural Arts Commission (LCAC) promotes, nurtures,
and celebrates the visual, performing, and language arts by providing
opportunities for the public to appreciate and enjoy art in its various forms. The deadline to apply is January 17.
For more information how to apply, click here.

The Lafayette Open Space Advisory Committee (LOSAC) makes recommendations regarding the acquisition and management of open space properties, and oversees the implementation of the PROST Master Plan. The application will remain open until the position is filled. For more information on how to apply, click here.

The Public Art Committee (PAC), a
subcommittee of the Cultural Arts Commission (LCAC), is an advisory group
appointed by City Council to review proposals and make recommendations
regarding the selection and display of public artwork. The deadline to apply is January 4.
For more information on how to apply click here.

The Senior Advisory Board of Lafayette Senior Services advises City Council and Senior Services staff in matters pertaining to the 55 and older population of Lafayette. The application will remain open until the position is filled. For more information on how to apply, click here.

The United Nations Association's Boulder chapter presented 2015 PERL Graduate, Nikhil Mankekar, with the International Human Rights Award.

Nikhil, a native of Boulder, is active in many local causes related to promoting and celebrating marginalized populations.

After graduation from P.E.R.L., he was appointed to the City of Boulder's Human Relations Commission and has been a champion for causes that include advocacy for immigrants and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients; the creation of an Indigenous Peoples Day in Boulder; and combating the criminalization of homelessness.

Nikhil is Indian-American and a follower of the Sikh faith, and he said he knows firsthand what it is like to feel marginalized in Boulder.

"The reason I've stayed and lived in Boulder, even despite discrimination that I've experienced, is to do what I'm doing now and to make it a better place for everyone," he said.

"I'm just happy to be recognized for what I've been doing in the community around human rights," Mankekar added. "I've put a lot of myself into this, into human and civil rights issues."