Ottawa criminal lawyer Lauren Rock wasn’t expecting to become president of Centretown’s main community association this year, but when former president Thomas McVeigh departed suddenly this past January, Rock decided to take on the challenge.
She is planning to use the position – and her legal experience – to protect residents’ interests at a time of tumultuous change in the city core.
Rock, 29, says her legal training will specifically help with ongoing challenges to the city’s new official plan, passed last May.
“This is an affirmative event for the community as a whole, the fact that I can bring my legal training to bear on our association’s position in that process will be a good coincidence,” says Rock.
She says the past two months of being president have been challenging, but she says she wants to do all she can to ensure the public is informed about such issues as controversial property developments and transportation planning.
“This is an affirmative event for the community as a whole, the fact that I can bring my legal training to bear on our association’s position in that process will be a good coincidence,” says Rock.
Rock says the past two months of being president have been challenging, but she says she wants to do all she can to ensure the public is informed about such issues as controversial property developments and transportation planning.
Rock had originally planned to be vice-president for the year and then run for the president’s post in the 2014 fall election, but that plan changed on Jan. 21.
At the annual general meeting in January, McVeigh notified the board of directors that he would be running against Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes for a seat on city council and therefore would be resigning as president to avoid any conflicts of interests.
McVeigh says he knew from the start of the year that he would be leaving the president’s post mid-way through his term but he “didn’t want to come out (at the beginning) and say I was running until I knew for sure” about becoming a municipal candidate, he says.