In a process that was more transparent than in the past, the South Suburban Board of Directors appointed Lone Tree resident Cathie Frazzini to its board. Frazzini, who was selected after public interviews, will serve the remainder of the term left vacant by Susan Pye, who recently resigned.
Frazzini was one of six candidates considered for the position at a special meeting on Wednesday night. During the meeting, the candidates answered questions from board members about equity, experience and handling disagreements.
“(South Suburban) is recognized, financially and operationally, as one of the top parks and recreation districts for its size in the United States,” board member Pete Barrett said to the candidates. “If you are appointed to this position, or even if you’re not, and you decide to run in a year, you would be joining one of the outstanding organizations in the country, and you should be proud of that.”
Frazzini recently completed eight years of service on the Lone Tree City Council. During her time there, she served four years as mayor pro tem and has already worked with South Suburban on a subcommittee. She also has experience on the executive boards of the Colorado Municipal League and the Lone Tree Arts Center Guild.
Frazzini works in the software industry, where she has held leadership roles. She has four children and captains a tennis team that plays at the Lone Tree tennis courts.
“I have spent a lot of time on other boards and commissions over time, so I think I can bring to bear some good team dynamics and the ability to assist in civil discourse as a group,” Frazzini said during her interview, which she attended via Zoom because she was in California for a business trip.
Frazzini said she is an advocate for youth recreation and has a deep understanding of fiscal responsibility, helping Lone Tree navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
The board interviewed several other candidates for the role, including former Littleton City Council member Amy Conklin, and former Centennial City Council members Mark Gotto and Kathy Turley.
Elizabeth Watson, who ran in the 2023 South Suburban board election, and Connor Gnazzo, a health care technology professional, were also interviewed. Centennial resident Claud Payne submitted an application, but did not attend the special meeting.
After the interviews, the board members discussed their priorities in choosing an appointee. They highlighted financial and prior board experience and a willingness to learn.
An initial round of voting, conducted on secret ballots, resulted in a tie, with two board members voting for Frazzini and two voting for Gotto.
“There’s kind of a dilemma that’s created when you have a bunch of quality applicants,” Barrett said. “The decision is difficult, but you’re still forced to make it.”
After more discussion, Frazzini was declared the winner in a second vote.
Board member Keith Gardner thanked those who ran for the seat and said he was happy with how the appointment process has changed since his appointment last year.
“I, a year ago, went through the same process — albeit much different, which explains a lot of the ways we’re doing things tonight,” he said.
Last year, the board did not publicly post candidate applications online ahead of the meeting and did not host public interviews, as reported by the Littleton Independent. This year, it added both of these steps to the process. Executive Director Rob Hanna said community feedback asking for more transparency led to the changes.
Board member Pam Eller said the board was grateful for the opportunity to improve the process.
Frazzini will be sworn in at the board’s June 12 meeting. She will serve in her interim role until 2025, at which point she will have the opportunity to run for a full term.