DOWNEY - Former Downey mayor Meredith Perkins will become president of the Optimist Club of Downey on Oct.1, current club President Mark Sauter announced."Meredith is a great leader, and our club is lucky to have someone who continues to be dedicated to helping make Downey the best it can be," Sauter said. Rancho Los Amigos Foundation executive director Greg Waskul was named president-elect. Sauter was recently honored at the annual Downey Coordinating Council dinner as the Optimist Club's volunteer of the Year. "Mark has done an excellent job in leading the club through a remarkable year, including a record-setting 2010 Pumpkin Patch event in conjunction with Soroptimist International and the City of Downey, the Optimist Club's highly successful Charity Golf Tournament this spring, and the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Rancho last month," said former Downey mayor and Optimist Club immediate past president Bob Winningham. "Mark brings the same dedication to his Optimist duties as he has demonstrated for many years first as Downey Fire Chief and today as Deputy City Manager/Emergency Operations Chief. "An important quality Mark, Meredith and Greg share is a passion to help the youth of this city…and that's what the Optimist Club is all about."

********** Published: June 2, 2011 - Volume 10 - Issue 7