LIA Board of Governors June 2026 Update

Greetings, Lordship Neighbors,

What a beautiful day! We hope you have a chance to enjoy it and everything that makes Lordship special — whether from your porch, on a walk, or while salty and sandy on the beach.

The Lordship Improvement Association (LIA) Board has been together now for about a month, following turnover this spring. Like any new volunteer team, we are learning, listening, and working hard to get up to speed. We appreciate the many neighbors who have reached out with questions, concerns, ideas, and offers to help.

We also recognize that recent years have been frustrating for many in our community.

Misunderstandings have contributed to unnecessary division and we’d like to turn the page. We know there are differing perspectives on a number of issues, and we’ve also seen some inaccurate information shared online. (See below* for a few things we’d like to correct!)

If you have questions, please ask us directly. We’d much rather have a conversation than let misunderstandings continue. To facilitate discussions, we are planning a Board member Meet and Greet at the gazebo across from Our Lady of Peace Church (651 Stratford Road) on Wednesday, July 1 at 7 pm. Come share your perspective with us, get to know us, bring your questions and ideas and have a cookie or two.

As a new team, we are approaching the issues with open minds and will continue to evaluate them carefully as we move forward.

One question we’ve heard frequently is how the LIA is governed. Since 2012, when the Russian Beach conservation trust property was deeded to the LIA, the organization has operated under bylaws designed to protect the land while remaining a place for the community to enjoy.

Under those bylaws, Board candidates are identified and vetted for open positions before being presented during the Annual Meeting to LIA donor members for election to three-year terms, while vacancies between elections are filled by Board appointment for the remainder of the unexpired term. That is the process that was followed this Spring.

At the same time, we are reviewing the bylaws, including a proposal to return to staggered annual elections. The Board intends to return to that process this year, by presenting a slate of two Board members at the July 15 LIA Annual Meeting (7-9 pm at the Our Lady of Peace Church Hall, 651 Stratford Road).

Another goal we have is to include as many people as possible in the organization. We’re currently accepting self-nominations for our open Communications Director position. Check out more information on the position on our website if you have an interest: www.lordshipct.org/blog-1 

We also are organizing several volunteer committees. Whether you have professional experience or simply want to lend a hand, we’d love to have you involved. Our target committee list includes:

• Event Committee

• Conservation and Beautification Committee

• Hospitality Committee – welcoming those new to Lordship and the LIA

• Membership Committee

• Beach Enhancement, and

• Safety Committee

If you’ d like to volunteer, please email LordshipIA@gmail.com, or join us at the LIA Annual Meeting on July 15 and sign up. If you don’t see a committee that matches your interests, let us know — we’re always open to new ideas.

Lordship is a truly special place, and the LIA exists to help preserve what makes it so — for our beaches and open spaces, and our strong sense of community. None of that happens without volunteers, and we are grateful to everyone who gives their time and energy to this neighborhood.

We are still finding our footing as a new team, but we’re excited about what’s ahead. We hope you’ll be part of it. Together, we can keep Lordship a treasured place to live for generations to come.

Best wishes,

The Lordship Improvement Association Inc.Board of Governors

Anne-Victoria Canevari, Jennifer Watkins, Susan Birge, Jane Scofield, Marcella Rooney

*  A few clarifications:

• Financial records are available on the LIA website and are reviewed during our public quarterly meetings.

• Weddings are not banned on the Bluffs. We paused toilets, tents and the trucks servicing them until we figure out how to minimize the impact to the Bluffs (join the Events Committee to help work out this issue).

• The history of the beach cottages 1947 Agreement was reviewed internally as part of the orientation process for new Board members. No external actions were taken this year.

Web: www.LordshipCT.org