To the Editor:
We have known Jon Durbin for over 15 years, primarily through his affiliation with Princeton Little League. A period some would call the golden age of baseball in Princeton. During that time, the league celebrated Princeton’s first of many district and sectional championships, and the league dramatically expanded the number of community events and programs that it offered.
So, what did Jon do to make the league so successful?
First, he was supremely accessible. He wanted to hear your thoughts, your ideas, and where the league could do better.
He collaborated with the recreation department and the town in creative ways. By being innovative, Jon created win-win situations for both the town and the league.
He collaborated with the middle school and high school baseball programs so that children from the Little League could make a seamless transition to those teams. He encouraged older kids to become umpires which allowed them to become mentors for the younger players, and which had the positive effect of building community amongst our youth.
He built a strong board of directors — people who were doers and creative, outsidethebox thinkers — who worked under a few clear principles: it had to be fun, it had to be fair, it had to be safe. If it was good for the league, the sport, and the wider community, we would find a way to do it. His enthusiasm was energizing, and he empowered us to lead new endeavors.
Just as important, and as an example of his character, even when Jon believed something was good for the league, he was open and willing to change. For example, Jon initially supported putting artificial turf over our natural grass fields to maximize field use. However, after hearing about the negative aspects of turf to our children’s health and the environment, he changed his mind. He now supports preserving the natural beauty of our playing fields for the benefit of everyone — exactly the kind of thoughtful stewardship we need in this town.
That is the kind of leadership Jon has already shown for our community — and it is the kind of leadership we should all want on Princeton’s Council.