New council member appointed

Cherie Hinson will fill the seat that was left vacant by former VP Terry Bruno

SOUTH COATESVILLE >> Borough Council appointed a new council member at Tuesday night’s meeting to fill the seat that was left vacant when former Council Vice President Terry Bruno resigned.

Council considered two candidates for the vacant seat: Cherie Hinson and John Washington, both of whom had submitted resumes and letters of interest to the borough for the seat on council.

Hinson won the seat, with council members Renee Carey, Sylvia Washington, Barbara Newsuan and Craig Morris voting in favor of her, and Councilwoman Trish Milanese voting in favor of John Washington. Councilman Bill Henson was not present at the meeting.

Hinson accepted the seat on council, but before she can sit on council she must have her affidavit of residency notarized and then be sworn in within 10 days

of accepting the seat. The swearing-in ceremony does not need to be held at a public meeting. She will have to run in an election in November if she wishes to retain the seat on council.

Hinson has lived in South Coatesville with her husband since Dec. 2003. She said she has been coming to council meetings for the past several months, and decided she wanted to get more involved.

“I was getting increasingly frustrated not knowing what my rights were, what it really meant to have a government of representation, when I felt like I was not being represented or did not have a voice in what was happening,” she said.

Hinson, 51, has a PhD in English from Penn State University, and her career background is in higher education and corporate. She currently works as a design director for a design consulting firm in Harrisburg called Red Privet.

She said that similarities can be found between those fields and working in government. “You’re always dealing with people, and needing to figure out what they need or what they’re trying to solve, and keeping a clear head no matter how you feel about it,” she said.

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