New councilmembers to begin in Othello

OTHELLO — Othello City Council is welcoming two new councilmembers to the city.

Genna Dorow and John Reneau begin their council term in 2010.

Mayor Pro-tem Tim Wilson was elected to serve as the city’s mayor and Councilmember Ken Caylor was re-elected to another term.

Dorow, 40, is originally from Arkansas. She moved to Yakima as a child with her family. She graduated from Central Washington University with a degree in biology and minors in zoology and botany.

She met her husband Chris while in college. The pair moved to Othello in 1995 because Chris grew up in the community.

Together they are raising two young children, Dakota and Demi.

She said she spends a lot of time with her kids and going to their activities including soccer games, ballet recitals and professional hockey games in Tri-Cities.

She also works for her husband’s dental practice, Othello Dental Arts Practice, as the office manager.

Dorow handles payroll and insurance billing.

She also spends time volunteering with Xi Beta Xi, an area women’s sorority. Through the sorority, she helps with fund-raisers benefiting the community.

“It’s really a neat group of women and I really enjoy it,” she said.

Dorow is no stranger to Othello. She worked in the public works department for about 10 years. She earned the highest certification in wastewater operation and water distribution management. Part of her previous job entailed analyzing the water supply.

Dorow said she plans to use her water and wastewater knowledge to the benefit of the city.

Prior to running for the position, she said she was approached by a community member who encouraged her to sign up for candidacy. She thought about it and on the final day to register, she did.

“I felt like I could help,” she said.

Dorow’s goals for the position include helping Othello grow in a balanced manner and keeping infrastructure updated.

Reneau, 32, is originally from Montana. He graduated from Montana State University with a degree in marketing and political science.

After college he was recruited to ConAgra Foods-Lamb Weston as a production supervisor. Afterward he was a sales representative with Kraft Foods.

In 2007 he was contacted by McCain Foods in Othello to come work for them as a production supervisor. He took the job and decided to become active in the community.

He joined the Greater Othello Chamber of Commerce as a board member in 2008 and became the president in 2009. He is a volunteer firefighter and is a member of the Othello Rotary Club.

“I’ve always had an interest in politics and local government,” Reneau said.

At first he didn’t have an interest in joining city council until he traveled to Spokane to represent Othello at the state convention during the presidential election.

He explained he saw a lack of young individuals at the convention, involved with politics and got inspired to get more involved.

One of his goals on council is to encourage younger people to participate in government.

“I really like Othello,” he said. “If there was ever a good place to learn politics and administration, this is an incredible opportunity.”

Reneau explained the city’s financial situation is in great shape and the administration is in order, making it a model city.

“The people of Othello are really nice,” he said.

Reneau said he felt welcomed into the community when he first moved there a couple years ago. He said he is thankful to his supporters who voted for him even though he ran unopposed. Reneau explained because people voted for him, he understands there is an expectation for him to do what is in the community’s best interest.

“That’s very exciting,” he said.

His goals for the position also include moving forward with street improvements and placing a focus on the appearance of the downtown area. He hopes to encourage business owners to improve their storefronts and remove condemned and run down buildings to make the area more attractive.

“I would like to see more business encouraged here,” he said.

Reneau explained Othello is a great place for large businesses to locate and hopes to help the city grow. He said he also wants to make Othello a great place for developers to build homes. He said there is a need for more diverse housing options.