LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Community hall renamed for Tatzin


Mayor Don Tazin, left, poses next to Vice Mayor Cam Burks at the community hall renaming. Photo Pippa Fisher

A sizeable crowd showed up for the Nov. 26 city council meeting. And people weren't there to hear policy discussed on this occasion - they were there in appreciation of Mayor Don Tatzin, for whom the community hall at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center was being renamed in his honor.

In recognition of all the hard work and dedication Tatzin put into making the library a reality nine years ago, the LLLC Foundation proposed renaming the hall to the Don Tatzin Community Hall as Tatzin steps down from public service after 33 years.

Vice Mayor Cam Burks noted that they were standing in the middle of the heart of the city. "And I'm standing next to the man who represents the spirit of this heart," he said.

Burks said that there is only one leader whose impact has been so profound and so enormous, decade after decade. "And that is Don Tatzin. And that is why the heart of Lafayette, our Library and Learning Center Community Hall, is being named in his honor."

"Under incredibly complex and challenging circumstances - specifically around funding and sustainability - Don led the way, not only serving as the financial architect but also ensuring that the library would be successful for generations to come," said Burks.

LLLCF President Victoria DeMoss spoke of Tatzin's "funding genius" and said that it was her distinct honor to recognize Tatzin for his extraordinary vision and ongoing leadership of the library.

Tatzin said that he was humbled by the honor and credited the hard work of many who made it possible.

To future users of the building Tatzin suggested, "Gain personal rewards by what you do for the community, act with fairness, transparency and openness, create rapid evolutionary change, think differently, spread credit widely, learn from criticism and remember that public service is just that."