OJAI : 17-Year-Old Student Is Sworn In as Parks Commissioner

While most high school seniors learn about American government by taking a required course, 17-year-old Danielle Gehr is seeing it first-hand.

The Nordhoff High School senior took an oath of office Friday to fill the seat of outgoing Ojai Parks and Recreation Commissioner Eileen Labor, becoming Ojai’s youngest city official.

Danielle first served as a special, non-voting youth member of the commission after her mother, Assistant City Planner Marilyn Miller, brought home an application in early 1991.

“The main reason I encouraged her to apply for the seat was that I think it is very important for people to be involved in their government,” Miller said. “I also thought it would be a good experience for her and provide a chance to see how government really works.”

Danielle was selected from a handful of applicants and took her seat in September. She was charged with bringing a youthful perspective to the commission’s deliberations and involving more local youths in its programs. “The main thing about my position before was to get more kids involved. That hasn’t changed, I just get to vote now,” she said after the commission’s meeting Thursday night.

The meeting offered an example of how the experiment was working.

Danielle had been charged with responding to a letter the commission received from Christopher Del Negro, one of her classmates, regarding graffiti on a large rock just outside Ojai.

She reported to the panel that she contacted Del Negro at school, and told him that the rock was in Los Padres National Forest and outside the commission’s jurisdiction. “He seemed happy with that explanation,” she said.

Although Ojai’s youngest official envisions a career as an interior designer or dental assistant rather than as a politician, she said her experiences as a parks and recreation commissioner have been exciting.

“I guess I’m just really interested in what goes on here in the city of Ojai.”