Village Board

Annual Meeting/Election 2026

The Annual Meeting/Election this year will be on Saturday, April 25, 2026, 9:00 am – 12:00pm. The Village Board will convene the Annual Meeting at 12:00pm. Keep an eye out for your absentee ballot arriving in the mail in April with more information! Use the absentee ballot to vote, or vote on Election Day.

The Big Matchup: Columbia Council

It’s official—we have a race! Micajah McGarity is challenging incumbent Skye Anderson for the seat on the Columbia Council. This is your chance to decide who represents Hickory Ridge at the Columbia Association level.

Candidate Forum – in-person at The Hawthorn Center, Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 7:00pm Please arrive early if you would like to ask the candidates a question.

Candidate Forum – virtual, Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at 7:00pm. View the recording!

MEET THE CANDIDATES! Each candidate has answered a Questionnaire that will give you more information about them. Click on the links below to view!

Skye Anderson

Candidate answers to Questionnaire

Candidate Statement: Having lived in Clarys Forest for 36 years, served on every village committee including the village board for 5 and the CA board for the past 3, I bring experience to the table. As Columbia approaches 60, CA must continue to invest wisely to support what we value. Like you, I value Open Space and our pathways, the classes, and music at the Lakefront along with the other recreational opportunities available. We must recognize that our aging facilities and environmentally sensitive land require careful consideration for the future. Besides setting overall CA policy and coordinating the work of our CEO without micromanaging our in-house experts, the board must plan for the future with imagination and sound financial judgement. As a scientist, I strive to be objective and to that end I will seek your opinions while educating myself on the issues. Experience counts: vote for Skye Anderson, the experienced candidate.

Micajah “Mike” McGarity

Candidate answers to Questionnaire

Candidate statement: I have lived in Columbia since 2016 and love raising my four children here. I currently serve on the Hickory Ridge Village Board, and CA is part of my life. I’ve trained for marathons on its paths and swum countless laps in its pools. Now, my kids are on CA swim teams and are cared for by CA’s KidSpace. With a PhD in Geography and Environmental Engineering, I am passionate about sustainability and improving our lived environment. At CA, I will advocate for preserving Columbia’s original design while pursuing thoughtful improvements, but I will not support big changes like replacing outdoor pools with splashpads. Children learn to swim in pools, not on splashpads. We should preserve our pools and build splashpads on undeveloped CA-owned land, such as the area by the Hickory Ridge Village Center. Finally, I stand for the repair and revitalization of the Village Center—not its redevelopment.

The “Already In” Crew: Village Board

The Village Board race is a bit quieter this year. Since Mark Covington and Mariah Robertson were the only two candidates for five available seats, they are considered elected by the membership per the Bylaws. Congrats to our returning board members!

Hickory Ridge needs volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering for the Village Board, please submit a letter of interest to manager@hickoryridgevillage.org. When the new Board is seated after May 1, the members may appoint additional people to the Board.

Questions? Reach out to the Village Manager at manager@hickoryridgevillage.org or 410-730-7327.

What Does the Village Board Do?

The Village Board is elected by the community each April to advocate for residents, set policy, and uphold the covenants. The Board hires and supervises the Village Manager, approves the budget, and provides representation and is a liaison to the county, Columbia Association, and other community groups. The Village Board usually meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. The meetings on the second Monday of the month are virtual at The Hawthorn Center, the meetings on the fourth Monday are hybrid. The meetings begin at 7:30 pm and the meeting invitation is available on the Meeting, Minutes and Agenda page.

Village Board

The Village Board meets on the second Mondays, and if necessary, the fourth Mondays of the month at 7:30pm. The Columbia Association Council meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. Candidate information is available on the website.

Currently serving members:

Columbia Council FY2026

Skye Anderson – skye.anderson@ca-board.org

Hickory Ridge Village Board FY2026

Email all of the Board members at board@hrvboard.org.

• Kristine Amari – kristine@hrvboard.org
• Mark Covington, Vice Chair – mark@hrvboard.org
• Stephen Hannan, Chair – steve@hrvboard.org
• Mike McGarity – mike@hrvboard.org
• Mariah Robertson – mariah@hrvboard.org

Please Note: All written communication submitted to the Hickory Ridge Community Association, including the Hickory Ridge Village Board, is subject to disclosure pursuant to public information requests under The Maryland Homeowners Association Act.

All Board members are required to sign the Conflict of Interest policy. An updated prohibited entity list is below.

HICKORY RIDGE PROHIBITED ENTITY LIST

View the Annual Report on Village activities.