Neighbor of The Month: Sean Lohman

Alan Sindler, Sue Sindler, and Sean Lohman at Goat Patch Brewing Co.

By: Heather Briggs

Sue Sindler has lived in the same house in the Roswell neighborhood for 36 years, and she's never remembered a time when the area has felt so active and alive. What started the awakening? A neighborhood clean-up and dumpster, organized by Karen George several summers ago, that led to the formation of a Neighborhood Watch program, that just kept leading to more and more events. Sean Lohman was one of the neighbors who hopped on the train and started helping Karen organize.  

Sean moved to the Roswell neighborhood in 2018 and loves to bring his tech and engineering skills to the table. Sue Sindler says she nominated him for Neighbor of The Month because “his creativity inspires me.” He loves to build things and helps put together the neighborhood newsletter, Facebook page, and buttons that have a Roswell logo on them. He serves as a block captain and recently led the Neighborhood Historic Walk, featured here. Sue also admires how much time and effort he puts into his yard, inspiring neighbors with native and water-wise plants and grasses.

The Neighborhood Watch program with the CSPD started last October and began with about 8 block captains. Regular meetings are open to the entire neighborhood. While crime and safety (Roswell lacks sidewalks in many areas and is in need of additional stop signs) were the initial concerns for reaching out to the city, neighborhood involvement has grown to include activities of camaraderie and play. In just 9 months, the neighborhood watch program has led to a perceived decrease in crime, a traffic study from the city, and growth in community bonds. Safety meetings have expanded into social activities that have included a holiday light tour with hot coco, happy hours at brew pubs, a fire safety presentation from the fire department, a creek clean-up, and most recently the historic neighborhood walk. Now neighbors are dreaming about yoga in the park, garden tours, and a block party.

Sean said that when he found out he was nominated for Neighbor of The Month he felt very honored. To him, being a good neighbor means being available for someone not only when they need help, but also for fun.  “The fun stuff matters just as much, we can't just show up in an emergency,” Sean says. Sue claims that Sean’s willingness to show up adds a lot of energy to the neighborhood that they need and didn't have before. Sean's hope for Roswell is that it continues to grow in connection. “We have so many amazing people who live here and deserve to be proud of this neighborhood,” he said. Sue and Sean’s parting advice to neighbors everywhere: “Get outside of your house. You can have everything delivered these days, and it’s easy to stay in. When you get outside you see things, connect with neighbors. That’s how you’re going to meet people.”

Do you have a friendly, helpful, and trustworthy neighbor that you want to nominate for Neighbor of The Month? We would love to share their story!