Barbara Russell has earned a rest.

After eight contentious years serving as Oakland Mills' representative to the Columbia Association Board of Directors -- aka the Columbia Council -- Russell says she's just plain tired, and that that's the long and short of why she isn't running for re-election.

Now the board's chairwoman, Russell first got elected in 2000 following a campaign in which she promised to work for greater openness on the CA board and transparency in CA operations. She has kept that promise.

The latest example occurred when General Growth Properties executives invited the CA board to meet with them privately to discuss downtown redevelopment. Russell declined on behalf of the board, insisting that any such meeting must take place in view of the public.

General Growth balked at first, but eventually relented.

The CA board has often been mired in conflict and -- although that conflict began before her tenure -- Russell has often been at the center of the board's disputes, some of which turned personal.

But while the board could certainly benefit from a little more decorum, Russell's motives have been honorable. When presented with a choice between protecting the corporation and protecting the interest of those who fund the association through the annual fee, she has always chosen the latter.

With CA preparing to deal with some big issues -- hiring a new president, Kimco Realty's plans for the Wilde Lake Village Center and the aforementioned downtown redevelopment -- Russell's mindset and tenacity would serve the residents well in the coming year.

But she's had enough.

We don't blame her, and we wish her well.

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