I wanted to offer a list of 10 resolutions for 2012 to German Village Society members and our neighbors.

But I feel like I’m a little late trying to catch the resolutions bandwagon. I’m late because the society’s board of trustees met Saturday, Jan. 7, and I wanted my goals for the year to reflect their priorities.

So let’s try a different tack.

I used to be convinced David Letterman was stalking me. His “home office” moved to Sioux City, Iowa, just after I did. When I left, wouldn’t you know it, his “home office” moved to Wahoo, Neb. That’s my dad’s hometown, and now suddenly, Dave and I were two degrees of separation twice removed.

So with that connection in mind, I offer the “Top 10 things You Can Expect for German Village in the Year 2012.”

• No. 1: The German Village Society will be a passionate and vocal advocate for historic preservation in German Village. Historic preservation is what creates much of what you love about life here: our streetscapes, our brick exteriors and the sense that we can live our very modern, contemporary lives in a location that has a true sense of place and of history. Historic preservation is not something museums are tasked with — we, alone and together, work to uphold it.

• No. 2: The GVS will support the work of the German Village Commission. What, those are different? If you’re not so sure how or why, look to future columns for firm guidance. But for now, know that the GVC comprises seven mayoral appointees who serve without compensation to preserve, protect and enhance the unique architectural and historical features of the German Village Historic District. The GVS is committed to preserving the integrity and essence of the historic district, while encouraging the rehabilitation of existing properties and the creation of new structures to add vitality to the contemporary urban community. However, the society gets no vote on your property project.

• No. 3: The GVS will support and advocate for historic preservation outside of its 233 acres. German Village was the first historic district in Columbus and remains the largest privately funded historic district in the country. We are leaders in historic preservation. While our first focus is home, the German Village Society supports the efforts of other local neighborhoods with similar historic missions that strive to maintain the integrity of their communities. And we take “how do you do it” calls from out of town and out of state all of the time, too.

• No. 4: The GVS will advocate for your quality of life. A big chunk of that definition lies in No. 1, but it is also more. We stood up in front of the Columbus Board of Zoning Adjustment to ask for noise limitations at Cooper Stadium. We’re working with ODOT to understand and plan for I-70/71 changes. We hold monthly police luncheons for open dialogue with the men and women who protect us. The good life here is not just bricks, and the society understands that.

• No. 5: The GVS will help you, help your kids, help your family or help your best friend in Canada learn about what it does. Collectively, we have centuries of know-how on historic preservation. The education piece is critical to our mission. We’re working on fun bus tours and tours for students that align with state education standards. We’re staffing the visitors center more than 3,000 man-hours a year to welcome visitors and share our story. We’re reaching out to like-minded preservationists to share what we know and learn from them.

• No. 6: The GVS will give you a reason to interact with members. Yes, the society would love nothing more than to have your family be members. But whether you join or not, you can help the society’s work. We’re always seeking volunteers to lend their special talents, or just their extra time, to make our home better.

• No. 7: The GVS will give businesses a reason to stay. The German Village Business Community is one of the most vibrant commercial clubs you can imagine. A quick glance at the directory gets you dog-walkers, European linens, world-class cuisine, financial advisors, dentists, hospitality gurus — the list goes on, but you know you cannot have a world-class pedestrian community without strong neighborhood vendors.

• No. 8: The GVS will welcome you. Many of those member businesses are your first points of contact in the village. Engage a landlord or a real-estate agent. Figure out that the very best chiropractor in the city is inside our footprint. Take our walking tour from your smartphone. No matter how you first discover German Village, we offer you welcoming, knowledgeable people that will be instant friends and part of your lifelong network.

• No. 9: The GVS will make you proud. For me, every time I pick up a National Geographic or a list of restaurant reviews, my first hunt is for places I’ve already visited. It is so much fun to have prior knowledge of a place in the spotlight; it’s like your own little secret that the world now shares. Whether it is getting German Village into the 200Columbus bicentennial conversation, representing your quality-of-life issues at City Hall or making a name for ourselves so that no matter where you travel, when you tell people you are from Columbus, they will say: “Oh, I’ve heard of German Village,” and you will have that pride of belonging, too.

• No. 10: The GVS will ask you to contribute. Sorry to bury it at the end, but these nine priorities cost money and they take countless man-hours. Whether you’re asked to help at the $50 individual membership level, give your time, buy Haus und Garten Tour tickets, engage your company as a sponsor or a volunteer corps, help us locate a grant opportunity or spend money in a member business, we will ask you to help us with the work we do. You will without question get your money’s and time’s worth. I make that resolution to you.

Shiloh Todorov is director of the German Village Society.