Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Spending Tax Money and Endorsements….



On the City of Hemet's City Council Agenda for November 15, 2016 was the purchase of two 2017 F-150 XL Pickup trucks. One for the water department ($53,026.46) and the other for the Facilities Maintenance Division ($36,594.55).  The total cost is $89,621.01.  Gosch Auto Group of Hemet won the bid over Carmenita Truck Center and Reynold’s Ford.  The council voted unanimously last night (5-0) to purchase the two vehicles mentioned above from the Gosch Auto Group.  Why is this important?  The City of Hemet just passed a General Fund Tax Measure (Measure U) on Tuesday, November 8th.  This tax measure was the second attempt at a tax measure after Measure E, a specific public safety tax that required a 2/3 plus one vote to pass, failed in the June primary. Measure U was backed by Keep Hemet Safe, Yes on U.  Eric Gosch served as a chair of both the Yes on U and Yes on E campaigns.  He was present at last night’s council meeting and acknowledged his role.  Measure U is a general fund tax.  This money can be spent to the council’s discretion.   There was a non-binding resolution passed by the council on August 23rd, 2016 to allocate the funds to public safety.  There was discussion during the November 15th council meeting about placing the resolution on the December agenda for the “new” council to vote on and adopt.  However, the council is not bound to allocate those funds to public safety, no matter how many times the resolution is adopted.  The independent citizens oversight committee for Measure U will be selected by the Hemet City Council. The following is taken from an article written by Craig Shultz of the Press Enterprise following the August 23rd Council Meeting discussing the oversight committee.


“One of those is creation of a seven-member citizens’ oversight committee and Howard Rosenthal, one of the leaders of the effort to get the tax passed, said the committee will be quite active.  “We, the business and professional coalition under ‘Keep Hemet safe,’ are committed to pay for CPAs annually to track each budget and if we see any sign that the monies from Measure U are not being used to fully fund public safety, we will create enormous constructive pressure on the elected (officials) to stay on course,” he wrote in a message”.

The Keep Hemet Safe, Yes on U campaign main committee is made up of the members from the Hemet/San Jacinto Action Group.  The oversight committee will be chosen by the city council, which is the very same group, that will be needing the oversight.  The applications to serve on the oversight committee will be available next month for those who want to apply.  Let’s see if the oversight committee members reflect the other commissions and committees of the city.  Again, to restate, the council voted last night (5-0) to purchase the two vehicles mentioned above from the Gosch Auto Group.  In addition to the Gosch’s involvement with Measures E and U, Mayor Bonnie Wright received an endorsement not only from the Gosch’s, but also the Keep Hemet Safe, Yes on U Campaign.  Newly elected council member, Meyer and Perciful, do not take office until December 13, 2016.  All three (Wright, Meyer and Perciful) were endorsed by the Keep Hemet Safe, Yes on U campaign.



http://hemetsanjacintoaction.org/committees - crime and safety committee, with Keep Hemet Safe website link

For information on who serves on Boards and Commissions in our valley, please see www.savehemet.blogspot.com and click on Who is Leading Hemet?
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Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Hemet: Human Sex Trafficking



WARNING: This piece is not suitable for some audiences.  


Human trafficking is not just about bringing people across borders and selling them.  The issue is far more complex than that.  According to the Department of Homeland Security, “Human trafficking is modern-day slavery and involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act”. In the research we have done, human trafficking is between a $32-42.5 billion/year industry worldwide and it is happening right here, in our own city.  It is between a $5-$9 billion/year industry in the US alone and rising.  In 2008, the United Nations estimated that 2.5 million people from 127 countries were trafficked. The average age for boys and girls is eight and 11, respectively. Two years ago the average age for girls was 12 years of age.  About half of the females trafficked worldwide are under legal age.  When it comes to females, the traffickers are praying on younger pre-teen/teenage girls, who are ditching school, having social issues, suffering from depression, experiencing sexual/physical assault, mental abuse, etc.  The pimps/traffickers are either sending a girl close to the victims age or a “Romeo”  pimp to befriend them and gain their trust.  These girls often times go to school and work from the inside to recruit for the pimp/trafficker. 

More times than not, the victims have suffered from physical abuse, sexual assault or mental abuse in their own home.  In a presentation to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), CASA’s (Center Against Sexual Assault) Human Trafficking Outreach Worker explained that the pimps use The Maslow Hierarchy of Needs to seduce and manipulate their victims.  This way, they make the victims believe that they are prostituting on their own free will and that they want to be working.  The victims are manipulated by the pimp to the point they protect the pimp and will not ask for help, even in very public places.  Upon initial contact, if the victim does not have any vulnerabilities, the pimp will try to break the victim down, create a vulnerability, then build them back up.  The pimp then becomes the person that built them up, even though they initially are the ones who broke the victim down.  However, the victim is so manipulated by that point, that he/she doesn’t ever see that.  The pimp and his prostitutes create a family-like structure, giving the victims the “family/stability” and even “love” that they were not getting at home.  Yes, this is a lot of work, but imagine the pay off.  CASA’s Outreach Worker explained that this is not like a drug transaction where the drugs are sold then consumed.  Once consumed, drugs cannot be re-sold.  However, with human trafficking, the product (in this case children, males and females) can be sold many times a day, every day.  From the trafficker’s perspective, there is a high return on investment. What are the repercussions? Survivors of human trafficking suffer from PTSD, at minimum.  The mental, physical and emotional trauma they experience is horrific.

The Maslow Hierarchy of Needs

1.Physiological needs - air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep.

2. Safety needs - protection from elements, security, order, law, stability, freedom from fear.

3. Love - friendship, intimacy, trust and acceptance, receiving and giving affection and love, being part of a group (family, friends, work).

4. Esteem needs – achievement, independence, status, dominance, prestige, self-respect, respect from others.

5. Self-Actualization needs - realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.

Why Hemet?  It is still fairly rural.  There are quiet back roads in and out of Hemet.  As we can see, this activity is taking place in bus stops, motels/hotels, truck stops, massage businesses, etc.  There are known strips of prostitution. In Hemet, this area is Florida Ave. Aside from attending the presentation given to NAMI, I recently met with the Human Trafficking Outreach Worker for CASA. The Human Trafficking Division formed in May of 2016 and it is being built from the ground up.  The outreach worker told me that there are also workers coming into Hemet from out of town. They are coming in from San Bernardino, Los Angeles, San Diego, out of state, etc.  Hemet is the place to be right now.  The idea is to keep the sex trafficking victims disoriented on time and location, so that they do not gain any stability and ground – keeping them from thinking about goals and a life of their own.  The victims are often times branded with tattoos.  Before, hands were tattooed with symbols.  Now, what we are seeing is the tattooing of bar codes.  In an article from 2014 by The Independent (UK media source) the “symbolic tattoos assert ownership over 'assets' that can be sold for thousands of pounds”.   We are also seeing this locally.  An article regarding human trafficking out of San Diego is below.

 Most of the time the advertising is done on-line, making it seem as though the problem has disappeared.  The prostitutes have been dressing differently to blend in more into the surrounding environment. Just because a woman is wearing skimpy clothing does not mean that she is prostituting and vice-versa. We have massage businesses and motels interwoven and lining Florida Avenue.  The statistics on trafficking are difficult to collect because a good portion of the time, the victims do not even know that they are victims.  According to CASA’s outreach worker, they are trafficked into Hemet from out of the county and state for only a portion of time, approximately a day or two. The advertising is done on-line and appointments are usually set-up prior to their arrival.  There have been ordinances (Chapter 18, Article VII – Massage, Sec 18-211 – Sec 18-233) created in the City of Hemet for massage businesses, but when you check www.backpage.com, there are a multitude of locations that pop-up in Hemet alone, not to mention surrounding areas.  There are also ordinances regarding adult businesses and adult business performers (Chapter 18, Articles X and XI).  According to the article by The Independent, other places where victims are being recruited include “online dating, social media sites and fake job adverts online”.  The selling is also happening on mainstream social media sites.  Facebook actually addresses this on one of their Help Center pages, “What should I do if someone posts something related to human trafficking?” 


Another issue – The pimps and traffickers are no longer just your stereotype.  It has expanded to include your CEOs, elected officials, local business owner, etc.  They have their day job or business that they run, then have this entire enterprise set-up on the side.  There is a hierarchy. The victims do not get any of the money that they make for themselves.  The pimp/trafficker controls all of the money.  The victims barely eat.  However, they may be given a roof over their head to sleep at night.  If the pimp/trafficker thinks it is worth the investment, then they will give the victim money to get their hair and nails done. They may get the victims gifts on occasion, but that is just to further the manipulation.  It has also been the case that to keep the victims from escaping/leaving, the pimp/trafficker will tell the victims that they will kill their family members if they leave. Victims come from all different backgrounds.  The victims do not just come from low income or impoverished neighborhoods.  They also come from wealthy neighborhoods.   

Are human trafficking and homelessness related?  Yes. There is the issue of drug addiction on the streets.  In some cases, if a person was addicted to drugs before they came into the streets, they are pulled into trafficking to maintain their addiction.  If they were not addicted prior to entering the streets, then the goal is to befriend them, gain their trust and then get them addicted, so they can prostitute and deal the drugs for the trafficker/pimp.  Women on the streets are sexually assaulted on a constant basis.  The pimp/trafficker may offer them a place to sleep for the night, so that they can get some sleep instead of taking drugs to stay up all night, trying to avoid being sexually assaulted. 

It was discussed during the NAMI presentation and my interview with the outreach worker that SB 1322, the bill that passed that no longer prosecutes minors for prostitution, could backfire.  The contact made with the survivors of sex trafficking (offering resources) to get them out of that life when they are able/ready (remember the level of manipulation) was done when they were arrested and taken into the stations.  Because youth are no longer being prosecuted for prostituting, this now removes the ability to make contact and offer resources in a safe place, away from the eyes of their pimp/trafficker. Some of the backlash those working in the field are expecting is a significant increase in the number if underage prostitutes.  This also means that the amount of drug use among the youth is going to escalate.  Just one of the things that happens when we elect people who do not fully understand the policy they are creating, and hence, create bad policy.  



Below is the story of a local trafficking survivor.  The survivor’s name has been changed to Abigail to protect her identity.  It will not, under any circumstances, be revealed. 

Abigail grew up locally.  She learned from a very young age that if anything happens to her that it is a result of her actions; that she did something wrong.  This was constantly reinforced by family, including her mother and later, her in-laws.  Her parents separated when she was a baby.  She remembers telling her mother when she was with her dad that she did not want to visit him any longer because he beat her.  Her mother would respond with; you must have done something wrong. This would stay with Abigail.  She figured at an early age that it was useless to say anything to anyone.  She felt that if I deserve the treatment, then it doesn’t make any sense to speak up.  Abigail was also told, by family, that the only thing men would want from her is her body. When she was 12, she starved herself.  She started very young looking to boys for validation and love because she did not have that at home.  When Abigail was 14 years old, the “cool boy” in school wanted to go out with her.  All the girls wanted to be with him, but he chose her. She was invited to his house and being very naive, she went in the house to his room where she was sexually assaulted, even though she asked him to stop.

 She met someone else not long after and got pregnant. As a young mom, she began to heavily party to cope with what had happened regarding the sexual assault.  She ended up moving out of her mother’s house and with the baby’s father at her in-law’s house.  There, she was physically assaulted, continually. Her in-laws would tell their son, just don’t beat her when she has the baby.  She wanted to leave, but was told that she was not allowed to take the baby with her. She was not going to take her baby and be homeless on the streets. So, in 2002 (at 22 years old), she packed some things and went to Weston Park.  She would stay there at night, then go back home in the morning to take care of her child. Of course, as she was at Weston Park during the night, she turned to drugs to heal the pain and to try to stay awake.  The times she fell asleep, chances were that she was woken up to someone sexually assaulting her.  This happened numerous times.   The first time she was sexually assaulted, she had only been living on the streets for two weeks.  She chose to continue the drug use so that she could stay awake and walk up and down the street at night to keep from being sexually assaulted. 

Shortly after she started spending her nights at Weston, she was approached by some women who told her that she could stay with this woman in her house. Abigail explained that she didn’t understand at the time what that was going to entail, but she wanted off the streets and out of Weston Park. 

When she went to stay with this woman at her house, she was sent to motels to perform whatever act she was told.  The lady had everything set-up so that her girls were not on the streets but going to homes or motels.  She never saw any money that she made.  She said the woman was very mean.  Eventually this woman, who was pimping her out, passed away and the woman’s daughter was thrown in prison. Abigail turned to prostitution herself for survival.  Remember, she had no money, no self-esteem, had been routinely beaten and sexually assaulted.  She didn’t know anything else and was still living on the streets. She met a guy, who ended up being her boyfriend.   He would sneak her into his mom’s house every now and then, so she had a place to stay for the night and could sleep.  Then, he started beating her and pimping her out.  He even put her up for sale on the online sites without her knowledge.  He had a huge amount of control over her.  He would tell Abigail that he loved her and made her believe that she was the only person.  Again, he had control over the money.  So, she may have had a place to sleep at night but food was another story.  She was constantly hungry. 

On more than one occasion, they would be in a motel room and her boyfriend would tell her that a man was coming to pick her up and that she had to go with him.  Otherwise, she would be physically assaulted.  Her boyfriend was in and out of prison due to crimes he was committing.  Every time, he was incarcerated, she would feel free.  However, she was far from being free.  This is a small town and every time he was released; he knew where to find her. One of the times he was incarcerated, she was picked up by some people who knew him (she did not know this at the time) and was taken to Banning and beaten where she was left. They were teaching her a lesson.

Another time, someone she thought was a friend picked her up to go out. She woke-up in a motel room and bleeding to the point she couldn’t even sit down.  Even to this day, she has no idea what happened to her that night. During the interview, she stated that there are not enough showers that she could have ever taken.  She knows that there are locations in this valley that has had her blood splattered on the walls from being assaulted.

Due to the manipulation, she felt abandoned when her boyfriend was in prison.  Her thoughts are, he at least offered her a place to sleep and there was no way to fuel her habit and afford a motel/hotel room. Her body and her life were not her own.  Abigail was controlled with abuse and drugs. 

Since 2006, she has been out of the life, sober and has been reunited with her family. She has a passion to help others, who have been or are in a similar situation.   

The amount of love Abigail has is truly a testament to her strength; proving that we can overcome anything.
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Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Who is Leading Hemet?

After spending time looking at the status of our city along with the minutes of the last several years, I started to notice some things. First, I noticed that quite a few people’s names were popping up in multiple places. Second, I started to recognize names on multiple boards of community groups.  Third, there were instances I saw company names in minutes that were also affiliated with members of various boards.  The information is provided below and everything is very available on the web.  We just put it in one place for you. Not every board is included, but a good number are included.

Hemet-San Jacinto Action Group Board of Directors:

I am uncertain as to the last time this information was updated.  The Hemet Valley Medical Center has a new CHEO.  It is no longer Joel Bergenfeld.

Joel Bergenfeld, CHEO
Hemet Valley Medical Center
Matt Brudin, P.E.
Engineering Resources of So. California, Inc.
Dr. Kali P. Chaudhuri
Orthopedic Surgery
Rob Davis, Atty.
Davis Wojcik and Duarte
Dr. Lisa DeForest
DeForest Chiropractic
Cindy Domenigoni, Dev & Mgt.
Sky Canyon Enterprise, LLC
Bob Duistermars, Pres/CEO
Central United Way
Guy Excell
Rosenthall & Excell, Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc.
Kevin Farrenkopf, Pres/CEO
The Bank of Hemet
Edward J. Formica, DDS
Ed Formica Family Dentistry
Kevin Foutz, Dir of Ops
KM Strategic Management
Todd Foutz, CPA
Pehl, Foutz, Foutz, & Teegarden
Brian Fox, P. E.
Cozad & Fox
Mark Fredricksen, VP
Hub International
Dan Goodrich, GM
Sierra Dawn Estates HOA
Frank Gorman, P.E.
GW Engineering Civil Engineers
Eric Gosch, CEO
Gosch Auto Group
Gisela Gosch, President
Western Science Center Board
Wes Ingle, VP
The Bank of Hemet
Hamilton Jones
Miller-Jones Mortuary
Nick Jones, Owner
Miller-Jones Mortuary
Randy Jones, Pastor
Valle Vista Assembly of God
David Kelley
State Senator, Retired
Mike McIntyre, Pres.
Hemet Escrow
Dr. Sreenivasa Nakka
Southland Gastroenterology Med Group
Diane Perez, Supt.
San Jacinto Unified School District
Dr. Gail Polvoorde
Physical Th
Vinay M. Rao, Administrator
Hemet Healthcare Surgicenter
Ella Mae Record
Retired
Randy Record, Chairman
Metropolitan Water District Board
Howard Rosenthal
Rosenthal & Excell, Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc.
Dr. Roger W. Schultz, Supt/Pres.
Mt. San Jacinto Community College
Brad Scott, Owner/Operator
Scott Bros. Dairy Farms
Charles Steadman, Owner
Curry Copy Center
Rod Tolliver, Accountant
Tolliver Tax Services
Lori Van Arsdale, President
Ramona Bowl Board
Greg Vasquez, Owner
Gregorio Enterprises
Bruce Wallis, Atty.
Law Offices of Swan, Carpenter, Wallis & McKenzie
Dean Wetter, GM
Valley-wide Recreation
Tami Wilhelm
Hemet Ranch Investments, LLC
Tom Wilson, Field Rep
Assemblyman Chad Mayes
Joe Wojcik, Atty.
Davis Wojcik & Duarte
Blaine Womer, P.E.
Blaine Womer Engineering



Information taken directly from: http://hemetsanjacintoaction.org/directors


Ramona Bowl Board

Linda Krupa - Ex Officio, City of Hemet,

Lori Van Arsdale – President (VP Peace World International),

Tami Wilhelm - Vice President (Wilhelm Sauls Investment, LLC),

Rick Crimini – Secretary (Business owner),

Dan Goodrich – Treasurer (Business Manager),

Al Cordova – Director (Business owner),

Stacey Bailey – Director (West Valley High Theatre Instructor)



Information taken directly from: http://ramonabowl.com/board-staff/

Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD)

Randy Record (President of the Board): EMWD Division 3: Cities of Hemet and San Jacinto and the unincorporated areas of Valle Vista, Little Valley areas, Cactus Valley, Soboba Hot Springs, and Garner Valley


Information taken from: MINUTES BOARD PLANNING COMMITTEE FEBRUARY 11, 2016 7:30 AM CONF. RM. 218  

Ronald W. Sullivan, Board Member; Randy A. Record, President; Paul D. Jones II, P.E. General Manager;   Debby Cherney, Deputy General Manager; Nick Kanetis, Deputy General Manager; Charles Bachmann, Assistant General Manager; Jeff D. Wall, P.E. Assistant, General Manager; Joe Mouawad, Sr. Director, Engineering; Maria Sambito, Director of New Business Development; Brian Powell, Director of Planning  ; John J. Ward, Director of Engineering Services; Bonnie Wright, Grants and Loans Manager; Elizabeth Lovsted, Sr. Civil Engineer  


Metropolitan Water District (MWD)

Randy Record (Chairman of the Board): Professional and community activities: A San Jacinto native, Randy Record has been active in the farming community for over three decades. He also is a board member of the Bank of Hemet.  Record currently owns and operates a wine grape vineyard in the Central Coast with his wife and two daughters. He is currently the co-chair of the Southern California Leadership Council with Governor Gray Davis, as well as, a member of the Riverside County Farm Bureau, the Western Growers Association, the California Association of Winegrape Growers, the Monday Morning Group of Western Riverside County and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. He is also a member and past president of the Hemet/San Jacinto Action Group. Record is the second member of his family to serve on Metropolitan’s board. His father, Clayton A. Record, Jr., served as Eastern’s representative to Metropolitan’s board from June 1999 to January 2001. The viewpoint at Metropolitan’s Diamond Valley Lake near Hemet is named in honor of the elder Record, who passed away in February 2001 after decades of civic service in Riverside County as an elected official and community leader. Record earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural management from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. 

Information above taken directly from the following:  http://www.mwdh2o.com/WhoWeAre/Board/Board-Bios/Pages/default.aspx
Lake Hemet Municipal Water District Board

Frank D. Gorman (President): Frank D. Gorman has lived and worked in the San Jacinto Valley since graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from California State Polytechnic University at Pomona in 1981. He has been involved in community service in many ways; Past member of the Board of Directors of the YMCA, past president and current member of the Hemet / San Jacinto Exchange Club, current member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, current member of the Action   Group, Founder and President of the Valley Watch, Inc., and current member of the St. Hyacinth Academy school board. Frank also serves as a board member of Valley Wide Recreation and Parks District. He is the owner of GW Engineering and CEO of Inland Valley Sladden Inc.

Larry Minor (Vice-President): Larry Minor has been active in the farming community for more than 50 years and is the president of Agri-Empire, a family owned company that has been farming potatoes through three generations. He has provided public services to the San Jacinto Valley over the past 40 years. He is currently a member of the Hemet/San Jacinto Exchange Club as well as the Action Group. Larry also presently serves as an elected board member of the Valley Wide Recreation and Park District.

Todd A. Foutz (Secretary/Treasurer): Todd A. Foutz has lived in the Hemet / San Jacinto Valley for 29 years. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Brigham Young University. Todd is a licensed California Certified Public Accountant and is President and CEO of Pehl Foutz Foutz Teegarden & Young, CPA’s. He has extensive experience in the agribusiness and healthcare industries. Todd serves as a board member of the Western Center Community Foundation, member of the Hemet-San Jacinto Action Group, former member of Tahquitz & Three Peaks Districts of the Inland Empire Council of the Boy Scouts of America and is actively involved in his Church and community. Todd’s focus is to ensure that Lake Hemet Municipal Water District remains fiscally and financially strong for future generations in the Valley.

Cornelius T. Schouten (Director): Cornelius T. Schouten was appointed by the Board of Directors on April 14, 2011 to fill the vacancy left by the previous Board Member in Division 1 who had moved out of the division. He was officially sworn in at the Regularly Scheduled Board Meeting of April 21, 2011. Mr. Schouten has lived in the valley 41 years and was in the dairy business before he retired. He has served as director on the Milk Producers Council for 13 years, helped form a Southern California dairy cooperative and served on the St. Hyacinth Academy school board in San Jacinto for 35 years. He wants to serve the community and make the valley a better place to live and work.

Rick Hoffman (Director): Rick Hoffman earned the Division 5 seat in the November 6, 2012 general election and he is serving his first 4-year term on the Lake Hemet MWD Board of Directors beginning January 2013 thru December 2016. Rick has lived in the Valley all of his life and has had an interest in water for nearly 25 years. He worked at Rancho California Water District for seven years and as a Water Technology Instructor at Mt. San Jacinto College for 12 years. His interests and background make him a valuable addition to serve the nearly 10,400 customers in his Division that covers East Hemet, Valle Vista, Garner Valley and Lake Hemet. Rick’s goal is to help the District maintain the quality of our water while making the price as economical as possible to home owners as well as those customers who work in agriculture.

Thomas W. Wagoner (General Manager): Tom Wagoner, a Hemet native, became the General Manager of Lake Hemet Municipal Water District on November 29, 2005. Prior to this appointment he served LHMWD for 10 years as Assistant General Manager. His background includes employment at Eastern Municipal Water District for 11 years while previously working for private engineering firms as a surveyor and draftsman/designer in Central Riverside County and Southwest Colorado. Mr. Wagoner has a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration, as well as State of California Distribution D-5 and Treatment T-2 Licenses.

Information taken directly from: https://www.lhmwd.org/board.aspx

City of Hemet Planning Commission

John Gifford, Chairman, term: 4/1/2009 – 4/2017

Michael Perciful, Vice Chairman, term: 4/2012-4/2018

Greg Vasquez, Commissioner, term: 4/24/2012-4/2018

Vince Overmyer, Commissioner, term: 2/22/2011-4/2017

Tami Wilhelm, Commissioner, term: 4/14/2015-4/2017

Tami Wilhelm recently resigned. 

Information taken directly from: http://www.cityofhemet.org/index.aspx?nid=354

Bank of Hemet: Board of Directors

John “Matt” Brudin: President, Engineering Resources of Southern California Inc., since 1996.  Director, NBS Government Finance Group since 1996. First appointed director in 2010. 

Kevin R. Farrenkopf: President and CEO of The Bank of Hemet since October 2003; President and Chief Operating Officer of The Bank of Hemet from June 2002 to September 2003; Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The Bank of Hemet from April 2001 to May 2002; Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Hemet Bancorp since November 2001. First appointed director in 2003.

Mark D. Fredricksen: Vice President, HUB International Insurance Services, Inc. since 2008; President, Fredricksen Insurance Services Inc. from 1986 to September 2008; President, Peterson, McAnally, and Tabor Insurance Agency, Inc. from 1993 to September 2008. First appointed director in 2011.

Eric J. Gosch: President, Gosch Ford Temecula since 1984; President, Gosch Chevrolet since 1991; Vice President, Gosch Ford since 2005; Vice President, Gosch Toyota since 2002. Eric served on the Board from 2001-2007 and was appointed again in 2015.

E. Kenneth Hyatt: President, Hemet Bancorp since March 2012.  Retired 2008; Executive Vice President, Hub International of California Insurance Services, Inc., 2004-08; Executive Vice President, Corporate Development, Talbot Insurance and Financial Services, 1994-2004; President, Hemet Insurance Service, Inc. 1984-94, CFO 1982-84; Partner, Hemet Valley Insurance Service, 1970-82. First appointed director in 1982.

James B. Jaqua: Chief Executive Officer of Hemet Bancorp since November 2001; President, Hemet Bancorp from November 2001 to February 2012.  Chairman of The Bank of Hemet since January 2002; Chief Executive Officer, The Bank of Hemet from June 2002 to September 2003; President/Chief Executive Officer, The Bank of Hemet from 1983 to May 2002. First appointed director in 1983.

Alan H. Lewis: Business Consultant. Former Assistant Dean of the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management, University of California, Riverside from 1997 to June 2003.  First appointed director in 2001.

Randolph ”Randy”  A Record: Partner, R.G.R. Farming Company since December 1976; Partner, De Anza Ranch since June 1992.  First appointed director in 2003.

Information above taken directly from the following: https://www.bankofhemet.com/Executive-Team.aspx



Healthy Valley Foundation

Executive Committee
2015 – 2017

President
Bob Duistermars, CEO, Central County United Way

Vice President
Rob Davis, Esq.
Davis, Wojcik, Duarte, A Law Corp.

Secretary
Lori VanArsdale, Community Leader

Chief Financial Officer
Kevin Farrenkopf, CEO President, Bank of Hemet

Immediate Past President
Howard B. Rosenthal, Rosenthal & Excell, Commercial Real Estate

At Large Members
Dennis Hollingsworth, Community Leader
Sreenivasa R. Nakka, M.D., Southland Endoscopy Center
Frederick E. White, D.O., Hemet Valley Imaging

Board of Directors
2015 – 2018

Mimi Badura, Dental Hygienist
Alex Ballard, Principal, West Valley High School
Paul Bailey, Principal, Western Center Academy
Mark Bartel, San Jacinto City Council
William Blasé, M.D., California Eye Pro
Matt Brudin, Engineering Resources
Kali P. Chaudhuri, M.D., Orthopedics Medical Group
Sunanda Chaudhuri, Orthopedics Medical Group
John Culton, Brubaker-Culton Real Estate
Ed Formica, D.D.S., Full Service Dentistry
Karen Foutz, Community Leader
Todd Foutz, Foutz-Teagarden, CPA
Keith Garrison, Hemet Valley Medical Center
Dan Goodrich, Sierra Dawn Estates
Connie Hall, VP, Central County United Way
Larry Hughes, M.D., Family Practice Physician
Heather Jensen, Chicago Title Co.
Tal Jergensen, D.D.S., Full Service Dentistry
Kimberly Jones, Miller Jones Mortuary
Diane Perez, Superintendent, San Jacinto Unified School District
Surya Reddy, M.D., Family Practice
Calvin L. Smith, C.L. Smith, Hay & Grain
Steve Simpson, O.D., Hemet Optometric Center
Chuck Steadman, Curry Copy Center
Bruce Wallis, Esq., Attorney at Law
Tami Wilhelm, Wilhelm, Sauls Investments, LLC

Information taken directly from: http://healthyvalleyfoundation.com/leadership/

Western Science Center Board

Executive Committee

Todd Foutz, President; Ed Formica, D.D.S., Vice President; Kevin R. Farrenkopf, Treasurer; Bruce M. Wallis, Esq., Secretary; Grace Cua Dy Carvalho; Guy Excell; Gisela Gosch; Gail Polvoorde, D.P.T.; Howard B. Rosenthal

Directors

Dennis Anderson; Mimi Badura; Brian Cahill; Kathy Callicott; Henry W. Coil, Jr.; Nicholas Coussoulis; Lisa DeForest, D.C.; Don Digby; Cindy Domenigoni; Ben Drake; Bryan Dunn, D.D.S.; Karen Foutz; Ken Graff; Debbie Green; Charlotte Jones; David G. Kelley; Robert Krieger; Mary Moreland; Tom B. Mullen; Sreenivasa Nakka, M.D.; Reza Paydar; Yamileth Shimojyo; Rod Tolliver; Lori Van Arsdale; Mike Venable; Jolene Walsh; Erin Wolbeck; Blaine A. Womer

Directors Emeriti

John Brudin; Dan Callicott*; James Erickson, Ed.D.; S. Sue Johnson; Lois Krieger; Martin Matich*; Raymond Orbach, Ph.D; Phil Pendley; R. Victor Tate, M.D.; Jacques S. Yeager

*In Memoriam

Executive Director Emeriti

Bill Marshall, Ed.D.

Founding Member

Clayton A. Record, Jr.



Western Science Academy Governing Council

Gisela Gosch, Council President

 Dr. Lisa DeForest, Vice President

 Joe Wojcik, Council Member

Toni Lenton, High School Parent Representative
Indira Lewis, Middle School Parent Representative






Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District: Board of Directors

Michael Duarte (President), Frank Gorman (Vice-President), John Bragg (Secretary), Larry Minor (Member), Steve Simpson (Member), Dean Wetter (General Manager)


Information taken directly from the following: http://www.vwrpd.org/hemet-recreation-directory.cfm



Friends of Valley-Wide Foundation: Board of Directors

Matt Burdin, President

Nick Schouten, Vice President

Chama Cliff, Secretary

Kimberly Jones, Treasurer

Milly Paulson-Valdez, Member

Tom Wilson, Member

Blaine Womer, Member

Rod Tolliver, Member

Mike Record, Member

Emily Quast-McDonough, Member

Tim Hults, Member

Guy Excell, Member

Cindy Domenigoni, Member



Information taken directly from the following: http://www.vwrpd.org/hemet-recreation-directory.cfm


Hemet Unified School District Board

Marilyn Forst (Board Member), Megan Haley (Board Member), Vic Scavarda (Vice-President), Patrick Searl (Board Member), Jim Smith (President), Horacio "Ross" Valenzuela (Board Member), Joe Wojcik (Board Member)






2016 HUSD School Board Candidates: Patrick Searl, Jim Smith, Stacey Bailey and Gene Hikel. Searl and Smith are incumbents.  Stacey Bailey serves on the Ramona Bowl Board.



Watermaster Board



The original five-person, court-approved committee included: Chairman Frank Gorman (LHMWD), Vice-Chair Linda Krupa (Hemet), Phil Paule (EMWD), Mark Bartel (San Jacinto) and Bruce Scott (private pumper).  The five alternates are: Rick Hoffman (LHMWD), Larry Smith (Hemet), Randy Record (EMWD), Scott Miller (San Jacinto) and Steve Pastor (private pumper).

Current Members:

Linda Krupa, Chair

Rick Hoffman, Vice-Chair

Phil Paule, Secretary/Treasurer

Andrew Kotyuk, Alternate Board Member

Steve Pastor, Alternate Board Member

Bruce Scott, Board Member

Scott Miller, Board Member



Park Commission

Nicole Tamez, Commissioner, term: 9/27/2016-4/1/2018

Ray Strait, Commissioner, term: 4/12/2016-4/1/2018

Edd Burden, Commissioner, term: 3/12/2013-4/1/2017

Connie Hall, Commissioner, term: 3/24/2015-4/1/2017

Vacant Position



Information taken directly from: http://www.cityofhemet.org/index.aspx?NID=268



Mobile Home Rent Review Commission

Larry Graves, Tenant Representative, term: 8/26/2014-3/18/2017

Diane Struve, Owner Representative, term: 8/26/2014-3/18/2017

Mia Cowan, At-Large Representative, term: 5/26/2015-3/18/2017

Linda Smith, At-Large Representative, term: 5/26/2015-3/18/2016

Connie Hall, At-Large Representative, term: 5/26/2015-3/18/2018



Information taken directly from: http://www.cityofhemet.org/index.aspx?NID=271



Hemet Public Library Board of Trustees

JoAnn Kuehl, Board Member, term: 6/30/2014-6/30/2019

Noah Seaton, Board Member, term: 7/12/2011-6/30/2017

Raymond Strait, Board Member, term: 12/28/1999-6/30/2015

Betty Anne Day, Board Member, 9/27/2016-6/30/2019

Janis Swallow, Board Member, term: 6/23/2015-6/30/2018

Information taken directly from: http://www.cityofhemet.org/index.aspx?NID=270

Traffic and Parking Commission

David Oltman, Commissioner, term: 4/11/2006-4/1/2018

C.W. Cecchi, Commissioner, term: 4/1/2012-4/1/2018

Donald Funkhouser, Commissioner, term: 9/13/2011-4/1/2017

Farrah Fowler, Commissioner, term: 3/24/2015-4/1/2017

Stephen Covington, Commissioner, 3/24/2015-4/1/2017



Information taken directly from: http://www.cityofhemet.org/index.aspx?NID=269

Hemet City Council Members

Elected in 2014: Linda Krupa and Paul Raver

Elected in 2012: Robert Youssef, Shellie Milne, Bonnie Wright

Elected in 2010: Linda Krupa, Larry Smith

Elected in 2008: Jerry Franchville (resigns July 2012), Robert Youssef, Jim Foreman

Elected in 2006: C. Robin Reeser Lowe (Robin Lowe), Eric McBride



2016 Council Candidates

District 1: Karlee Meyer and Charles Moore

District 3: Patty Axelrod, Cameron Broderick, Bryan Hash and Michael Perciful (Planning Commission, appointed April 2012)

District 4: Bonnie Wright (current Mayor, elected in 2012) and Paul Valenzuela

“The Hemet City Council consists of five members elected from the city at large, who serve four-year staggered terms. Annually, the City Council appoints a mayor and a vice mayor from its own membership to serve a one-year term.

Mayor Responsibilities
The mayor is responsible for presiding over City Council meetings, representing the City Council at various business and ceremonial events, and executing all city ordinances, resolutions, and contracts. The Mayor Pro Tem performs these duties in the absence of the mayor.

City Council Responsibilities
As a legislative body, the City Council is responsible for the enactment of local laws / ordinances, the adoption of the annual city budget and capital improvement program, and the review and adoption of proposed policies, agreements, contracts, and other city business items.
Appointing of Offices
The City Council appoints the city manager and city attorney, as well as the members of the various citizen advisory boards, commissions, and ad hoc committees”.

Information taken directly from city website: http://www.cityofhemet.org/index.aspx?NID=65

 City Manager’s Contract (included in the December 22, 2015 agenda stating he makes at least $200,000 per year with a 5-year contract)


Council Minutes: HUB International


Council minutes: Engineering Resources of So. California, Inc.


Planning Minutes: Blaine Womer Engineering



Hemet Valley/Menifee Valley Medical Center/PHH Board of Directors:

Dr Chaudhuri, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Ashok Agarwal MD, Vice President

Kali Priyo Chaudhuri, Vice President

Rakesh Gupta MD, Vice President

Neelam Gupta MD, Vice President

Larry Hughes MD, Vice President

Hemchand Kolli MD, Vice President

Sreenivasa Nakka MD, President

Girdhari Purohit MD, Sr. Executive Vice President & Secretary

Anil Rastogi MD, Chief Financial Officer & Treasure

Bill Thomas, Assist Secretary & Executive Vice President

Ratan Tiwari MD, Sr. Executive Vice President

Bhoodev Tiwari MD, Vice President

Frederick White DO, Vice President




Executive Team:

Dan McLaughlin - Chief Hospital Executive Officer

John Collins - Chief Hospital Financial Officer

Kathryn McLaughlin - Chief Hospital Nursing Officer/Chief Operating Officer

Keith Garrison - Vice President of Facilities

Michele Bird - Vice President of Human Resources




Hemet/San Jacinto Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors

Michael Carle, Chairperson, Golden Village Palms RV Resort

Becky Elam, Treasurer, Mt. San Jacinto College

Dee Cozart, Vice Chairperson, Cozart Management Services

Dr. Vince Record, Secretary, San Jacinto Unified School District

Dr. Roberto Guadamuz, Guadamuz Chiropractic

Andy Anderson, Executive Director, Hemet/San Jacinto Valley Chamber of Commerce

Scott Brown, Hemet Fire Department

Claudette Anderson, Bank of America

Ray Shalizi, Country Club at Soboba Springs

Pat McGivney, Pat McGivney CPA

Lakshman Koka, SJ Medical Clinic

Richard Perry, V.I.P. Autos

Steve Knauss, Gosch Fordp;.

Phil Burch, ServiceMaster Restore

Karen Chum, Altura Credit Union

Andrew Vallejos, Soboba Foundation

Information taken directly from: http://hsjvc.com/pages/board-of-directors

Misc Info






Council Minutes





Hemet ROCS

















Hemet Housing Authority













Hemet Redevelopment Agency


Traffic & Parking Commission








More Miscellaneous Information:











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