Cloverdale Fire Protection DistrictCandidate for Board Member

I decided to run for the Board for several reasons.  I was one of the “good Samaritan volunteers” that helped organize the neighbors who constituted the unofficial Highland Fire Brigade that worked to help save homes during last year’s Pocket Fire.  We trained on the fire truck that I purchased.  I also have personally raised funds for our professional volunteer firefighters.  Thus, I am acutely aware of the importance of our firefighters to our lives, homes and neighborhoods. 

Our farm is on the east side of the Russian River and wildfires and the ability of our fire department to respond to medical emergencies is constantly on our minds.  As a result, I am a founder and Board Member of the Alexander Valley Citizens League and have been working to help build a permanent bridge at Asti.  As Chief Jenkins has said: the single most useful thing the County could do is to build a permanent bridge to provide a year-round second exit from the area. 

I am also working with Supervisor Gore and Cloverdale Chief Jenkins on a Sonoma County program called Citizens Organized to Prepare for Emergencies (COPE) which empowers neighbors to work with first responders to resolve emergencies affecting our neighborhoods and community (e.g. earthquakes, wildfires, etc.)  My goal is to support our fire district and certified volunteer firefighters using my volunteer efforts and my management and fundraising experience.

My qualifications and experience stem from being COO or CEO of multiple successful small and large businesses over more than 40 years.  The lessons I’ve learned from that experience led me to believe I can be an asset to the Fire Board and District.  I also have been involved with fire protection since I built our farm and I’ve been active in volunteer work in that regard.  I know many of the volunteer firefighters and have worked in my local neighborhood to bring the citizens and the Fire Department closer together.

Maintaining and expanding upon our excellent approach to recruit and train volunteer firefighters is primary. But we should also be encouraging other types of volunteering. An example is the all volunteer COPE (Citizens Organized to Prepare for Emergencies) which I’m activelyb helping create in the Cloverdale-Asti area of the Fire District under the auspices of the Alexander Valley Citizens League (which I helped found).  I believe we should also investigate the possibility of adding a full time firefighter to the staff, in order to supplement the efforts of our great volunteers and enable faster deployment when the volunteers are responding to an emergency call.

I want to ensure we have adequate resources to address the growing wildfire threats.  It seems all federal, state, and local fire officials agree that the dangers of destructive and life-threatening wildfires are increasing.  Cloverdale Fire District residents understand the dangers and presumably would support efforts to gain the necessary resources to be prepared for such emergencies.

I have served nonprofits that serve the public most of my 40 year career. Using some of my skills I personally funded and managed a campaign to raise money for the Cloverdale Fire District andhave funded three meetings in the past 3 years for citizens of the Asti-Cloverdale area to meet their firefighters. I am recognized nationally as an innovative and talented resource to various nonprofits.  I hope to apply those skills to the work of the Fire Board, the Fire District, and the many volunteer firefighters who serve our community.