Hello, I am Robert “Bob” Kephart and I am running for the Olivenhain Municipal Water District (OMWD), Board of Directors - Division 4 position. I was appointed to the board in 2018 to fill a vacancy, being selected from a pool of 7 candidates, and have been honored to serve you. I would appreciate your consideration for another term.
I am asking for your vote so that I can continue to represent you at OUR water district. I have no political aspirations and I am a firm believer that water cannot be politically driven. Water is about preservation of our precious resource as a public good. My drive to serve is derived from my civic duty to represent you and all our neighbors. I have lived in the District for 36 years. I was born in Corona, CA into a Navy family, where public service and the greater good was instilled in me at an early age. My wife and I of 38 years raised 3 children here and understand the everyday cost of living, as well as the other issues facing our community,
I have been involved in community civic duties most of my life. I served my community, San Diego County and California as a volunteer Firefighter for 19 years with the Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove Fire Volunteer Fire Department. I also served over 20 years as a board member on the Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove Fire Inc. and San Diego County CSA 107 Fire Advisory Board. I helped form the Rancho Santa Fe Fire District Foundation and served as a founding board member. I have served as a Docent at the Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve for the past 5 years and enjoy the outdoors. My entire life has been dedicated to public service and I enjoy it.
With a background in construction, mechanical engineering, firefighting, water treatment, and water distribution, I worked 10 years for OMWD before retiring in 2017 and I have a working knowledge of all aspects of the District and what it takes to deliver high quality, reliable, and sustainable water supplies in a cost effective manner. OMWD is proud to offer the highest quality water while still maintaining rates in the lower third compared to other water agencies in the county for our average customer.
We as customers are hit every day by the increasing costs of utilities, and water is a bill we pay every month - yet none of us can live without it. I am here to do my part to protect our community’s water supply, so that you and I have the safest, highest quality water at an affordable cost. OMWD has continued to provide you uninterrupted, high quality water as an essential service during the COVID pandemic, due in great part to the policies established by the board to provide for sustainable operations and a strong financial position. OMWD was recently re-rated as a AAA rated agency by Fitch during the beginning of the pandemic.
This job is about oversight and board representation. It takes time to learn OMWD policies and gain board committee positions to implement change. My goals are to continue to keep OMWD as efficient as possible in the coming years, especially with the current COVID pandemic and its effect on you as a customer. To represent you I need to hear from you and I need your vote. Thank you for the opportunity to continue to serve our community.
See more at kephart2020.com
