2023 Executive Committee Election Candidates

On May 8, 2023, during the Spring Board of Directors meeting at the 2023 Spring Conference, an election will be held to fill four vacancies on the ACWA JPIA Executive Committee. Each candidate’s Statement of Qualifications is below. For more information on the Executive Committee election process, visit the Elections page. The 12 candidates, in alphabetical order, are:

  1. Fred R. Bockmiller P.E.* (Mesa Water District)
  2. June Hayes Ph.D. (San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District)
  3. Szu Pei Lu-Yang (Rowland Water District)
  4. Andy Morris (Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District)
  5. Lenet Pacheco (Valley County Water District)
  6. John Pang (Tahoe City Public Utility District)
  7. Scott Ratterman (Calaveras County Water District)
  8. John Bruce Rupp* (Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District)
  9. Oliver J. Smith (Valley Center Municipal Water District)
  10. Pamela E. Tobin (San Juan Water District)
  11. John H. Weed (Alameda County Water District)
  12. David C. Wheaton (Citrus Heights Water District)

*incumbent

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Fred R. Bockmiller, P.E., Mesa Water District

Objective: To further the goals of ACWA JPIA in best serving its members, by applying analytical and leadership skills, and risk management experience, while continuing to serve our members on the ACWA JPIA Executive Committee during this time of significant transition for the organization.

Statement of Qualifications:

  • ACWA JPIA Executive Committee, 2019-present
  • ACWA JPIA Committees – Risk Management, 2008-present; Workers Compensation, 2022-present; Personnel, 2023-present
  • ACWA JPIA Board, 2006-present
  • ACWA Energy Committee, 2002-present
  • Mesa Water District Director, 1996-present – Five-term Board President; Chaired every Mesa Water District Committee (Executive, Audit Ad Hoc, Finance, Human Resources, IT Ad Hoc, Engineering and Operations, Public Information)
  • Engineering Manager, University of California, Irvine (UCI) Department of Finance and Administration
  • Ex Officio member, California Building Standards Commission Plumbing Electrical Mechanical and Energy Code Advisory Committee, 2015-present

Biography: Fred Bockmiller represents Division 1 — encompassing the West Side of Costa Mesa and portions of Newport Beach — on the Mesa Water District (Mesa Water®) Board of Directors. He has served as Mesa Water Board President for five terms.

Throughout his elected service, Director Bockmiller has championed water quality and cost-effective service reliability through a perpetual agency philosophy of long-term planning for the future of Mesa Water and continuous infrastructure maintenance, renewal, and improvement. He has been a relentless supporter of high-quality, fact-based decision-making.

Director Bockmiller has represented Mesa Water at the City/Districts Liaison Committee, Orange County Council of Governments, Orange County Water District, and the Costa Mesa Westside Revitalization Oversight Committee.

For more than 15 years, Director Bockmiller has represented Mesa Water on the Board of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Joint Powers Insurance Authority (JPIA). He presently serves on the ACWA JPIA Executive, Risk Management (Chair), Workers Compensation (Vice Chair), and Personnel Committees.

Director Bockmiller has been the Engineering Manager in the Department of Finance and Administration at UCI, a leader in energy conservation and construction efforts for more than 25 years, including completion of more than $3 billion in major capital construction projects; more than $300 million in reconstruction and extensive energy and water conservation retrofits, which tripled the developed building space, reduced energy consumption in laboratories by 50 percent, slashed the campus carbon footprint, improved the energy infrastructure, and decreased per capita water use by more than 30% while improving the built environment for research, teaching, and public service.

Developing the next generation is an area of interest for Director Bockmiller. He is a regular guest lecturer in UCI’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, a mentor in the Junior Mentor Program at Newport Harbor High School, and served for 17 years on the board of Youth Employment Service — a local charity that provides youth with the tools to find jobs — where he served as CFO and President.

June Hayes, Ph.D., San Bernardino Valley Water District

Dr. June Hayes was elected to the Board of Directors of the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. She represents Division I, which includes portions of Rialto and Fontana, and the Fontana Water Company, Marigold Mutual Water Company, Rialto Water Service, and West Valley Water District. Dr. Hayes serves as Valley District’s Vice President and Chair of the Resources Workshop. She co-chairs the Policy and Initiatives Engagement ad-hoc committee which aims to organize the District’s legislative advocacy efforts at the State and Federal levels.

Vice President Hayes serves as the Vice Chair of the Utilities Commission for the City of Rialto, a position she was appointed to in 1995. In 2017 she received her Water Distribution 1 certification in an effort to enhance her understanding of water operations and water systems.

She is active with California Special Districts Association and the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA). She served as a Commissioner on the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority.

Vice President Hayes is a clinical psychologist and spent 10 years serving as the clinic manager at one of the largest mental health clinics in the San Bernardino County Mental Health system. She then went into private practice, specializing in Workers’ Compensation, and neglected, abused, and delinquent youth in placement, a field she continues to work in. Vice President Hayes is a veteran and was a finalist for Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gomez-Reyes’ Veteran of the Year award in 2019.

Szu Pei Lu-Yang, Rowland Water District

I am excited to announce my nomination for the Executive Committee at ACWA JPIA for the 2023-2027 term and humbly request your vote when we meet in May at the upcoming ACWA JPIA Conference. After more than 17 years in this industry, I am equipped and eager to further ACWA JPIA’s goal of being “much more than just an insurance provider”.

As President of the Rowland Water District Board of Directors, in addition to being a member of Three Valleys Municipal Water District and the Rowland Heights Community Coordinating Council, I am familiar with the demands of leadership and current water-related issues facing our communities. My diverse experience has provided me with a deep knowledge and understanding of pressing challenges from a variety of viewpoints and given me the opportunity to take a unique and productive approach to everything from water quality regulation to effective rate structuring.

I also have the privilege of serving on the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Advisory Council, the Los Angeles Assessment Appeals Board, and as president of the Rowland Unified School District For Us Foundation. These appointments have fostered a desire to serve and make an impact.

I came to Rowland Water District as an attorney specializing in general liability litigation in 2006 and have served the District with a commitment to accountability and excellence since that day.

Before beginning my career, I attended the University of California, Los Angeles, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Business Administration, and continued my education with a law degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles.

In the past 17 years on the Rowland Water District Board of Directors, I have seen triumphs, hardships, and all that falls in between. I have been a part of numerous projects that expanded our local and imported water supplies, brought financial awareness to our community, saved ratepayer dollars, educated the local public and their families, and advanced water conservation through annual poster contests and grant programs for teachers. I have cherished my ability to further these improvements and growth and look forward to sharing that ability with ACWA JPIA.

I recognize and appreciate all of the time, energy and effort that must be put into this position for the agency and its members to succeed, and am prepared to do all that it takes to support ACWA JPIA’s needs and reflect its values.

Andy Morris, Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District

Director Morris is a Graduate of California State University Fullerton with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History. He has owned and operated the Andrew Morris Insurance Agency in Wildomar since 1991 and was named the Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year in 2021. Director Morris is very involved in the community and currently serves as the Wildomar Rotary Treasurer. Currently, Director Morris serves as Board President for the Meeks and Daley Water Company, Vice-Chair of the Santa Rosa Regional Resource Authority, and Vice-Chair of The California Water Insurance Fund. He also attends meetings on the district’s behalf for the following organizations:

Rancho California Water District, Western Municipal Water District Group, Farm Mutual Water Company, Lake Elsinore Unified School District, Murrieta City Council, Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month, Wildomar City Council, and The Association of California Water Agencies JPIA.  Director Morris was first elected in November 2010 and served as Treasurer in 2012 and 2015, Vice President in 2013 and 2022, and President in 2014, 2019, and 2020. Director Morris will again be serving as President for 2023.

Lenet Pacheco, Valley County Water District

Director Pacheco was first elected to serve on the Board of Directors in 2009. She has been reelected in 2013, 2018, and 2022 through her strong advocacy for reaching out to the public and hearing their concerns. As a VCWD Board Member, Director Pacheco regularly advocates for vital issues impacting the District where she has met with congressional leaders to discuss the critical water concerns impacting the residents and insurance shared risk issues.

Lenet would like to bring her local water perspective to the ACWA/JPIA. She believes in returning any excess funds to the members, providing quality insurance coverage to all the members.

Born in an agriculture region of Mexico, Director Pacheco understands the importance of challenging work and value of water. Her family depended on farming and raising livestock for a living. She learned firsthand the importance of water resources for sustaining a farming community. She understands the importance of water conservation and sustainability in rural communities.

A longtime resident of Baldwin Park, Director Pacheco is proud to call Baldwin Park home. Director Pacheco is a graduate of the Water Elected Latino Leaders (WELL). She lives in the District where she raised her family, she is happily married to her husband and is also the proud mother of two daughters and her son. Lenet and her husband own and operate American Solar Electric an electrical contracting business serving the residential and business clients in our local communities.

Since her tenure on the VCWD Board of Directors, Director Pacheco has advocated for safe, affordable, clean and reliable water resources for the ratepayers. During these unprecedented times of the Covid Pandemic, Director Pacheco supported policies to help those impacted by the pandemic.

John Pang, Tahoe City Public Utility District

John Pang was first elected to the TCPUD Board in 2014 and successfully re-elected twice, in 2018 and 2022. John was appointed by the TCPUD Board to serve as a member of the ACWA JPIA Board of Directors in January 2015 in recognition of his experience in risk management and safety. John has been an actively engaged ACWA JPIA board member since his appointment in 2015, attending the spring and fall conferences each year and participating in the ACWA Headwaters Workgroup. He will work hard to serve your interests.

  • Elected TCPUD Board Director – 2014, 2018, 2022
  • Past Board President (2018 and 2022) Current Chair, TCPUD Finance Committee
  • Member, TCPUD Ad-Hoc Long-Term Financial Planning Committee Member, TCPUD Ad-Hoc Administrative Facility Master Plan Committee
  • Past Chair, TCPUD Sewer and Water Committee Board Director – ACWA / JPIA (2015-Present) Member – ACWA Headwaters Workgroup

Experience:

  • Retired Fire Chief – Meeks Bay Fire Protection District (19 years) Prioritized employee and public safety, and wildfire prevention
  • Active Volunteer – Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team (since 1995) Active Volunteer – Loyalton Fire (since 2015)
  • Former Vice President – Talmont Resort Improvement District (7 years) Former Director – Olympic Valley Public Service District (7 years) Former Director – Sierra Watershed Education Partnership (7 years) Former Member – Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee
  • Former Member – El Dorado County “Fire Advisory Board” (10 years) Former Founding Chair – Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (addressing forest health)

Education:

  • Certified Chief Officer for the State of California (Fire Chief Certification) Certificate in Special District Management from Special District Management Institute
  • Graduate California Special District Governance Academy Numerous classes including District Advanced Finance, Leadership, Infrastructure Security, Public Governance, etc.
  • Graduate University of California, Davis

Scott Ratterman, Calaveras County Water District

CCWD Division l Director Scott Ratterman grew up in Calaveras County, attending San Andreas Elementary School and Calaveras High School. Upon graduation from high school in 1976, Ratterman earned a business administration degree from Sacramento State University in 1981. By 1982, he was working in the insurance industry with an independent adjusting firm, and he continued that career path for the next 22 years. In 2004, Ratterman took a job with Farmers Insurance Co., where he retired from in 2019 after 37 years in the insurance industry.

After being selected by the CCWD Board to fill a vacant seat in 2011, Ratterman has since won re­ election three times and plans to run again in 2024. He is currently chair of the CCWD board of directors. In 2020 he was appointed to the ACWA JPIA Property Committee board where he continues to serve. He is also a member of ACWA’s Federal Affairs Committee.

In 2015, he joined the Mountain Counties Water Resources Association board and was elected president in 2017. The MCWRA board recently appointed him to a second term as board president.

CCWD provides water service in six separate service areas to over 13,000 connections and wastewater service in 13 service areas to over 5,000 connections. CCWD also has County-wide water resources planning jurisdiction spanning the Mokelumne, Calaveras, and Stanislaus rivers, is a member of a GSA managing a critically over-drafted groundwater basin and owns two hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 260 Megawatts.

Outside of work, Ratterman is an active member of the St. Andrews Catholic Church in San Andreas and is a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was also a member of the Calaveras Community Foundation Board from 2005 to 2012, serving as vice president for two years and chairing several committees. Ratterman lives in San Andreas and is the single father of two grown children. He enjoys tennis, golf, boating, hiking and cross-country skiing.

John Bruce Rupp, Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District

Director of Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District for 27 years; Two Term President of the Board.

Career History:

  • Five years as United States Army officer, combat veteran-Vietnam; Bronze Star, Jump Wings, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry
  • Seven years of progressively more responsible positions in Alameda County Government, San Francisco Bay Area
  • Ten years as City Manager, City of Alameda, CA
  • Four years as County Administrative Officer, Humboldt County, CA
  • Twelve years as a Real Estate Broker and owner of Rupp & Associates Realty

Education:

  • San Rafael High School, San Rafael, CA
  • San Jose State University, BA, Public Administration
  • Graduate Officers Candidate School, Defense Language Institute

Professional & Community Service:

  • Member ACWA/JPIA Executive Committee Chair ACWA-JPIA Employee Benefits Committee Vice-Chair of ACWA/PIA Finance Committee
  • Member ACWA Board & Board Executive Committee Chair of ACWA Region 1
  • Rotary Member for 44 years; twice Club President; Paul Harris Fellow Member Eureka Elks Lodge
  • Member City of Eureka Finance Advisory Committee
  • Past Chair Redwood Region Economic Development Commission Past President, Humboldt Association of Realtors
  • Former State Governor appointment to North Coast Regional Water Control Board
  • Past Board Member League of California Cities

Oliver J. Smith, Valley Center Municipal Water District

Oliver Smith was elected to the Board of Directors of the Valley Center Municipal Water District in 2018 and again in 2022. His combined governance and policy experience has given him an in-depth understanding of how to provide cost effective critical services and fiduciary oversight for Valley Center’s water-independent special district.

In addition, he is a water district representative on Special District Advisory Committee to the San Diego LAFCO (Local Agency Formation Commission). In this role he collaborates with other special district representatives on areas of common interest.

Oliver Smith’s diverse public background includes serving on and chairing the Valley Center Community Planning Group, a public advisory group to the County of San Diego for land planning issues in the Valley Center area. He was first appointed, then elected 3 times from 2005 to 2020, serving as its Chair for the last 12 years of his tenure.

Finally, Oliver Smith was elected 3 times to the Board of Directors of the Valley Center Fire Protection District, serving from 2006 to 2018 where he served as Board Secretary. He oversaw the transformation of the VCFPD from being a Cal Fire Contract staff to a locally staffed and operated agency.

JPIA Related Experience

As part of Oliver’s Valley Center Municipal Water District activities, he is an ACWA JPIA Property Program Committee Member, with a particular interest in Cyber security. He has in-person attended the last 3 ACWA conferences and actively participates in ACWA and ACWA JPIA meetings. Within ACWA, he is a member of the Energy Committee.

Professional and Educational Qualifications

Oliver Smith is an Electrical Engineer who continues to design highly sophisticated medical products in a career spanning 40+ years. He has a BSEE from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA) and an MSBME (Biomedical Engineering) from Case Western Reserve University (OH).

Pamela E. Tobin, San Juan Water District

Objective: To align with the core values of ACWA/JPIA to ensure the implementation of policies and services that best meet members’ insurance needs. I would like to continue contributing my skills in coalition-building and collaboration, contract negotiations and financial leadership, organizational governance, policy development, and strategic planning to the ACWA/JPIA Executive Committee.

Statement of Qualifications:

  • ACWA/JPIA Leadership—Executive Committee and Liability Management Committee, 2020-2021
  • ACWA/JPIA Board, 2016-present
  • ACWA Leadership—President, 2021-2023; Vice President, 2019-2021; Executive Committee, 2019-2023; Federal Affairs Committee, 2014-2019; Local Government Committee, 2014-2015)
  • San Juan Water District, 2004-present—Director; Four-Term Board President; Chair/Vice Chair of various Committees (Engineering, Finance, Pension Reform Ad Hoc, Personnel, Public Information, Regional Water Authority, Sacramento Groundwater Authority)

Biography: Pamela E. Tobin represents Division 2, encompassing the Granite Bay area in Placer County, on the San Juan Water District (SJWD) Board of Directors. Having been SJWD Board President for four prior terms — in 2007, 2012, 2016, and 2020 — Director Tobin serves as President of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), and she previously served as ACWA Vice President. She developed the Leadership-to-Leadership Program during Covid 19 to keep members connected and provide assistance.

She developed the “ACWA Foundation”, a 501C(3) non-profit organization for the development, mentoring, training and scholarships for future water leaders in our industry.

Director Tobin also represents SJWD on the Board of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Joint Powers Insurance Authority (JPIA), having recently served on the ACWA/JPIA Executive Committee and Liability Management Committee.

As an elected official, Director Tobin has over 19 years of involvement with local, regional, and statewide water issues. To further her passion of assisting nonprofit and public agencies to fulfill their mission of serving customers and the community, Director Tobin has used her coalition-building and collaboration skills to actively contribute to organizational finance and governance, and water policy development.

Throughout her elected service, Director Tobin has served on the Board of the Regional Water Authority (RWA), including serving as Chair (in 2012) and on its Executive Committee (2011-2014, 2016-2019). In 2018, she received RWA’s Distinguished Service Award. Additionally, the Volunteer Center of Sacramento honored Director Tobin with a “Volunteer Spirit Award, Sacramento Community Change Maker” in 2007.

Throughout her ACWA and ACWA/JPIA service, Director Tobin has championed, and continues to focus on, how the organizations can best serve members, including assisting members in adapting to COVID-19, and developing innovative programs that fostered connections and improved communications and information-sharing among and between ACWA, ACWA/JPIA, and its members.

Enthusiastic about contributing to her community, Director Tobin’s volunteer service includes over 40 years as President and Rescue Chair for the Sierra Pacific Great Pyrenees Rescue Program, a nonprofit organization committed to saving the lives of abandoned, abused, injured, and sick dogs. Director Tobin developed the organization’s 501C3 nonprofit status and she manages the organization’s Board and other volunteers. Also, she dedicated 20 years as a Tester/Observer with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs to improve infirmed and youth patients’ quality of life; and, for over 14 years, she has been a 4-H Club of Placer County Community Leader, developing and directing the agriculture and non-agriculture programs for over 150 youth members.

John H. Weed, Alameda County Water District

Mr. John H. Weed is a Board Member of the Alameda County Water District (ACWD) and has served on the ACWD Board since 1995. He is an attorney, member of California Bar, and also works in property development as President of Niles Properties, Inc. He has military experience as a Civil Engineer and water utility consultant with the United States Air Force on installations worldwide. He retired as a Colonel with the U.S. Air Force Reserves in 2000. He was previously employed as an Engineer Technician with the Santa Clara Valley Water District and was the Special Assistant to the Division Manager of Ordnance Engineering at FMC Corporation. Mr. Weed formerly served as an elected Trustee of the Ohlone Community College District from 1977 to 2010.

Since 2003 he has served on the Board of Directors of the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency and is an appointed member of the Alameda County Assessment Appeals Board. Mr. Weed also serves on the Federal Affairs Committee of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) and is past Chair of the ACWA Region 5 Council. He serves as Alternate Director on the Board of the California Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority, a member of the Risk Management Committee of Joint Power Insurance Authority of ACWA, President of the Washington Township Historical Society, and member of the Newark Rotary Club.

Mr. Weed has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering, and Juris Doctor degree from the University of Santa Clara. He has a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance from Eastern New Mexico University. He conducted doctoral-level graduate studies in Water Resource Administration, and Graduate Research Associate in Agricultural Economics at the University of Arizona.

David C. Wheaton, Citrus Heights Water District

I would appreciate your support to serve on ACWA JPIA’s Executive Committee. I would like to commit my time and my policy-level and professional background to work in a team setting to further the work of ACWA JPIA as it continues to effectively manage its resources and provide a wide array of insurance coverage and value-added services to member agencies.

I currently serve on ACWA JPIA’s Workers’ Compensation Program Committee, and several aspects of my background can assist in my effectively supporting member agencies’ interests on ACWA JPIA’s Executive Committee, including:

  • I served as Vice Chair of Citrus Heights Water District’s twenty-four (24) member Customer Advisory Committee (CAC), helping CHWD identify a strategy that will lead to the replacement of over seventy percent (70%) of CHWD’s two hundred fifty (250) miles of aging water mains through 2080
  • During my tenure on the Citrus Heights Water District Board, CHWD has implemented a long-term financial strategy to grow its capital and operational reserves, while completing water main replacements and other capital reinvestment projects; expanded its groundwater program; led/planned for a regional meter asset management program; expanded its water efficiency program, including constructing a demonstration water efficient garden; successfully recruited several customers to serve on a volunteer Garden Corps committee to maintain the new garden and become active in their water district; and, effectively operated and maintained an urbanized water distribution system over a nearly thirteen (13) square mile area with approximately 67,000 residents. All of these accomplishments were done with a focus on safety, loss prevention and effectively managing CHWD’s insurance coverages with ACWA JPIA.
  • Served as Interim City Manager, Assistant City Manager, Interim Public Works Director, Administrative Services Director and Community Services Director at the City of Menlo Park, during which time I managed that city’s risk management and loss prevention programs
  • Served as General Services Director (Public Works Director) for the City of Citrus Heights, overseeing that city’s Capital Improvement Program
  • Served as the Assistant to the City Manager at the City of Richmond
  • Served as a Management Analyst at the City of Redwood City
  • Served as Chief Executive Officer for the Cities/Counties/Schools Partnership Program, a joint powers authority of the California School Board Association, California State Association of Counties and League of California Cities
  • I am located in the Sacramento region, within fifteen minutes of the ACWA JPIA office, offering easy availability to attend meetings in-person when required

Thank you for your consideration.