Mary Bono-Mack

Congresswoman, 45th Congressional District

In 2006, Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack earned her fifth full term in office.  First elected to Congress in 1998, she filled the seat left vacant by her late husband, The Honorable Sonny Bono. 

Bono Mack serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has broad jurisdiction over issues such as energy, telecommunications, health care and the environment, and sits on the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection; the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, and the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.

Bono Mack is co-chair of the Congressional Salton Sea Task Force; and vice-chair of the Entertainment Task Force.  She is the founder and co-chair of the Recording Arts and Sciences Caucus; Intellectual Property Promotion and Piracy Prevention Caucus; and the America Supports You Caucus (which supports men and women in the armed services and their families). 

A leader on issues such as health care, the environment, consumer protection, and clean, alternative energy, Bono Mack has received numerous awards from major organizations such as: Americans for Tax Reform, National Federation of Independent Businesses, and the National Association of Manufacturers.

Among her legislative achievements, Bono Mack successfully passed her legislation that established the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto National Mountains Monument and led efforts to protect people’s personal information on the Web with her Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass Act (SPY ACT).  Bono Mack also passed landmark legislation calling for country-of-origin labeling for produce, as well as two energy-saving bills to reward companies for using clean burning fuel technologies.

In 1998 Bono Mack was named one of the Most Fascinating Women of 1998 by Ladies' Home Journal magazine in conjunction with CBS Television. She was also selected by the former GEORGE Magazine as one of the 20 most fascinating women in politics.

Bono Mack is a 1984 graduate of the University of Southern California.  Following college, Mary wed Sonny Bono, and they had two children, Chesare Elan and Chianna Marie.  The daughter of Clay Whitaker and the late Karen Whitaker, she resides in Palm Springs.

Mary Bono Mack is married to U.S. Congressman Connie Mack, and she is the proud mother of Chianna and Chesare and her two stepchildren, Addison and Connie.  
 

Bob Filner

Congressman, 51st Congressional District

Congressman Bob Filner represents California’s 51st Congressional District, one of the most ethnically diverse districts in the nation. Congressman Filner’s district encompasses southern San Diego County and all of Imperial County, including the entire California/Mexico border.  He is California’s Border Congressman.

Congressman Filner has been an active member of our community for more than three decades.  He taught history at San Diego State University for more than twenty years.  He was the President of the San Diego Board of Education and served on the San Diego City Council for five years.  In 1991, he served as Deputy Mayor for the City of San Diego.  He was first elected to Congress in 1992, and has been re-elected by wide margins every two years.

In January 2007, Congressman Filner became Chairman of the House of Representatives Veterans’ Affairs Committee.  He has achieved a national reputation for his work on behalf of our nation’s veterans, both current veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and more elderly veterans from the Vietnam and Korean wars and World War II.  He led the fight to restore honor and benefits to the Filipino Veterans and Merchant Mariners of World War II.

During his years in Congress, Congressman Filner has also served on the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.  He has fought for federal funding for border infrastructure.  He has been an advocate of improved U.S./Mexico relations, quality education, protection of the environment, and universal health care.
 

Marion Ashley

Riverside County Supervisor, Fifth District & Chairman, Salton Sea Authority

Through both his work as a public official and in his private endeavors, Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley has always made service to his community his top priority.

Born here in Riverside County in 1935, Ashley has long shown his deep commitment to the people of Riverside County.  Along with his family, including Mary, his wife of more than 54 years, his six children, 19 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren, Ashley has worked for decades to improve the lives of his fellow citizens.

After years in the private sector, including his work as a CPA with a national accounting firm, the Daniel Ludwig organization, and the founding of a real estate investment firm, Ashley decided to become more directly involved in the public sector when he served from 1973 as a Riverside County Planning Commission and was elected to a seat on the board of the Eastern Municipal Water District in 1992.

While with Eastern, Ashley became known throughout the region for his commitment to collaborate with other government organizations to foster more coherent public planning processes and more effective expenditure of public funds.

Since his election to the Riverside County Board of Supervisors in 2002, Ashley has not only continued this tradition but become a respected leader on regional issues.  As a County Supervisor he oversees a budget of  $4.5 billion and sets public policy for over two million people in what is one of the fastest growing areas in the nation.

He worked tirelessly to bring to fruition the nationally acclaimed Riverside County Integrated Project, which includes billions of dollars for new road construction and conservation of important habitat lands for endangered species.

From his Chairmanship of the March Air Reserve Base Joint Powers Authority, which is fast becoming a new economic powerhouse for western Riverside County, to his leadership on the creation of the Mid-County Parkway, and the Perris Valley Metrolink Line, to his experience in water issues, Ashley has shown his expertise in three of the most crucial issues facing California’s future – jobs, roads, and water.

Ashley’s commitment to the health and safety of the people of Riverside County is unparalleled.  He has provided funding for over 918 new sheriff deputies, 395 firefighters, and 317deputy district attorneys and 106 probation officers during his five years as a County Supervisor.

Ashley’s abilities have not gone unrecognized by his peers.  He is the only Supervisor who has served as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors and the Western Riverside Council of Governments and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments.  He has also served as County representative to the Southern California Association of Governments.

His work for the public does not stop at the doors of the County building.  He and his family have donated hundreds of acres of land in the hills west of Perris to help create a permanent nature preserve and countless charities can count on Marion to help.

“Mary and I want our children and our grandchildren to have the same wonderful quality of life we knew growing up here in Riverside County,” Ashley said.  “We can do no less.”
 

John J. Benoit

Riverside County Supervisor, Fourth District & Board Member, Salton Sea Authority

Supervisor John J. Benoit was appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Nov. 4, 2009 to the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, replacing the late Roy Wilson in representing the County’s 4th District, which stretches from Palm Springs to Blythe.

“As an experienced elected official and former public safety officer, John J. Benoit has a proven history of dedicated public service and is absolutely the best person to fill this important position,” Governor Schwarzenegger said.  “I have no doubt that John will continue to promote the interests of the people in Riverside County to the best of his ability in this new role.”

Supervisor Benoit enjoyed a distinguished career in public service prior to being appointed by the Governor to this important position.

Voters selected John to represent them in the 64th District in the California State Assembly from 2002-2008, and was subsequently elected to the State Senate’s 37th District in November of 2008.

A veteran of 31 years in law enforcement, John also served on the Desert Sands School Board and was actively involved in community service before his election to the State Legislature.  Starting as a cadet with the Corona Police Department in 1971, he joined the California Highway Patrol in 1973, working in L.A., Sacramento and Bakersfield before being assigned as the Indio Area Commander in 1988.  He also attended the FBI National Academy and served as a Volunteer Fire Captain with the Sunset-Whitney Fire Department.

John's legislative priorities have included budget reform, job creation, public safety, and education.  His legislative successes in child care safety were featured on “The Montel Williams Show,” a nationally syndicated talk show.  A strong fiscal conservative, John is nevertheless known for his ability to reach effectively across the aisle, a talent that allowed him to have forty pieces of legislation signed into law.  He was awarded the Outstanding Legislator of the Year by the California School Boards Association, the School Transportation Coalition, the California Rifle and Pistol Association and the California Narcotics Officers’ Association.

A member and Past President of both the United Way of the Desert and Indio Rotary, John's hobbies include recreational reading and taking to the skies as a commercial, instrument rated pilot.

John earned a BS degree in Public Safety at Cal State Los Angeles, and a Master's in Public Administration at Cal State San Bernardino.  Having participated in language immersion programs in Mexico and Costa Rica, he frequently communicates legislative principles to the Spanish-language media.  His bilingual skills are invaluable to his work in the County of Riverside’s Fourth District.

John and his wife Sheryl married in 1978.  They are committed parishioners of Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.  They have a daughter Sarah and son Benjamin, who, together with his wife Norma, have blessed them with their granddaughter, Abrielle Benoit.
 

James C. Hanks

Director, Imperial Irrigation District, Division 3

Director Hanks serves as an adviser to the district’s financial strategic plan, which includes implementing methodology for long-term capital and operation and maintenance costs, leverage of existing financial resources and implementation of an enterprise risk strategy.

Hanks, 63, was elected in the 2006 primary. Due to the May 2006 death of incumbent director Lloyd Allen, Hanks was appointed by the Imperial County Board of Supervisors to fill the vacancy beginning in July 2006.

Mr. Hanks is a retired school superintendent, having worked in the education field for 38 years. He holds a master’s, bachelor’s and associate of science degree in counseling. He was raised in Brawley and attended Imperial Valley College, Southern Utah, San Diego State and the University of San Diego. He served as superintendent for the Calipatria Unified School District for 20 years.He was also principal (four years) and assistant principal (seven years) in Niland and Calipatria schools. Early in his career he was a teacher and an assistant principal in the Seeley Union School District.
Mr. Hanks has also been heavily involved in the community. He has served on: 

• Imperial Valley Telecommunications Agency board
• Imperial County Volunteer Employer Benefits Area board
• Special Education Local Planning Area board, as chairman
• Imperial County Schools Joint Powers Authority

He also was a member of the Association of California School Administrators and has been a member of the Calipatria Lions Club for 25 years. He was honored by the Lions Club with the Melvin Jones Fellowship for community service.
 

Bill Green

Executive Board Member, Valley Action Group & Senior Vice President, RBF Consulting

William Green is a Senior Vice President and  Regional Manager of RBF Consulting.,
a member of The Valley Action Group, and Immediate Past State President of American Council of Engineering Companies of California which representes 20, 000 private sector engineers and land surveyors.

RBF Consulting is a full service firm providing consulting services for planning, design and construction of the built environment.

Mr. William L. Green has many years of private and public sector experience in the fields of transportation,  engineering, municipal consulting, surveying, and planning.  He has served as Project Manager for numerous planning,  design and construction assignments on projects located throughout the Coachella Valley and  Southwest Riverside County, including Caltrans District 8, Riverside County Transportation Commission, Western Riverside Council of Governments and San Bernardino Association of Governments.

RBF Consulting has provided design services on Public Private Partnerships (P3’s) projects like Orange County’s Toll Roads SR 241 and 261.

Currently RBF is one of the design consultants working on SR 91 HOV/HOT lane alternatives from SR 241 in Orange County to Pierce Street in Riverside for RCTC.

Bill was instrumental in establishing RBF Consulting’s first regional office in Riverside County in 1985, one of sixteenteen offices today outside of Orange County. He is a corporate leader for the Firm who dedicates his time and energy to the worlds and profession of Engineering and Surveying.
Mr. Green has been extensively involved in professional activities on local, state, and national levels and served as the President of Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors of California (CELSOC) Riverside-San Bernardino Chapter.

Bill, was named State President of the American Council of Engineering Companies of California on July 1, 2008. ACEC-CA was formerly recognized as Consulting Engineers and Surveyors of California or CELSOC.

ACEC California actively initiates and takes positions on legislation, stimulates the ongoing discussion of important industry issues and encourages the development of public/private engineering solutions. Among the widespread slate of issues on which ACEC California will focus are infrastructure improvement, speedy project delivery, promoting engineering and surveying education, leadership in sustainability and the creation of needed new housing.

The organization is also widely known for its sponsorship of Prop. 35 in 2000 -- a measure that provides private consulting engineering design services to public works contracts in California.
 

Patrick Swarthout

President, Valley Action Group & Government Affairs Officer, Imperial Irrigation District

Patrick Swarthout is the Governmental Affairs Officer for the Imperial Irrigation District. Mr. Swarthout has over 22 years of Public and Governmental affairs experience working with government and communities agencies throughout the Imperial and Coachella Valley’s.

Before joining IID Mr. Swarthout work with Southern California Gas Company and San Diego Gas & Electric serving the organization’s over 22 years as the Public Affairs Manager. Mr. Swarthout responsibilities included oversight for local legislative issues in both Valley’s and involvement in the communities they served.

The area of responsibility included the 9 cities in the Coachella Valley the County of Riverside’s district 4, Yucca Valley, Twenty-nine Palms, IID Board of Directors, 6 cities in Imperial Valley and Imperial County Board of Supervisor. Mr. Swarthout also serves and continues to serve on numerous organizations boards including Economic development, Chambers and non-profit organizations, within these areas.

Mr. Swarthout attended Imperial Valley College and UCR Executive Education Program.  He and his wife Leah reside in La Quinta.
 

Andy Horne

Deputy County Executive Officer/Natural Resources Development, County of Imperial

Andy Horne was born and raised in the Imperial Valley, attended local schools, then received a B.A. in History from the University of California at Riverside.  After completing his education, he returned to El Centro and worked for over 25 years in the real estate business with his father’s firm.

In 1998, Horne was elected to the Board of Directors of the Imperial Irrigation District, a water and energy utility.  He served at IID for eight years including two years as board president.
 In June, 2007, Horne began work with the County of Imperial in the field of Natural Resources Development.  In that capacity, Horne works on facilitating the development of renewable energy projects seeking to locate within the County.

Horne has also served as Chair of the Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation and also as president of the El Centro Chamber of Commerce, the El Centro Rotary Club, the Imperial Valley Board of Realtors and the McCabe Union School District Board of Trustees.

He lives in rural El Centro with his wife Alexa, a kindergarten teacher, and has three grown children. 

Fred Bell

Vice President, Valley Action Group & Chief Operating Officer, Noble & Company, LLC

Fred serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Noble & Company a renewable energy company focused on wind and solar power generation. The Company also has in its portfolio commercial and land development/entitlement interests.

Previously Fred served as the Executive Officer of the Building Industry Association Desert Chapter. The Chapter has as its membership, most of the major builders and developers presently building in eastern Riverside and Imperial Counties in California. Fred was considered the voice of new construction in the Coachella and Imperial Valleys. He is also very active in the local community and sits on a multitude of non-profit Boards improving the quality of life for citizens of the region.

Prior to that he was the Vice President of Exhibitor Relations for Video Applications/WorldStage LLC, a combined operating company that created themed entertainment attractions for Fortune 50 companies and delivered Hi Definition Digital Video content via satellite to theatres across the country. Their client list includes Microsoft, NASCAR, NFL, NCAA to name a few.

Preceding his time with VAI/WorldStage Fred served as a Vice President with Edwards Theatres. He was responsible for overall operations and provided leadership on a number of highly specialized construction projects for Edwards including the creation of a sixty thousand square foot temporary theatre built under joint venture with the Walt Disney Company for the launch of Disney’s Film Fantasia 2000.

Fred began his career with the Sea World theme parks as an Operations Manager with their special projects team where he completed development ventures. Bell was an integral part of the team that completed final construction and opened the 250-acre Sea World of Texas attraction.
 

Brad Mielke

Valley Action Board Member & Senior Vice President, RBF Consulting – Desert Region

Mr. Mielke is a Senior Vice President of RBF Consulting, a Planning, Engineering, and Construction Management Firm with over 600 employees in 16 offices throughout California, Arizona and Nevada.   Mr. Mielke manages RBF’s Palm Desert Office which focuses on providing the Coachella and Imperial Valleys with economic development as well as supporting growth to the region through building infrastructure and sustainable community development.

RBF’s Palm Desert office recently celebrated 24 years of service in the valley providing engineering and surveying services. Today, the office provides public works engineering, land surveying, land planning, and engineering, environmental permitting, traffic engineering, transportation planning, structural design, and water resources engineering to public agency and private sector clients.

With degrees from Claremont Men’s College in Management Engineering and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in Architectural Engineering, Mr. Mielke has over 30 years experience in civil and structural engineering associated with housing, resort, educational, and healthcare facilities as well as public works, transportation, and infrastructure design. He also provides senior leadership for RBF’s Energy Development Group which has been responsible for the development of several renewable energy projects throughout California involving solar, wind, geothermal, and hydroelectric projects.

Brad is a resident of La Quinta and an active member of several local Chambers of Commerce, as well local chapters of APWA, BIA, CVEP, IVDEC, VAG, and ACORE. A licensed structural engineer in six states and member of the Structural Engineers Association of California and American Society of Civil Engineers, Mr. Mielke is also active in Coachella Valley’s Renewable Energy Roundtable and Citizen Emergency Response Team (CERT).

Michael Cohen

Senior Associate, Pacific Institute

Michael J. Cohen is a Senior Research Associate with the Pacific Institute.

Mr. Cohen's work focuses on water use in the lower Colorado River basin and delta region and the restoration of the Salton Sea ecosystem. He is the lead author of three Pacific Institute reports on the Salton Sea and the Colorado River delta, and has contributed to several Pacific Institute reports on water use. He is also the co-author of several journal articles on water and the environment in the border region.

Mr. Cohen developed a "partial" restoration plan for the Salton Sea, recognizing the infeasibility of restoring the Sea as a whole, and helped draft an alternative set of shortage criteria for the lower Colorado River.

He is a member of the International Boundary and Water Commission's Colorado River Delta Advisory Committee, the Water Education Foundation's Colorado River Advisory Committee, and was a member of the California Resources Agency's Salton Sea Advisory Committee.

Mr. Cohen has a Master's degree in Geography, with a concentration in Resources and Environmental Quality, from San Diego State University and received a B.A. in Government from Cornell University.

Wes is involved in several local organizations and sits on

Douglas Barnum

Science Coordinator – Salton Sea Science Office, U.S. Geological Survey

Dr. Barnum has degrees from the University of Missouri in zoology (1973), Washington State University in wildlife biology (1975) and a Ph.D. from Brigham Young University in wildlife biology and range management (1980).   He completed a post-doctoral research assignment with University of California-Davis.  Prior to his current assignment with the US Geological Survey, Dr. Barnum worked for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and USGS as a research wildlife biologist principally on (a) wildlife interactions with agricultural drainage water in California’s Central Valley, and (b) livestock/endangered species relationships. 

Dr. Barnum has been involved in research at the Salton Sea since 1990, and since 2000, has worked as a Wildlife Biologist/Science Coordinator for the USGS Salton Sea Science Office in La Quinta, California.  Dr. Barnum has been responsible for scientific oversight and coordination of Salton Sea science issues, has organized and chaired numerous special-topic workshops, published peer reviewed scientific articles, was the principal editor of the 2000 Salton Sea Symposium Proceedings, and was co-organizer of the 2005 Salton Sea Symposium.  Dr. Barnum chaired the Science Committee for the State of California’s Salton Sea PEIR, and served as a member of several of the PEIR technical working groups.

Lee Case

Chief Scientist - Salton Sea Office, United States Geological Survey

Lee Case is Chief Scientist of the USGS Salton Sea Science Office in La Quinta, CA.  His 36-yr career with USGS has included assignments as a scientist with Geography and the Geographic Information Office in Seattle, WA; Science Advisor/Theme Coordinator for Natural Resources in the Office of the Director in Reston, VA; Director of the Utah Water Science Center; and hydrologist in the New Mexico, South Dakota, and Louisiana Water Science Centers. 

Lee has been with the USGS Salton Sea Science Office for about 4 years.  The Office’s principal focus is helping to assure that objective, high-quality science is available for managers, decision-makers, scientists, the general public, and others interested in restoration of the Salton Sea ecosystem.  In partnership with Reclamation, the Science Office has coordinated research to assess models that predict risks of contaminants to birds at a pilot Saline Habitat Complex site near the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge.

He received his B.S. in Geological Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin, and his M.S. in Geology from Oklahoma State University.  He is a registered Professional Hydrogeologist with the American Institute of Hydrology, and is the author of numerous reports and presentations.
 

Steve Robbins

General Manager, Coachella Valley Water District

Steve Robbins is General Manager-Chief Engineer of the Coachella Valley Water District and responsible for planning and supervising the daily operations of the multi-faceted agency covering 1,000 square miles primarily in Riverside County.  He is responsible for the implementation of short- and long-term water management and water conservation programs, policies and procedures; such as a 35-year blueprint to ensure affordable and reliable water sources for future generations.

Mr. Robbins is president for the State Water Contractors and current board member for Region 9 of the Association of California Water Agencies, helping resolve many long-standing Colorado River water issues and obtaining increases in district’s State Water Project entitlement.

A UCLA graduate, he joined the district as Domestic Water Engineer in 1978 then spent nearly nine years in the private sector before returning to the district in 1994 as assistant director of engineering.
 

Malissa Hathaway McKeith

Partner, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP

Melissa McKeith serves as Chair of the firm-wide Real Estate and Land Use Department. She has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of land development, water and energy law. Named one of the top Women Litigations in California in 2010, Ms. McKeith recently won a judgment overturning the landmark transfers of Colorado River water from Imperial Valley to San Diego. She handles the following types of matters:

• Land use entitlements for retail, residential and industrial developments.
• Zoning changes, annexations, subdivision map act compliance.
• All aspects of NEPA/CEQA compliance (prosecution and defense).
• Endangered Species Act compliance including Streambed Alteration Agreements, Clean Water Act Section 401 and 404 permits.
• Protection of water rights with emphasis on representing agricultural entities.
• Defense of enforcement actions before the Environmental Protection Agency and Regional Water Quality Control Boards.
• Negotiation of power purchase agreements.
• All aspects of permitting for renewable or conventional power plants including appearances before the Public Utilities Commission and California Energy Commission.

ASSOCIATIONS

• Board, Colorado River Board of California (1997-2002)
• Board, California Women Lawyers (1999-2003)
• Board, State Bar of California (1994-1997)
• Governor’s Appointee, Flood Plain Task Force (1998)
• Executive Committee, State Bar Real Property Section (1999-2003)
• President, Citizens United for Resources & Environment (“CURE”) (1997-present)
• Chair, Los Angeles County Bar Judicial Appointments Committee (1994-1999)
• Association of California Water Agencies

Charles Keene

Branch Chief, Department of Water Resources

Charles Keene, Chief of the Water Management Branch, supervises staff responsible for the Water Supply Evaluations, Water Conservation and Land and Water Use Evaluations, Floodplain Management and Local Assistance, and Recreation and Environmental Studies Sections. He began his career with the Department in 1972 and is currently working on various Colorado River water use issues adn on the Salton Sea Ecosystem Managment Program.

He has experience working on environmental compliance and permitting, assessment and documentation under the California Environmental Quality Act, recreation planning, financial assistance to local agencies, water quality, water transfers, land use evaluation, water recycling, and wastewater reuse. He is a graduate of Occidental College with a bachelor's degree in Environmental Biology and Biochemistry.

Peter Nelson

Board Vice President, Coachella Valley Water District & Vice President, Salton Sea Authority

Peter Nelson, Board Vice President, was appointed to the board in June 2000, won election in November 2000, ran unopposed in 2004 and in 2008". Nelson grows about 2,000 acres of dates, grapes and citrus for a number of firms.

He previously was general manager of agricultural operations for J & P Properties of Thermal producing citrus, dates, and grapes. He is a graduate of California State University, Fresno with a degree in Agricultural economics.

Nelson, elected as president in 2004, serves as vice-president of the Salton Sea Authority, director of the California Farm Water Coalition, and director of the California Desert Grape Administrative Committee.

Michael Walker

Salton Sea Program Manager – Lower Colorado Region, United States Bureau of Reclamation

Mr. Walker received a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology in 1976 and an M.S. in Zoology in 1978, both from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.  After finishing graduate studies and with a particular interest in large mammal ecology, Mike designed and completed various research studies involving desert bighorn sheep, feral burros, black bears and desert mule deer while working for the State of Arizona and the Navajo Nation. 

He began working with Reclamation in the early 80’s, and has held various managerial positions with responsibilities for overseeing numerous projects and programs within Reclamation’s Lower Colorado Region, including the Regional Endangered Species Program, Recreation, Fish and Wildlife Programs, Environmental Compliance, Planning, Small Loans, Native American Affairs, Wetland Programs, and other Regional-wide Programs.  For the past 10 years, Mike has been Program Manager for Reclamation’s Salton Sea Program, working out of Yuma Arizona.   
 

Carla Scheidlinger

Senior Scientist/Restoration Ecology, AMEC Earth & Environmental

Carla Scheidlinger began work at the Salton Sea region in 2000, as a logical extension of her 7 years of work on the development, implementation, and testing of alternatives for the control of fugitive dust from the Owens Lake. She is an ecologist with a BA earned at Swarthmore and Harvard, and an MS from San Diego State University. At the Salton Sea, she has been involved with pilot projects and alternatives planning, starting with the design, implementation, and management of the Salton Sea Authority’s Salton Sea Solar Ponds Pilot Project, which generated a model for the isolation and chemical composition of Sea salts.

Further work for the Authority included water quality and odor control pilot projects. She further worked with the Torres Martinez on the permitting, design, and management of their 85-acre wetland project, and continues as a consultant to the Tribe for wetland conservation planning. The Bureau of Reclamation pilot project for shallow habitat was developed with Ms. Scheidlinger’s input following a workshop that she coordinated regarding the optimal design for such habitats.

Finally, she participated with both the Authority and California Department of Fish and Game in the development of conceptual design criteria for a more extensive habitat project for the benefit of target bird and fish species. She is currently Senior Restoration Ecologist with AMEC Earth & Environmental, Inc. where she continues restoration work in the region involving the Managed Marsh at the Imperial Irrigation District, restoration projects associated with the Coachella Valley Water District’s Coachella Canal Lining Project, and the Bureau of Reclamation’s Lower Colorado Multi- Species Conservation Program.

Wesley Ahlgren

Director of Operations, Coachella Valley Economic Partnership

Wesley Ahlgren currently serves as the Director of Operations at the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership a position he has held since April of 2009. Prior assuming the position at CVEP he was the Vice President of Corporate Affairs for The Brookshire Group a local developer/builder.

Prior to moving to Coachella Valley in 2005 Wes served as Director of Operations for an international defense contractor in Carlsbad CA.

He earned a BS in Political Science and a Masters in Public Administration while serving 11 years in the Marine Corps.

Wes is involved in several local organizations and sits on the board of Building Industry Association and the county's Workforce Investment Board.

He is a life member of the VFW and a Certified Green Builder. Wes lives in Indio with his wife Kathleen & their two children.

Paul D. Quill

Land Development Specialist, Innovative Land Concepts Inc.

As a resident of the Coachella Valley since 1980, Paul Quill began his local career in golf resort development as a golf course construction manager for Indian Wells Associates/Vintage Properties at the Tom Fazio-designed Vintage Club golf courses in Indian Wells. 
 
Prior to taking the position at the Vintage Club, Mr. Quill received his degree in Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Arizona. Throughout his time at the university he gained valuable experience in golf management at such notable golf clubs as Congressional Country Club in Potomac, Maryland; Tucson National Golf Club, and McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Over the last 30 years here in the Coachella Valley he has been involved in all aspects of master planned community and golf resort development.   Having constructed the Ted Robinson golf courses for Sunrise Company at The Lakes Country Club and Palm Valley Country Club, he joined Ernie Vossler’s and Joe Walser’s Landmark Land Company team in 1985, working primarily in forward planning, land development, construction management, and as golf course construction and land development support for PGA West; Mission Hills Country Club; The Citrus Course; Oak Valley Golf Club; Moreno Valley Ranch; and various construction management roles at the La Quinta Golf and Resort complex.

In 1991 Quill moved back to Sunrise Company to lead the land development efforts for the yet to be developed Indian Ridge Country Club.  Sunrise Company’s efforts to start the project that year were thwarted by a downturn in the valley real estate market and the overall California economy.   After assisting Sunrise in the forward planning for Indian Ridge, he moved to Del Webb Corporation to head up the land development efforts for the proposed Sun City Palm Desert project.  As Vice President of Land Development, he was responsible for all aspects of the land planning, engineering, design, Department of Real Estate processing, entitlement, infrastructure, and golf amenity construction for this 1,600-acre, 5000-unit master-planned community.  He led these efforts from the groundbreaking to the successful closeout of this highly amenitized community.  During his tenure, Sun City Palm Desert became and remained the best-selling new home community in Southern California for more than 10 years. 
 
Quill also headed up the acquisition, land planning, engineering, design, entitlement, and land development management for the enormously successful start up of Sun City Shadow Hills by Del Webb, a 2,400-unit active adult, 18-hole golf resort master-planned community in the Shadow Hills area of north Indio. 
 
Paul Quill’s experience and qualifications run the gamut of large-scale master-planned community development.  His knowledge of the local Coachella Valley entitlement processes within the various jurisdictions and the County of Riverside is unsurpassed. From a thorough knowledge of the CEQA process and Subdivision Map Act, to hands on construction management, he is one of the leading land professionals in the region, with a firm grasp on all aspects of master-planned community design and development.

Since early 2004 Quill has operated as an independent land development specialist. In 2006 Quill partnered with Ed Schiller and Sean Runnels to form Innovative Land Concepts Inc. He represents several large landowners in the Coachella Valley, assisting them in land planning and entitlement processing to enhance the long-term value of their property. Quill is the lead consultant for Federated Insurance on the 5000 acre Travertine Point Specific Plan adjacent to the Salton Sea at in the Oasis area of the Coachella Valley. Additionally, he serves as a commissioner on the La Quinta Planning Commission since 2003 and is past-president of the Board of the Coachella Valley Community Trails Alliance, a local 501(c)3 non-profit organization advocating and implementing a Multi-Use Trails network throughout the Coachella Valley.

Eileen Allen

Policy Advisor, California Energy Commission

Eileen Allen is a Policy Advisor to Energy Commissioner Robert Weisenmiller. She was previously the Siting & Compliance Office Manager for the California Energy Commission, where she directed the work of siting project managers facilitating the licensing and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) impact analysis/mitigation process for both renewable and fossil thermal electric power plants with a generating capacity of at least 50 megawatts.

She also directed staff monitoring the construction and operation of power plants approved by the Commission, and served as a project manager for numerous proposed power plants and related facilities such as transmission lines and gas/water pipelines. Ms. Allen has a B.A. in Rhetoric and Communications from UC Berkeley and an M.A. in Urban Planning with an Environmental Planning emphasis from UCLA.

Kevin Harper

Director of Environmental Permitting, Ridgeline Energy

Kevin Harper currently serves as the Director of Environmental Permitting with Ridgeline Energy, a wind and solar energy development  company.  His past experience includes working for Tessera Solar  (formerly Stirling Energy Systems) for a couple of years and before  that for approximately twenty years with state and federal agencies including the US Forest Service, National Park Service and Bureau of  Land Management.  For most of his career he has managed public lands  and resources and has been involved in numerous major ROW project  developments involving power plants, transmission, communications, and  transportation. He holds a bachelors and masters degree in Anthropology.
 

Chuck Gilfoy

Director, Marketing & Asset Optimization, CalEnergy Generation

James Carlberg

Executive Vice President & Co-Founder, Kent BioEnergy

Jim Carlberg is an expert in aquaculture research and production, and the related fields of water quality management and aquatic animal health. He has directed major marine biology research programs at San Diego State University, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Southern California Edison Company, Sea World, and the Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute. His work has focused on the use of algal production systems to develop low-cost wastewater treatment methods to conserve and recycle water to aquaculture operations and to restore wildlife habitat. He has overseen numerous government grants (USDA, DOE, EPA, and NSF) on the use of the microalgae technologies to treat agricultural waste, dairy waste, and to capture CO2 to reduce water pollution, produce valuable products (including biofuels), and to recycle atmospheric carbon dioxide to mitigate global climate change. He has co-authored more than 100 publications and technical reports on aquaculture and wastewater remediation.  He has worked on nearly 200 projects in over 40 countries.
 
Jim Carlberg received his MS in Marine Ecology and Minor in Biochemistry from SDSU in 1972.  He was the former President of Kent SeaTech and currently VP of Kent BioEnergy with headquarters in San Diego and field operations in the Coachella Valley.
 

Kevin Kelley

Assistant to the General Manager, Imperial Irrigation District

Kevin Kelley is a native of Brawley, California and a lifelong resident of the Imperial Valley. A 1984 graduate of the University of Southern California, where he majored in communications arts and sciences, Kelley’s background in media consulting, marketing communications and public affairs is wide-ranging and extensive.

He is the former editor and publisher of Valley Grower magazine, an agricultural trade publication that was acquired by the Imperial Valley Press in 2003. As a freelance writer, his work has appeared in most major metropolitan newspapers in the West. From 2005-2006, he served as editorial page editor of the Imperial Valley Press.

Recruited to the Imperial Irrigation District in June 2006, Kelley serves as the assistant to the general manager and community information officer. 

Alene M. Taber

Attorney, Jackson Demarco Tidus Peckenpaugh

Alene M. Taber is an attorney with the firm of Jackson DeMarco Tidus Peckenpaugh.  Ms. Taber concentrates her practice in environmental and land use law, including compliance with air quality regulations and obtaining land use entitlements.  Ms. Taber appears before City Councils, hearing boards, and the Office of Administrative Hearings. 

Ms. Taber has experience litigating entitlement rights, CEQA and other environmental issues, as well as imposition of fees, and constitutional rights cases.  Ms. Taber is currently co-counsel representing one of the successful parties in litigation related to the Salton Sea, in which the Sacramento Superior Court invalidated the nation's largest agricultural-to-urban water transfer deal known as the Quantification Settlement Agreement ("QSA").  The Court recognized that the Salton Sea was the single most significant environmental issue facing the QSA.  Increased PM10 emissions at the Salton Sea caused by water transfers could jeopardize the attainment and maintenance of the federal PM10 air quality standard in Imperial County. 

Prior to joining Jackson DeMarco Tidus Peckenpaugh, Ms. Taber worked for the South Coast Air Quality Management District (“SCAQMD”) for twelve and half years.  As a Senior Manager, she was responsible for managing the permitting and enforcement of facilities in the region that use coatings and paints, overseeing the CEQA and socioeconomic analysis of SCAQMD rules, and managing the development of air quality rules.  Some examples of the projects Ms. Taber worked on while at the SCAQMD included:

• Overseeing Title V permitting and enforcement for facilities that primarily emit Volatile Organic Compounds (“VOCs”);
• Working on developing various Air Quality Management Plans and control measures;
• Working with the Technical Advisory Group in the Coachella Valley to implement measures that would reduce particulate matter emissions; 
• Working with local governments to implement air quality reduction strategies;
• Working with stakeholders to develop regulations affecting aerospace coatings, dust control, dairies, compost operations, air toxics, coke piles, etc.; and,
• Overseeing the air toxics notification program.

Ms. Taber was a contributing author to SCAQMD’s “CEQA Air Quality Handbook” and “Making Clean Air a Priority: A Guide for Planners in Local Government.”

Ms. Taber also was a previous city planner with the Southern California Association of Governments (“SCAG”) and the City of Carson.  While with SCAG, Ms. Taber worked on transportation and air quality issues.  As a city planner, she processed land use entitlements and subdivision maps, drafted CEQA documents, and wrote several ordinances regulating parking, truck maneuvering, and commercial facilities. 

Ms. Taber has a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from Whittier College.  She spent one semester studying urban planning at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.  Ms. Taber graduated magna cum laude from Whittier Law School where she was on the moot court honors board and law review, and on the Dean’s list and Honor Roll.  She also has a certificate in Hazardous Materials Management from the University of California at Irvine.  In addition to being admitted to the California Bar, she is a certified land use planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners. 
 

Rodney Bonner

Tribal Administrator, Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians & President, Desert Cahuilla Wetland

With several years of experience in Economic Development in the Native American community earned as a member of the Economic Development Committee (EDC) and President of the Board of Directors for Selnek-is Tem-Al Corporation, Economic Development department for the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians ("TMDCI") of which Rodney is an enrolled member (role # 534), he in involved in the day to day operation of the trible's multi-million dollar economic endeavors.

Mark R. Norton PE, LEED AP

Water Resources & Planning Mgr. Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority & Authority Administrator, Lake Elsinore & San Jacinto Watersheds Authority

Mr. Norton holds a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering form the University of Colorado and a Masters of Public Administration from Brigham Young University. He is a registered civil engineer in California and Colorado and accredited LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) professional under the US Green Building Council’s LEED program.

Mr. Norton’s background includes 30 years of engineering experience in a broad range of civil engineering projects. Mr. Norton serves as the Water Resources and Planning Manager for the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA), a joint powers agency organized to support water resources in the Santa Ana River Watershed. Concurrent, with his department management duties, Mr. Norton also serves as the Authority Administrator for the Lake Elsinore and San Jacinto Watersheds Authority (LESJWA), a joint powers agency created to enhance water quality for Lake Elsinore and San Jacinto River Watershed.

His titles include Past President of the Inland Empire Council of Engineers and Scientists, Past President of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) San Bernardino/Riverside Branch and Los Angeles Section, 2004-05 ASCE Civil Engineer of the Year and the currently serves as chair of the ASCE Region 9 Water & Environment Committee and a board member for the San Jacinto River Watershed Council.

Rick Daniels

City Manager of Desert Hot Springs

Rick Daniels has been the City Manager of Desert Hot Springs since 2007.

Rick is also the former Executive Director of the Salton Sea Authority and President/CEO of the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership, his own business management consulting firm, and Mine Reclamation Corporation all located in the Coachella Valley. Prior to that Rick resided in Portland, Oregon where he was Vice President/General Manager of a number of subsidiaries of Waste Management, Inc. responsible for landfill, recycling centers and operations facilities. 

Rick spent over 13 years in public service as Director of Land Use and Transportation, Community Development Director, and Planning Director for a number of cities and counties in the Portland Metropolitan Area where he was recognized as a leader in Oregon’s aggressive and innovative land use programs. Rick spearheaded regional land use, light-rail transit and airport development which changed the urban form in that area.

Rick is a community leader in the Coachella Valley where he serves on the JFK Memorial Hospital Board. He has served on a number of Boards and Commissions including:

• East Valley Tourism and Development Authority,
• City of La Quinta Planning Commission,
• Agua Caliente Development Authority,
• Building Industry Association,
• YMCA,
• Trinity Lutheran Child Development Center

Rick is a 1974 graduate of the University of Oregon, cherishes his 8 grandkids and lives in Desert Hot Springs with his wife Joyce. 
 

Gary K. Jennings

Business Development Director

Highly-skilled, results-focused Water Consulting professional with broad, proven experience in creating value, protecting assets and solving problems on behalf of water, waste water and sewer utilities in California.

Core Expertise:

• In-depth familiarity with CPUC, DWR and DPH processes and regulations.
• Strong analytical skills with water rates, capital budgets and infrastructure funding modeling.
• Proven ability to sell “under performing or troubled” operating assets.
• Proven “deal team – project management” of agents, accountants, engineers and attorneys.
• Firm understanding of due diligence, fraud detection and transaction integration process.
• Working knowledge of S.E.C., N.A.S.D, Sarbanes-Oxley and Director & Officer regulations.

Professional Strengths:

• Creative problem solving supported by strong investigative, research and analytical skills. 
• Proven ability to resolve complex business issues and manage controversial subjects with diplomacy.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects with extraordinary detail and firm deadlines.
• Firm understanding of the California drinking water industry trends and opportunities.

Summary of Services:

• Directing the creation, sale or purchase of California water and sewer utilities (IOU & CSD).
• Managing all phases of Corporate Financing, Rate Cases, Applications, and Rate Setting Analyses.

Key Accomplishments:

• Successfully managed twenty eight consulting projects over the last seven years.
• Successfully managed the sale of fifteen businesses over the last seven years.
• Created a statewide infrastructure-funding program (CPUC water and sewer utilities).
• Settled nine outstanding DHS and CPUC enforcement actions and prevented litigation. 
• Created a statewide water conservation program, projected to save 25 mgpd.
• Negotiated a class action settlement, which provided $ 2.0 million in equity to shareholders.
• Uncovered $ 18.0 million in corporate fraud, resulting in multiple convictions.
• Negotiated debt settlements worth $ 300,000 in savings to shareholders.           
• Served as an Expert Witness for the FBI, Shareholders, Plaintiffs and US Attorney.

Consulting – Project Management:

• Twenty eight projects completed as of 5/12/08
• Infrastructure Funding [four active projects]    
• Water Conservation [ten active projects]  
• Water Source [two active projects]  
• Sales Management [eight projects completed]   
• Business valuation [five projects completed]  
• CPUC [GRC & AR] [eight projects completed]  
• Water Supply – Developer[five projects completed]
• Public Officer-Director [two projects completed]

General Business Transactions:

• Fifteen business sold and five transactions pending in 08
• Water Utility System [six sold]      
• E-Commerce – Retail [three sold]
• Corporate Reverse Mergers [two sold] 
• Service Company – Retail [one sold]
• Transportation Service [two sold] 
• Mortgage Lending [one sold]
   

Timothy Krantz

Professor, Environmental Studies Program, University of Redlands; Salton Sea Database Program Director

Dr. Krantz brings over thirty years of professional experience in environmental assessment and land use planning to the Salton Sea project, combining experience in both the private and public sector, academia and environmental engineering.  At the University of Redlands, Dr. Krantz is Chair of the Environmental Studies Program, and is the Salton Sea Database Program Director—a $4.7 million geographic information system (GIS) database comprising the most authoritative GIS information clearinghouse for the region.

Dr. Krantz is the principal editor of the Salton Sea Atlas, and has published numerous papers and several encyclopedia treatments on the Salton Sea.