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Board of Directors

Bill Rosen

PRESIDENT BILL ROSEN

Mr. Rosen moved to Goleta in 2003 and is a ratepayer of the Goleta Water District. Mr. Rosen is a retired New York attorney experienced in municipal government, having served as County Attorney and as counsel to municipal governments. In addition, Mr. Rosen served as Counsel to the Upper Delaware Council, one of the first cooperative river management programs conducted by the National Park Service and local governments.

Goleta Water District Board Term and Committee Assignments

  • Elected to the Board of Directors in 2008. Current term expires in 2012.
  • Chair, Administration Committee.
  • Represents the District as a Director on the Central Coast Water Authority.

Community Involvement

  • Board Member, Santa Barbara Film Festival.
  • Goleta Area Representative, Santa Barbara Democratic Committee.
Jack Cunningham

DIRECTOR JACK CUNNINGHAM

A retired United Airlines employee, Mr. Cunningham has been a Goleta Water District ratepayer for 35 years.

Goleta Water District Board Term and Committee Assignments

  • Appointed to the Board of Directors in 1995, and then elected in 1997. Reelected in 2002 and 2006. Served as President three times.
  • Member, Public Information Committee.
  • Represents the District as a Director of the Association of California Water Agencies / Joint Powers Insurance Authority.
  • Represents the District as President of the Santa Barbara California Special Districts Association.
  • Represents the District at meetings of the Goleta Sanitary District.

Community Involvement

  • Former Commissioner (12 years) and Chair (six years), Santa Barbara Airport.
  • Military Order of World Wars.
  • Rotary Club of Santa Barbara.
  • Former Chair (three years), Local Red Cross chapter.
Bert Bertrando

DIRECTOR BERT BERTRANDO

Mr. Bertrando has been a District resident for 50 years, and is a registered Mechanical Engineer and Safety Engineer in California. Mr. Bertrando has received a Master of Science Degree in Engineering and a Master of Business Economics.

Goleta Water District Board Term and Committee Assignments

  • Elected to the Goleta Water District in 2006 and served as President of the Board.
  • Alternate, Water Management & Long Range Planning Committee and Administration Committee.
  • Represents the District at meetings of the Santa Barbara Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO)

Community Involvement

  • Director (10 years) of the La Cumbre Mutual Water Company.
Lauren Hanson

VICE-PRESIDENT LAUREN HANSON

A long-time Goleta Valley resident, Ms. Hanson received a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Yale University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University.

Goleta Water District Board Term and Committee Assignments

  • Elected to the Board of Directors in 2008. Current term Expires in 2012. In her first year on the board, she served as Vice-President of the Board and Chair of the UCSB Relations Committee.
  • Chair, Water Management & Long Range Planning Committee.
  • Member, Administration Committee
  • Represents the District as President of the Cachuma Operation & Maintenance Board and President of the Cachuma Conservation Release Board.
  • Alternate, Public Information Committee.

Community Involvement

  • Member of the Goleta Vision Committee and co-author of its report, A Comprehensive Vision for the Eastern Goleta Valley (2006).
Rick Merrifield

DIRECTOR RICK MERRIFIELD

A local homeowner and GWD ratepayer since 1993, Mr. Merrifield received a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Heath Science from California State University, Northridge. Mr. Merrifield was employed by the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department for 34 years as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist and was the Director of the division for seven years.

Goleta Water District Board Term and Committee Assignments

  • Appointed to the Board of Directors in 2011. Current term expires in 2012.
  • Chair, Public Information Committee.
  • Member, Water Management & Long Range Planning Committee.
  • Alternate Representative for the District to: the Central Coast Water Authority; Association of California Water Agencies / Joint Powers Insurance Authority; Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board; Cachuma Conservation Release Board; and, the Goleta Sanitary District.

Community Involvement

  • Member, Goleta Valley Beautiful.