The Board of Directors’ responsibilities include establishing policy, providing oversight, and setting direction and vision to ensure SDRMA meets its mission, obligations and commitment to its members.
Board meetings are held on a regularly scheduled basis on the first Tuesday and Wednesday of the month (occasional exceptions). Meetings are conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Ralph M. Brown Act (California Government Code Section 54950 et seq.).
SDRMA’s Board of Directors consist of seven directors elected from member agencies participating in either SDRMA’s Property/Liability and/or Workers’ Compensation Programs.
Current Board Members
David Aranda – President
Jerry Ledbetter – Vice President
Muril Clift – Secretary
Jean Bracy – Director
Terry Burkhart – Director
Ed Gray – Director
Sandy A. Seifert-Raffelson – Director
David Aranda, SDA, Director
SDRMA Board Member Since 1998, Current Term 2010-2013
David Aranda has served as a member of the SDRMA Board of Directors since 1998. Committed to advocating and strengthening special districts through sound governance, Mr. Aranda is an active member of the California Special Districts Association (CSDA), fulfilling a variety of roles within the Association, including serving on the Alliance Executive Council and President of the Special District Leadership Academy.
Mr. Aranda is the General Manager of North of the River Municipal Water District (NORMWD). Formed in 1969, NORMWD serves the unincorporated community of Oildale, California; adjacent to and “north of the river” from Bakersfield. The District provides wholesale and retail water service to his community of 30,000 residents.
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Jerry Ledbetter, Vice President
SDRMA Board Member Since 2008, Current Term 2010-2013
Jerry Ledbetter has served as a member of the SDRMA Board of Directors since 2008. Mr. Ledbetter understands the challenges that many smaller districts face when it comes to managing workers’ compensation and risk management programs and costs with limited resources and personnel. His background and experience gives him a unique appreciation of the importance of risk management services and programs, especially for smaller agencies that lack expertise in-house or the frequency of claims to feel proficient.
Mr. Ledbetter is the Safety & Health Officer of the Alameda County Water District which became the first water district founded in the State of California under the Caminetti Bill (County Water District Act of 1913) and is responsible for workers’ compensation claims and workplace safety & health management.
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Muril Clift, Secretary
SDRMA Board Member Since 2010, Current Term 2010-2013
Muril Clift was elected to the SDRMA Board of Directors on January 1, 2010. Mr. Clift’s previous elected Board experience includes: Trustee of Kern County High School District and Director of Santa Maria Public Airport District. He brings over 38+ years of insurance experience in personal and commercial lines insurance. Mr. Clift understands the risks faced by community organizations and the insurance needs of employees and holds advanced insurance degrees of Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter and Chartered Life Underwriter. In addition, he has completed over 1000 hours of continuing education in the insurance field.
Mr. Clift is currently serving as a Director of Cambria Community Services District and serves on the Finance Committee, Governmental Relations Committee and Forest Service Committee.
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Jean Bracy, SDA, Director
SDRMA Board Member Since 2010, Current Term 2010-2013
Jean Bracy was elected to the SDRMA Board of Directors on January 1, 2010. Ms. Bracy has a wide range of experience with organizational structures, long term and vision planning, development of staff and volunteers, and resource and program management. In addition, she is a qualified Special District Administrator, has completed the special District Leadership Academy, and holds a Master Certificate in Labor Relations from the California Public Employers Labor Relations Association.
Ms. Bracy is the Director of Administrative Services for the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District. The MDAQMD is a regulatory agency implementing regulations from both the federal and state Clean Air Acts. Her areas of responsibility include Finance and Budget, Human Resources, Information Systems, Risk Management, Fleet, and Facilities.
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Terry Burkhart, Director
SDRMA Board Member Since 2012, Current Term 2012-2015
Terry Burkhart has been a Director on Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency since 2007, after being retired since 2000. She is currently serving as Board President and is finishing a two year term in that office. Though small, Bighorn thinks large, and promotes regional thinking with neighboring districts. They have been successful in implementing an aquifer recharge project which will benefit not only their immediate area, but also provide water storage for their region’s wholesale distributor.
For more than 30 years, Ms. Burkhart worked in the insurance industry during the latter years of her career. She both took and taught classes for the Insurance Education Institute, continuing her education up to her retirement. During her years dealing with commercial insurance she became interested in risk management, and had the opportunity to do a little work with a risk management consultant, analyzing policies.
Her previous board experience has been with Business and Professional Women’s Organization, at both local and regional levels, and the Johnson Valley Improvement Association, holding every office except president.
Ed Gray, Director
SDRMA Board Member Since 2010, Current Term 2012-2015
Ed Gray was appointed to the SDRMA Board in November 2010, filling a prior director’s vacated seat and was re-elected to a 4 year term in 2012. Mr. Gray is currently serving as a Director of the Chino Valley Independent Fire District and has served on the Finance, Planning and the Chino Valley Public Agencies Committee. He is a long time public safety officer with many years of experience in the public sector.
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Sandy A. Seifert-Raffelson, Director
SDRMA Board Member Since 2012, Current Term 2012-2015
Sandy A. Seifert-Raffelson was elected to the SDRMA Board of Directors on January 1, 2012. Mrs. Raffelson has completed her District Clerk Certificate, CSDA Governance Foundation Leadership Academy and SDLF Special District Governance and holds a Bachelor degree in Business Administration with a minor in Sociology and Accounting. In addition she has 15 years of experience in bookkeeping, accounting and auditing for special districts.
Mrs. Raffelson is the District Clerk for Herlong Public Utility District, where she has been involved with the District since the beginning of its conception as Herlong Utility Cooperative, later changing to Herlong Utility Incorporated and finally to a Public Utility District. Mrs. Raffelson has strong business, community and family values.
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