Sacramento, CA…The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) installed its 2020 Officers and presented its Rural Leadership Awards at their annual reception in Sacramento yesterday. Merced County Supervisor Daron McDaniel was installed as Chair, Mono County Supervisor Stacy Corless was installed as First Vice Chair, and Nevada County Supervisor Dan Miller was installed as Second Vice Chair. Inyo County Supervisor Matt Kingsley remains an Officer as Immediate Past Chair. Assembly Member Adam Gray (D-Merced) administered the official Oath of Officers. The newly installed 2020 Officers will lead the organization in championing policies on behalf of California’s rural counties.

“I’m honored to have been selected by my peers to represent the interests of California’s rural counties,” said Supervisor McDaniel. “We’ve created a lot of momentum in a number of areas over the past few years, and I look forward to continuing to advocate for resources and programs to advance the priorities of California’s rural communities.”

In addition to the Installation of Officers, Rural Leadership Awards were presented to two public officials who have demonstrated an understanding of, and leadership in, rural issues and the unique challenges that rural communities face.

Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) was the first recipient of the 2019 Rural Leadership Award. Senator Jackson was recognized for her leadership on issues related to wildfire – in particular for understanding the challenges faced in the Wildland Urban Interfaces and forested areas of California’s counties.

“Senator Jackson was instrumental in two key legislative measures of interest to California’s rural counties, including Senate Bill 901 of 2018, and the authoring of Senate Bill 182, which sought to establish wildfire reduction standards and planning requirements for new housing developments in fire prone areas of the state,” said Supervisor Corless. “Senator Jackson’s recent work demonstrates a true understanding of the issues impacting rural California.”

“I am honored to be recognized by the Rural County Representatives of California for my legislation to protect Californians from increasingly destructive and deadly wildfires. Fire prevention is a deeply personal issue for me as a representative of the region devastated by the Thomas Fire,” said Senator Jackson. “I appreciate the recognition for my work on fire prevention, including my Senate Bill 182 to strengthen local planning requirements in high fire risk areas, and my Senate Bill 1260 which cleared the way for wildfire fuel reduction. I look forward to continue working with RCRC to keep all of our communities safe.”

Assembly Member Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia) was the second recipient of the 2019 Rural Leadership Award. Assembly Member Obernolte was recognized for his leadership on a wide range of issues impacting rural counties.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized by RCRC for my work on behalf of rural communities,” said Assembly Member Obernolte. “Far too often, big cities are the sole focus of what we do here in Sacramento. As a Member who represents a rural district, I know that we have our own set of unique challenges that are just as important as those in urban regions. That is why I’ve fought hard against injustices such as the Fire Prevention Fee, and why last year I authored legislation to provide a CEQA exemption to streamline urgent safety projects in high-risk fire areas with insufficient egress routes. I will continue to work on behalf of my rural constituents and those across our state.”

In addition to the 2020 Officers, five regional representatives were appointed at the RCRC Board of Directors in December 2019. These representatives join the RCRC Officers to make up the full 2020 RCRC Executive Committee. The regional representatives were appointed as follows:
Region 1: Gerry Hemmingsen (Del Norte)
Region 2: Lee Adams (Sierra)
Region 3: Denise Carter (Colusa)
Region 4: Jack Garamendi (Calaveras)
Region 5: Kuyler Crocker (Tulare)

Details on RCRC’s 2020 Executive Committee and other Committee Chairs can be accessed here.

ABOUT RURAL COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES OF CALIFORNIA (RCRC)
The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) is a thirty-seven member county strong service organization that champions policies on behalf of California’s rural counties. RCRC is dedicated to
representing the collective unique interests of its membership, providing legislative and regulatory representation at the State and Federal levels, and providing responsible services for its members to enhance and protect the quality of life in rural California counties. To learn more about RCRC, visit rcrcnet.org and follow @RuralCounties on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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