From
Phillip Coffman
Barbara Goodrich has submitted her application letter to the BVWD Board of Directors for appointment to the district board of directors. As you can see from her outstanding qualifications, she will make a fine addition with critical skills to help straighten out our district’s affairs. I urge you to contact the BVWD with your emails, calls, or letters as soon as possible to show your support for Barbara’s appointment.
Here is Barbara’s letter of application for the BVWD Director position:
BARBARA J. GOODRICH
May 11, 2010
To the Directors of the Bear Valley Water District:
This letter is to express my interest in the opening on the BVWD Board of Directors created by Phil Davis’ resignation. As you may already know, my entire professional career is in accounting and finance, and I can bring an important skill set to the District.
Under the direct and daily supervision of an on-site, full-time general manager, the essential technical, regulatory, and operational phases of the District’s responsibilities are in good hands. However, with respect to accounting and financial management, the District is still confronted by significant challenges.
I am a CPA (inactive). My professional experience includes several years working for an international public accounting firm, four years running a general ledger practice for small companies, serving as director of finance for a venture-backed start-up company and as chief financial officer of a publicly-traded corporation. I have served as treasurer of the Bear Valley Music Festival and am currently its Vice President-Fundraising.
I have attended almost all BVWD’s board meetings since December 2008 and am knowledgeable as to the District’s history and current issues. My commitment to the District is proven.
During the past year and a half, I have devoted hundreds of hours in service of the District and its ratepayers. Currently, I am a “financial volunteer” and have worked on the 2010 and 2011 budgets, the monthly financial reporting package, and loan financing. Further, I am working with District staff on the crucial task of developing policies and procedures that are needed to bring internal accounting practices up to industry standards, as well as working with the District’s contract accountant to correct long-standing bookkeeping problems. In the course of my assistance to the District, I have developed strong working relationships with the BVWD staff.
I have been a local homeowner for 12 years and recently became a board member of Bear Valley Residents Inc. As a result of my activities in our community, I have cultivated good working relationships and a high degree of credibility with many of the District’s ratepayers.
I do not own or represent a business in Bear Valley, I have no commercial ties to any particular development, and I have no business with the District except as a ratepayer. Thus I am free of any real or perceived conflicts of interest on matters coming before the District.
Last year, the auditors referred to the District’s continuing financial condition as “fragile” and reported that the District had a “significant deficiency in internal control over financial
reporting.” Adding my financial skill set to the Board would be a significant step toward addressing these problems. While my voluntary accounting and finance work has been helpful to the District thus far, I am convinced that, as Director, my professional knowledge and experience will be of even greater assistance in formulating and implementing policies critical to the future of the District.
I invite you to call or contact me regarding any concerns you may have, and I look forward to working with you in the future.
Sincerely,
Barbara Goodrich
BVWD Contact Information:
BVWD
POBOX 5027
Bear,Valley, CA 95223
(209)753-2112