To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): County Administrator’s Office
Staff Name and Phone Number: M. Christina Rivera 707-565-2431
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Recommended Action:
Title
Approve the Appointments of Alma Bowen, Cyndi Forman, Paul Lowenthal, Margie Maynard, Tammy Sakanashi, Jessica Tunis and Pamela Van Halsema to the Fire Memorial for a term beginning July 11, 2023 and end on completion of the Fire Memorial installation, estimated to be October 2024. (Countywide)
End
Executive Summary:
Approve the Appointments of Alma Bowen, Cyndi Forman, Paul Lowenthal, Margie Maynard, Tammy Sakanashi, Jessica Tunis and Pamela Van Halsema to the Fire Memorial for a term beginning July 11, 2023 and end on completion of the Fire Memorial installation, estimated to be October 2024. (Countywide)
Discussion:
Pursuant to the Fire Memorial Work Plan <https://sonoma-county.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=11478384&GUID=FCBC7F2E-FD5A-44DE-AECE-DBBB63159E9C> previously adopted by your Board, the Fire Memorial ad hoc committee recommends the appointment of Alma Bowen, Cyndi Forman, Paul Lowenthal, Margie Maynard, Tammy Sakanashi, Jessica Tunis and Pamela Van Halsema to Fire Memorial Task Force, for a term beginning July 11, 2023, through to the completion of the Fire Memorial initiative.
On December 6, 2022, the Board of Supervisors approved the Fire Memorial Work Plan (Work Plan) to develop and install a Fire Memorial in honor of the lives that were lost in the 2017 Sonoma Complex Wildfires. The Work Plan included the establishment of a Fire Memorial Task Force (Task Force) to oversee specific aspects of the project, including:
• create project goals and themes for the memorial
• oversee the artist selection and community engagement processes
• participate in community engagement
• select the artist(s)
• support the development of the project concept
• advocate for the project when it is being developed and again when it is completed
The Work Plan also described the potential composition of the Task Force as approximately seven (7) members, who will represent a broad cross-section of stakeholders, including first responders and representatives of families who lost loved ones in the fires.
Potential Task Force member candidates could include:
• families directly affected by displacement, loss of family
• first responders
• public health / behavioral health responders
• artists and arts professionals
• people affected by taking in displaced people, volunteering to assist with critical services, etc.
• local government officials
In addition, the Work Plan called for the creation of an ad hoc committee comprised of representatives from the First, Third, and Fourth Districts, and the Creative Sonoma Advisory Board, to work with staff to review applications and make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors.
The opportunity to serve on the Task Force was posted on the County’s website (Boards & Commissions <https://sonoma-county.granicus.com/boards/w/808bd6e42edf8e0f/boards/45925> and CreativeSonoma.org <https://www.creativesonoma.org/fire/>) from February 6th to present. To promote the opportunity, outreach included press releases, postings on social media and in newsletters, and radio and print interviews. Personal and direct outreach was made to nearly 100 individuals and organizations representing fire survivor families, first responders, and service providers that were significantly involved in response and recovery, arts community members who lost homes and studios. A total of 18 applications were received and reviewed by staff and the ad hoc committee. Interviews were held with 14 finalists. Staff is recommending the following individuals be appointed to the Fire Memorial Task Force:
Alma Bowen (District 4) is being recommended because of her 18 years as a 911 dispatcher, including the night the 2017 fires broke out, and her more recent work as Executive Director of Nuestra Comunidad, a community-based organization dedicated to improving the health, safety, and well-being of the community, in service of more resilient communities.
Cyndi Foreman (District 1) is being recommended because of her 22 years working for local Fire Districts, including for Rincon Valley on the night of the fires. She currently serves as Division Chief/Fire Marshal for the Sonoma County Fire District.
Paul Lowenthal (District 4) is being recommended because of his service as Division Chief Fire Marshal for the Santa Rosa Fire Department during the 2017 wildfires and beyond; he lost his home in the 2017 fires.
Margie Maynard (District 1) is being recommended because of her over 35 years of experience in museum services including at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art where she co-curated the 2018 Fire Exhibition telling the stories of the many artists and writers who were directly impacted.
Tammy Sakanashi (District 1) is being recommended because of her professional experience working in health services, currently as Dean of Health Services at Santa Rosa Junior College; she lost her home in the 2017 fires.
Jessica Tunis (District 3) is being recommended because of her years’ long advocacy for a memorial honoring the lives lost in the 2017 fires, including her mother.
Pamela Van Halsema (District 4) is being recommended because of her work as a community volunteer after the fires as well as her background in arts and museums. She is a current or former volunteer and/or board member of the Sonoma County Library, Coffey Strong, Santa Rosa Community Services, and the Community Resilience Collaborate. She previously worked in arts education positions for the Bay Area Discovery Museum and the Terra Museum of American Art, and has a bachelor’s degree in art history; she lost her home in the 2017 fires.
All recommended candidates meet the eligibility criteria set forth in the Fire Memorial Work Plan, are willing and able to meet the requirements for serving on the Task Force, and are available to serve through the completion of the Fire Memorial initiative.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Prior Board Actions:
Approve the Fire Memorial Work Plan <https://sonoma-county.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5948414&GUID=B4D7D117-71CA-4019-8B5B-129F4B5125C0&Options=&Search=>
June 6, 2023: Received an update on the Fire Memorial initiative and approved budget request <https://sonoma-county.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6231219&GUID=AD506918-6F62-46ED-ABB7-E4D41C546227&Options=&Search=>
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
N/A
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Fire Memorial Work Plan
Application(s) Recommended for Appointment
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None