Dear Editor,

Susan DeLara of Dolan Springs was voted onto the Lake Mohave Ranchos Fire Department (LMRFD) Board, by the four existing members, at Friday’s meeting. She fills the position vacated by Larry Tennant’s resignation in June. She will complete Larry’s term through 2022.

Susan aced the most grueling and lengthy interview by Chair Debora Cass of a prospective Board member that I have seen in my nearly 15 years of involvement with the LMRFD. Susan described plenty of experience serving on Boards. More impressively, though, her answers to Cass’s questions revealed her to be a reasonable, independent thinker, who will be able to look at facts and data and make fair, unbiased decisions. She does not appear to be one easily manipulated or deceived. She looks to be a breath of fresh air on the LMRFD Board!

Douglas Braaten, a Meadview resident and candidate for one of the LMRFD Board seats up for election in November, brought up a good point during the meeting. Speaking of his experience, both as an employee and later as a business owner, he described how his perspective changed as to how a business should be run. He related his experience to ex-firemen being on the Fire Board, and their perspective being from a fireman’s point of view, not necessarily relating to the Governance perspective required to be an effective Board member.

Douglas’s comment dovetailed with thoughts I have had recently, when considering that we currently have three ex-firemen on the Board. I have felt frustrated with some of the Board’s decisions when they all vote along with whatever Chair Cass puts up without question or comment. I realized firemen are trained to follow the leader and cover each other’s butts. That is essential training for their survival working as a team in life threatening situations. But it doesn’t work on the Fire Board, where we need financially responsible, independent thinking individuals who can bring creative ideas and solutions to problems, and not just follow the leader.

Also, along the line of Douglas Braaten’s analogy, ex-firemen on the Board would come more from an “employee” (fireman’s) perception of “what is needed”, rather than the business owner’s (Board’s) realistic perception of “what can be afforded”. The business owner/Board would be required to have a broader view of the whole and make decisions that would provide the best service for the amount of funding available.

We currently have three firemen on the Board. Maybe it is time to balance that out with more businessmen and women. Douglas Braaten and Phyllis Aitken both have backgrounds in business and finance. Please vote in November!

Ellen Reh-Bower

Dolan Springs

Dear Editor,

Susan DeLara of Dolan Springs was voted onto the Lake Mohave Ranchos Fire Department (LMRFD) Board, by the four existing members, at Friday’s meeting. She fills the position vacated by Larry Tennant’s resignation in June. She will complete Larry’s term through 2022.

Susan aced the most grueling and lengthy interview by Chair Debora Cass of a prospective Board member that I have seen in my nearly 15 years of involvement with the LMRFD. Susan described plenty of experience serving on Boards. More impressively, though, her answers to Cass’s questions revealed her to be a reasonable, independent thinker, who will be able to look at facts and data and make fair, unbiased decisions. She does not appear to be one easily manipulated or deceived. She looks to be a breath of fresh air on the LMRFD Board!

Douglas Braaten, a Meadview resident and candidate for one of the LMRFD Board seats up for election in November, brought up a good point during the meeting. Speaking of his experience, both as an employee and later as a business owner, he described how his perspective changed as to how a business should be run. He related his experience to ex-firemen being on the Fire Board, and their perspective being from a fireman’s point of view, not necessarily relating to the Governance perspective required to be an effective Board member.

Douglas’s comment dovetailed with thoughts I have had recently, when considering that we currently have three ex-firemen on the Board. I have felt frustrated with some of the Board’s decisions when they all vote along with whatever Chair Cass puts up without question or comment. I realized firemen are trained to follow the leader and cover each other’s butts. That is essential training for their survival working as a team in life threatening situations. But it doesn’t work on the Fire Board, where we need financially responsible, independent thinking individuals who can bring creative ideas and solutions to problems, and not just follow the leader.

Also, along the line of Douglas Braaten’s analogy, ex-firemen on the Board would come more from an “employee” (fireman’s) perception of “what is needed”, rather than the business owner’s (Board’s) realistic perception of “what can be afforded”. The business owner/Board would be required to have a broader view of the whole and make decisions that would provide the best service for the amount of funding available.

We currently have three firemen on the Board. Maybe it is time to balance that out with more businessmen and women. Douglas Braaten and Phyllis Aitken both have backgrounds in business and finance. Please vote in November!

Ellen Reh-Bower

Dolan Springs