ROBERT GOMPERZ is a water industry professional with more than 20 years experience. Recently, he retired from Foothill Municipal Water District as an elected director. FMWD serves the communities of La Crescenta, La Canada-Flintridge and Altadena. He has more than 40 years experience in public relations, media relations and community outreach. In the mid 1980s, Mr. Gomperz was recruited by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to join that agency’s public affairs staff. Hired as a media relations expert, he eventually became the director of the division. While at MWD, he was recognized for his outstanding writing and organizational expertise with major awards from the San Diego Press Club, Pacific Coast Press Club and the Public Relations Society of America (Los Angeles Chapter). After 17 years with Metropolitan, Mr. Gomperz retired, but not from the water industry. He continues his involvement with service on the previously mentioned water boards and by presenting at and attending industry seminars and conferences. He is the current ACWA Region 8 chair and member of the ACWA Board of Directors. 

 

JAMES D. CIAMPA is a partner in the Pasadena law firm of Lagerlof, Senecal, Gosney & Kruse, LLP, where he handles public agency, corporate and real estate matters.  Mr. Ciampa represents numerous public water agencies and mutual water companies as either lead or assistant counsel.   Mr. Ciampa was the lead counsel representing Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency in that agency’s litigation involving application of Proposition 218 to water rates and charges and argued the case to the Court of Appeal and California Supreme Court.  Mr. Ciampa has also advised numerous public agency clients on Proposition 218 procedural and substantive compliance and serves on the Association of California Water Agencies’ Proposition 218 Subcommittee.  Mr. Ciampa is currently Vice Chair of the Post Parade Committee for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association and is a former president and current director of the Pasadena Rugby Football Club.

 

LINDA GODIN was elected in 2007 to serve a four-year term as a Director for the Palmdale Water District after serving one year as an appointed Director. She currently serves as Treasurer of the Board. Linda is employed by Lamar Outdoor Advertising and has worked in the marketing and special events industry for over a decade. She is an active member of the community creating and executing local food drives, fund raising programs for the local Boys & Girls Club and March of Dimes, and promoting "drug-free" programs in local schools. She also served as an Executive Director and Corporate Secretary for the Palmdale Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Godin serves on the Board Outreach Committee and Chairs the Antelope Valley State Water Contractors Association, the Board Finance Committee, the Board Environmental Committee, and is currently a board member for the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Region 8. She also serves as Outreach Captain for ACWA Region 8 and serves on the ACWA Communications Committee. She has received Recognition in Special District Governance from the Special District Leadership Foundation. Her term will expire in December 2011.

 

TOM ASH is an independent consultant specializing in tiered rates and the design and funding of conservation programs. He has over 25 years of experience in the fields of water use efficiency, water rates and public education. As a water conservation specialist from the University of California Cooperative Extenstion, Mr. Ash was the University liaison to water agencies in southern California starting in 1987. He built the first water conservation demonstration garden at the beginning of a 6 year drought (1987-1993) at Western Municipal Water District. In 1991 the University placed Tom at the Irvine Ranch Water District to assist in the design and implementation of the first water budget tiered rate structure for water agencies. He is the author of Landscape Management for Water Savings, published by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (1997). 

 

TIM GOSNEY is a managing partner with the law firm of Lagerlof, Senecal, Gosney & Kruse, LLP located in Pasadena.  He serves as General Counsel to a number of Water Districts in Southern California, and has been actively practicing in the Municipal/Water Law area for more than 25 years. Along with his partner, Jim Ciampa, Mr. Gosney represented Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency in the seminal Proposition 218 case known as Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency v. Verjil in which the California Supreme Court determined that water rates were subject to Proposition 218.  He also serves as General Counsel to Palmdale Water District and is one of the Lead Counsel in the recent Proposition 218 case entitled City of Palmdale v. Palmdale Water District. Mr. Gosney has served on the ACWA Legal Affairs Committee for more than 12 years, and is currently a member of the ACWA State Legislative Committee.

 

DENIS WOLCOTT, APR is president of The Wolcott Company, a full-service public relations and marketing communications company based in Southern California.  With nearly 20 years of experience, Mr. Wolcott provides public relations strategies, public affairs and government relations counsel, winning media campaigns, coalition building and more for a range of local, state, national and international clients in the building, water, finance, tourism, energy, technology, transportation and education industries. Mr. Wolcott has previously served as media services section manager at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and was a vice president at Stoorza, Ziegaus & Metzger (later known as Stoorza Communications), one of California's largest independent public relations and public affairs firms. Prior to entering public relations, he was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor for several daily newspapers, including the Los Angeles Daily News and Gannett-owned publications in the Midwest. Mr. Wolcott is a past chair of the Public Relations Society of America's Western District, past president of PRSA's Los Angeles chapter, and former president and member of the California Water Awareness Campaign. Mr. Wolcott is accredited in public relations.