2010 Faculty

Ethics, Leadership, Critical Thinking Skills
Final Thoughts, Putting It All Together:

Dr. Christopher Meyers is Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Kegley Institute of Ethics at CSU Bakersfield. He is also a member of the medical staff at Kern Medical Center, where he provides ethics consulting and education, services he also provides for most the major hospitals in the Bakersfield area. Most of his research is in practical ethics, particularly bioethics and journalism ethics. His most recent books are Journalism Ethics: A Philosophical Approach (Oxford: 2010) and A Practical Guide for Clinical Ethics Consulting: Expertise, Ethos and Power (Rowman and Littlefield: 2007).

Dr. Steven Gamboa is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at California State University, Bakersfield. His research is focused on the intersection between thought, language, and reason. Areas of research interest include epistemology, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, inductive logic and confirmation theory, and naturalized ethics. Dr. Gamboa also does research in early modern philosophy, particularly David Hume.

Kern County Economy:

Richard Chapman was appointed President & CEO of the Kern Economic Development Corporation (KEDC) in November 2006. Chapman’s previous positions included Executive Director of the Buckeye (Arizona) Valley Development, Inc., and Vice President for the Economic Development Council of Seattle and King County. He has also held a research position with Prudential Securities. Chapman holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Georgetown University and a Masters of Business Administration in International Marketing from American University. Chapman hails from Pinehurst, North Carolina--The Golf Capital of the World”

State Issues:

E.J. Voiland is the retired President and CEO of Aera Energy LLC.  He has a long history in the energy industry, having worked over 28 years for Shell before 10 plus years at Aera.  During his career he worked as an engineer and manager throughout the US.  He served as a Senior Manager as the General Manager of Engineering and the General Manager for Corporate Planning.  Mr. Voiland is now a Management Consultant working primarily for Royal Dutch Shell overseas.  He is the Chairman of the Board of the recently opened Valley Republic Bank in Bakersfield.  He is active in state and community affairs serving on six local non profit boards as well as a board member of the SJV Partnership and California Forward.  Mr. Voiland is a 1969 graduate of Washington State University with a BS degree in Chemical Engineering.  He is a member of the WSU Foundation Board of Governors and the Investment Committee.  Gene and his wife live in Bakersfield, California.

San Joaquin Valley Issues:

Joining Tejon Ranch Company in 2001, Joseph E. Drew draws upon his accomplished real estate and government relations expertise for creating real estate development opportunities on Tejon Ranch land along the Interstate 5 transportation corridor. Drew is currently focused on three master-planned developments: Centennial, Tejon Industrial Complex and Tejon Mountain Village. Prior to joining Tejon Ranch Company, Drew served as president of the International Trade & Transportation Center (ITTC). In that role he developed and marketed a 700-acre, Class-A industrial park located in Shafter, CA. In addition, Drew was the chief executive officer for Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and worked for the County of Kern as county administration officer and director of airports. Drew is a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Army. His academic background includes an undergraduate degree in political science from Park University, Parkville, MO, and a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) from California State University, Bakersfield, CA. Currently, he serves on numerous boards and foundations.

Kern County Issues:

John Guinn has 30 years of experience in local government and is currently the Manager of the City of Shafter. He has worked for Shafter for 25 years. He has served as Assistant City Manager/City Engineer, and Public Works Director. His experience and responsibilities have included land-use planning, public works services, building inspection, and City engineering. He is a registered Civil Engineer and has been the principle staff member working with various community groups on numerous projects. Some of the most interesting and successful citizen participation projects have been: The City Charter, Numerous General Plan updates, the Shafter Downtown Revitalization Project and the Shafter Community Vision Project. The Community's original Vision Project involved over 3,000 of the City’s residents and has successfully established a foundation for the direction of the community. John has published and presented numerous papers on local governments sustainable communities and sustainable economies in the San Joaquin Valley. John and his wife, Marsha, have been married over 37 years and they have two sons and two grandchildren.

Education:

Joel Heinrichs has served in a variety of leadership positions with Lightspeed Systems since leaving the County of Kern in 1997. He is currently the CEO of the rapidly growing software company, which provides network management and security to over 1,600 school districts. Prior to joining Lightspeed Systems, Joel served in a wide variety of capacities with the County of Kern – ultimately being appointed County Administrative Officer. During his work with the county, he successfully implemented a number of initiatives to streamline central services, welfare-to-work programs, and permit processes. Joel currently serves as a Kern High School District Trustee and Kern County Taxpayers Association Board member. He is also a past President of the American Society for Public Administration (Bakersfield Branch), a John W. Dubenmeir Award winner for innovative leadership and an adjunct faculty member at California Polytechnic State University, California State University, Bakersfield, the University of LaVerne, and Bakersfield College.

Healthcare:

Robert (Bob) J. Beehler is President and CEO of San Joaquin Community Hospital, a 259-bed hospital in Bakersfield, California. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the facility, medical staff relations, and strategic vision for the organization. He joined the hospital in 2003. Bob came from Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska where he served as Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Creighton, he was Chief Operting Officer of Doctor's Medical Center in Modesto, California. Bob has also held various other administrative and leadership roles, including CFO for 8 years at Redding Medical Center in Northern California and Modesto City Hospital in Central California. Bob holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Golden Gate University in San Francisco and a Bachelor of Science degree from Loma Linda Univeristy. He is active in the community and serves as a public speaker on health care trends and issues. He and his wife, Myrna, have one son, Matthew, who works for St. Helena Hospital and was recently married.

Personal Image/Crafting Message/Fundamentals of Communications:

Marlene B. Heise is owner of Heise Media Group, a marketing, advertising, design and public relations firm.  Heise Media Group is responsible for creating marketing campaigns to build clients' brand equity in the market, plan comprehensive multi-media advertising and craft award-winning public relations campaigns.  Prior to founding Heise Media Group, Ms. Heise was employed in the broadcasting industry for over 20 years and was a 100+ market board member for the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB).  She serves on numerous non-profit boards and is currently a member of the Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary, Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce, California State University, Bakersfield Presidents’ Associates, and Mayor Harvey L. Halls HIRE Committee. Ms. Heise, a native of Wisconsin, has lived in Bakersfield for over 20 years and has one son, Nicholas, who graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry from UC Riverside and is employed by Halliburton.

Media Relations/Training:

Larry Pickett is President of Larry Pickett/Public Relations, a strategic communications management company specializing in Public Relations, Government Affairs, Marketing, and Crisis Control. He has been a consultant for such organizations as Shell Oil, California High Speed Rail, Hydrogen Energy International LLC, and other energy, airline, and transportation companies. His company also provides workshops in crisis management, media relations, ethics, and presentation skills. Pickett has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Broadcast Journalism and a Master of Arts Degree in Behavioral Science. He teaches communications, organizational behavior, critical thinking, and strategic management at the Universities of La Verne and Phoenix. He is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America. Community service includes board membership on the Bakersfield Redevelopment Agency. He has memberships in the Kern County Bar Association, Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce, American Society of Safety Engineers, the California Independent Petroleum Association, and the Society for Human Resources Management.

The Electoral Process:

Vince Fong was born and raised in Bakersfield, California. He received his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a Masters in Public Affairs from Princeton University. Vince has been active in politics since his time at UCLA. He got his start as an intern for Congressman Bill Thomas and later volunteered on the George W. Bush Presidential campaign in 2000 working to get young people active in politics. Vince has served on the national board of the Young Republican National Federation (YRNF) as the Western Regional Vice Chairman. He has assisted numerous local, state and national campaigns. He is a member of the Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary Club and serves on the board of Goodwill Industries of South Central California and the Jim Burke Education Foundation. Vince currently serves as the District Director for Congressman Kevin McCarthy.

The Growth and Scope of Regional Government:

As a member of the City Manager's executive management team, Brent Green is responsible for formulation of City policy recommendations and implementation of City Council policy relating to redevelopment, business and economic development affecting the City of Shafter. He is the Kern County, City Primary Member to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) and a member of the Economic Advisory Ad Hoc committee for the District. He also represents the City on the Valley Blueprint planners committee. Mr. Green holds a Bachelors of Science Degree from California State University Bakersfield in Business Management. He and his wife Stacey have two children, a son David, the Music Director at Independence High School in Bakersfield and a daughter Ellen, currently a graduate student in Speech Pathology at California State University Fresno.

As Planning Director, Wayne Clausen is responsible for the administration of site development reviews and public inquiries, overseeing maintenance of the General Plan, administration of City Zoning, and processing of land subdivisions. Mr. Clausen has worked as a planner for public agencies since 1986. Prior to joining the City of Shafter in 2004, Mr. Clausen worked for the City of Bakersfield, City of Visalia, and Tulare County. Mr. Clausen has extensive practice with federal, state, and local enabling, environmental, and natural resource legislation. Mr. Clausen currently represents the City of Shafter on the Kern Council of Governments' Transportation Technical Advisory Committee and Regional Planning Advisory Committee. Mr. Clausen holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration from CSU Bakersfield, a Master's Degree in City and Regional Planning from CSU Fresno, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Anthropology and Geography from CSU Fresno. He and his wife Janice have three children.

Governmental Accounting, Budgeting, and Finance:

Jeff Frapwell is Assistant Kern County Administrative Officer for General Services, with more than 25 years County Budget experience, eight years as the Budget Director, Jeff Frapwell brings leadership and management skills to the County Administrative Office. He’s been a member of the County’s fiscal leadership team, in both good and bad budget years, delivering a balanced financial plan – from which to deliver critical County Services. Jeff believes good stewardship of government resources is a fundamental responsibility for all elected officials. With County budgetary numbers on the decline, Jeff understands the need to develop innovative solutions to the growing challenges facing elected officials. He believes that the ability to bring people together, with diverse opinions and perspectives, as a valuable quality for everyone seeking elected office. Jeff is also serving his second term as a member of the Kern County Retirement Board. With pensions playing an important part in local and state campaigns, his unique perspective will broaden your view on this highly-debated topic. “It’s a privilege to share my budgetary experience with future government leaders. Whether you sit on a City Council, a Special District or the Board of Supervisors, good fiscal management of public resources is paramount to good governance.”

Civic Leadership in a Changing World:

Karen Goh is Fifth District Supervisor of the County of Kern. Appointed to the position in December 2010, Karen represents Downtown, East, and Southeast Bakersfield, Lamont, Weedpatch, and Arvin. Prior to her appointment, Karen served as Executive Director of Garden Pathways where she led a broad spectrum of community initiatives to assist the at-risk, marginalized, and underserved of Kern County. Karen served as an advocate for mentoring and education and took an active leadership role in efforts to address the critical challenges of gang violence in Kern County. Karen relocated to Bakersfield in 2005 from New York City where she worked at The McGraw-Hill Companies in the elementary school publishing division. She held a number of executive posts, including Vice President of Administration, Vice President of Editorial Administration, Managing Editor, and most recently Vice President of Publishing Operations. Previously as Editorial Director, Karen led the development of two best-selling music textbook series. Karen is a University of Southern California undergraduate and graduate school alumna.

Academy Director:

Michael Turnipseed is the Executive Director of the Kern County Taxpayers Association. For 30 years, he was a self-employed businessman, actively participating in numerous business, political, and civic projects. Since 2005, he has led KERNTAX, which is a member-supported, non-partisan, non-profit corporation, whose purpose is to bring about, through cooperative effort and communication, greater economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in government, basing its recommendations upon the analysis of facts obtained through research. The organization is widely viewed as the most respected citizen advocacy group in Kern County. Michael received his Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of California, Davis; graduated from the California Agricultural Leadership Program and Leadership Bakersfield; and successfully completed the Executive Program in Management from the Anderson Graduate School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles. Michael and his wife, Nancy, have been married 30 years and they have grown daughters, Amy and Alissa.