HomeMy WebLinkAbout09.04.25 Tovey Giezentanner Public Comment - Agenda Item 4.3 - Appointment to the Vina GSA Board of Directors.ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening
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From:Clerk of the Board
To:Clerk of the Board; Connelly, Bill; Cook, Holly; Cook, Robin; Durfee, Peter; Jessee, Meegan; Kimmelshue, Tod;
Kitts, Melissa; Krater, Sharleen; Lee, Lewis; Little, Melissa; Pickett, Andy; Ritter, Tami; Stephens, Brad J.;
Sweeney, Kathleen; Teeter, Doug; Zepeda, Elizabeth
Cc:Loeser, Kamie; Nuzum, Danielle
Subject:Public Comment: FW: Public Comment - Agenda Item 4.3 - Appointment to the Vina GSA Board of Directors
Date:Friday, September 5, 2025 10:00:14 AM
Attachments:0 AGUBC Letter - DWU final with Apps submitted sm.pdf
Please see public comment
From: Tovey Giezentanner <Tovey@Giezentanner.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 4, 2025 4:39 PM
To: Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net>
Cc: Tovey Giezentanner <Tovey@Giezentanner.com>
Subject: Public Comment - Agenda Item 4.3 - Appointment to the Vina GSA Board of Directors
Dear Clerk of the Board,
On behalf of the Agricultural Groundwater Users of Butte County (AGUBC), a 501(c)(6) organization
representing over 60,000 acres of irrigated farmland and domestic well users in the Vina Subbasin, I
am pleased to submit our letter of recommendation for the Domestic Well User Stakeholder Director
seat on the Vina Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) Board of Directors. Please find the
recommendation letter attached for your review.
We respectfully request that you forward this email, along with the attached letter and accompanying
domestic candidate applications, to Chairman Tod Kimmelshue, the full Board of Supervisors, and
Butte County's County Counsel for their consideration during the selection process under Agenda
Item 4.3 at the regular board meeting on September 9, 2025.
Additionally, we kindly ask if it would be possible to publish this letter on the County website,
ensuring that the public has at least 72 hours prior to the regular meeting on September 9, 2025, to
review the letter and its contents.
Should you require additional information or clarification, please do not hesitate to contact Tovey
Giezentanner at 916-801-0344.
Thank you for your assistance.
Tovey Giezentanner on behalf of Rich McGowan
September 4, 2025
The Honorable Tod Kimmelshue
Chairman, Butte County Board of Supervisors
25 County Center Drive
Oroville, California 95965
Dear Chairman Kimmelshue:
On behalf of the Agricultural Groundwater Users of Butte County (AGUBC), a 501(c)(6)
organization representing more than 60,000 acres of irrigated farmland and domestic well users
in the Vina Subbasin, we are pleased to submit this letter of recommendation presenting three
highly qualified individuals as options for the Domestic Well User Stakeholder Director seat
on the Vina Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) Board of Directors.
We respectfully request that you review Section 7 of the Vina GSA Joint Powers Agreement
(JPA), of which Butte County is a signatory, to confirm the open and inclusive nature of the
appointment process. As outlined in Section 7.3.2(b) of the JPA, "Domestic Well User
Stakeholder Director. Butte County shall conduct an open application process and
identify the qualified candidates."
Consistent with this directive, Butte County is currently conducting an open application process
for the recent Vina GSA Domestic Well User vacancy, soliciting input from the Vina GSA and
other stakeholders in accordance with Section 7.3. The Vina GSA has contributed by
conducting its own application process, forming an Ad-Hoc Nomination Committee, and
providing a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. However, Butte County’s open
process does not restrict participation to the Vina GSA and permits other parties, including
domestic candidates submitting applications directly, to offer recommendations. The JPA
includes a mechanism for soliciting input from AGUBC for the Agricultural Stakeholder
Director seat under Section 7.3.2(a), and we assert that a similar opportunity applies to the
Domestic Well User Stakeholder Director seat under Section 7.3.2(d), enabling any interested
party, including AGUBC, to submit qualified domestic candidates directly to the Board for
review.
We respect the Vina GSA's process and efforts to identify qualified candidates. However, with
that process coinciding with summer vacations, the onset of harvest, and back-to-school
activities, we were unable to identify qualified candidates quickly enough to participate in their
process. Nonetheless, the candidates we present now are highly qualified, and we aim to
provide the Board with a more complete list of options to ensure the best possible appointment.
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We understand that only one candidate will be selected to fill the single vacancy, and we offer
these domestic candidates for your consideration, confident that each brings exceptional
qualifications, deep community ties, and a commitment to sustainable groundwater
management. Each candidate meets the eligibility requirements, resides within the Vina GSA
jurisdiction, owns or leases residential property, and extracts groundwater for domestic use
only. Additionally, none of the candidates are involved in litigation against the Vina GSA or
its member agencies.
Candidate 1: Theresa Schneider
Theresa Schneider, a fourth-generation grower, co-owns and operates A&J Family Farms, Inc.,
and relies on a domestic well for household water needs. With over 15 years of hands-on
farming experience alongside her late father, Theresa manages all aspects of her family’s
operation, from fieldwork to bookkeeping. A graduate of CSU, Chico, with a degree in
agriculture education, she returned to the farm to support its operations and has since taken on
leadership of the family business. Theresa is actively involved in the community as a youth
Grange livestock leader, a member of the CORE Butte Charter school board, and a 2024
inductee into the California Ag Leadership Program. Her deep understanding of water
management, informed by her use of soil moisture monitors and irrigation tracking, combined
with her concerns about regulatory impacts on groundwater use, positions her to effectively
advocate for domestic well users. Theresa’s resilience as a female farmer in a male-dominated
industry and her commitment to sustainable family farming make her a compelling candidate
for the Vina GSA Board.
Candidate 2: Nicole Johansson
Nicole Johansson resides in Durham within the Vina GSA jurisdiction, where she depends on
a domestic well for household use. With 25 years of experience as a marketing and
communications consultant, Nicole has a proven track record of fostering community
engagement and promoting sustainable practices. A 1996 graduate of Colorado State
University with a degree in journalism, she has held management roles at Tri Counties Bank
and Enloe Medical Center, bringing expertise in crisis communications and stakeholder
collaboration. Since moving to Butte County in 2004, Nicole has been a passionate advocate
for local agriculture, leading the Sierra Oro Farm Trail for 21 years and working with clients
such as water districts and the City of Chico. Her ability to communicate complex issues clearly
and build partnerships across diverse groups aligns perfectly with the Vina GSA’s goals of
advancing the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP). Nicole’s deep ties to the agricultural
community and her strategic communication skills make her an outstanding candidate to
represent domestic well users.
Candidate 3: John Nock
John Nock, a lifelong resident of Dayton in the Vina Subbasin, owns a residential property that
relies on a domestic well for household water needs. As a farmer and a respected community
leader, John brings a wealth of experience in local governance and resource management.
Appointed in December 2024 to the Butte College Board of Trustees for Area 6, representing
rural communities including Durham, Concow, and Forest Ranch, John has demonstrated a
commitment to community service. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business and finance from
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CSU, Chico (1989) and a Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of
Law (1993), and has been a member of the California State Bar since 1994. His past roles
include a 25-year tenure on the Butte County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, where he was
named “Member of the Year” in 2015, and current service on the Durham Community
Foundation Board. John is also a former board member for the Sacramento River Forum. John’s
legal expertise, deep agricultural roots, and proven leadership in water-related initiatives make
him qualified to contribute to the Vina GSA’s mission of implementing the Sustainable
Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
Each of these domestic candidates is exceptionally well-suited to serve as the Domestic Well
User Stakeholder Director, bringing unique expertise, community leadership, and a personal
stake in sustainable groundwater management. They are prepared to dedicate the necessary 2
to 5 hours per month to attend monthly board meetings, as well as engage in meeting
preparation and occasional follow-up. The AGUBC strongly endorses these domestic
candidates and believes any of them would serve with distinction through the remainder of the
term ending October 10, 2027.
We respectfully request that the Butte County Board of Supervisors, under its authority
pursuant to Section 7.3.2(d) of the JPA, consider these domestic candidates alongside the
recommendations from the Vina GSA during the selection process under Agenda Item 4.3 at
the regular board meeting on September 9. These candidates and recommendations represent
a robust pool of applicants, particularly given the recruitment challenges posed by seasonal
constraints. Should you require additional information about these candidates or the AGUBC’s
recommendations, please do not hesitate to contact Rich McGowan at 530-342-4040.
Thank you for your time and consideration in appointing a qualified Domestic Well User
Stakeholder Director to the Vina GSA Board.
Sincerely,
Rich McGowan, President
Agricultural Groundwater Users of Butte County
cc: Clerk of the Board
County Counsel