Candidate for
Auditor; County of Riverside

Family

A California native, I was educated, lived, and worked here all my life. As a young family, my father was a welder and sheet metal worker aboard Navy ships during 1940s-1950s; while my mother was a stay-at-home mom, taking care of what would eventually become a family with seven children. The American flag flying in front of our house is one of my most heartfelt and earliest recollections. Together, my parents taught me that ethics and integrity were must haves and that principles mattered. Today, I am married and have one 6 year old son. My wife, Cindy, is a Registered Nurse and is employed by the Veterans Administration.

Military Service -- US ARMY (1971-1974)

Shortly after graduating from high school in 1970, I enlisted in the Army because I felt it was my duty to serve my country during the Vietnam War. First, trained as an infantryman, I graduated from the Fort Ord Basic Combat Training Center in 1972. Subsequently, I was trained by Army Special Forces as an engineer charged with planning and building combat fortifications. Instead of being sent to Vietnam as we fully expected my unit was immediately deployed to Engineer Command, West Germany, because of Cold War tensions with the USSR. During this time I achieved rank of Army Specialist. In 1974, I received an Honorable Discharge from active duty.

Education

After being honorably discharged from the U.S. Army, I worked my way through college with the aid of the G.I. Bill and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from UC Berkeley. Later, because of my interest in business, I completed a professional accountant program at UC Santa Cruz, which enabled me, after intense self-study, to directly challenge the 15 hour CPA exam. Direct challenges to the CPA exam are rarely attempted, with less than 2 percent successful pass rate. I passed the exam and as a result I am a California CPA -- the gold standard in accounting and finance -- and in good standing with the California Board of Accountants. Recently, I earned a Master of Arts in Management degree from the University of Redlands, completing my multi-disciplinary business studies.

Private Industry Business Experience

Prior to working in the Auditor-Controller's office, I worked in private industry for 25 years. Starting in a sales capacity in the printing industry, I learned the profession of business from the ground up. Later I worked in aircraft and telecommunications production planning and as an industrial procurement officer, making financial decisions on daily basis.

My success in these positions was based on taking the responsibility and the initiative to analyze problems from different angles, to bring positive change, ensure that commitments occurred on time, and under budget---this has been my signature trademark throughout my professional career. The experience I gained in private industry gave me a tremendous first-hand business education, and a great respect for businesses trying to pay taxes, meet payroll, and earn a profit.

Auditor-Controller's Office

During my 8 years with the Auditor-Controller's office my responsibilities have included training other accountants, auditing accounts, and rewriting the county's accounting manual. For 6 years of those years, I worked with the team that produced the County's annual financial report-- the single most important and complex financial document produced by any governmental entity.

Early in my career with the Auditor-Controller, I was asked to prepare the pension fund disclosure for the County's annual financial report. Conducting my due-diligence, I discovered that previous disclosures of what was then a $1.6 billion pension fund were incorrect. The pension fund had been depicted in a negative cash position, when in fact it was in a positive cash position. This mistake had not been caught by any of the auditors or Moody's, the renown Wall Street credit rating firm. I made the nearly $2 million correction and was assigned to monitor the pension fund for the next 4 years.

My most recent project was analyzing President Obama's $800 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and it's impact to Riverside County. I have also written or have been instrumental in writing 50 Standard Policies and Procedures, covering the spectrum of governmental accounting and finance. Special assignments, such as these, have been assigned to me as I am considered the resident expert in detailed legal, accounting and finance research.

Lifelong Dedication to the Community

Serving the community has always been important to me. During the past 30 years I have assisted or supported many causes and candidates whom I believed were great for California. As early as 1978, for example, I had the distinct honor of personally meeting Ronald Reagan. The meetings with the future President and his advisors taught me that it was vital to elect competent and principled leaders--leaders that walk-the-talk. These meetings were key to my understanding of government and reinforced the idea that government needs to be much more accountable and fiscally restrained.

Professional Affiliations

In addition to being a member of the California Board of Accountants, I am a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Academy of Political Scientists. As a member of these professional groups, I am required to undergo continuous training and held to highest ethical and professional standards.