Cameron Park CSD appoints new director

CAMERON PARK — The Cameron Park Community Services District voted to add its newest member Thursday night, filling the vacancy left by former director Rich Green's sudden resignation in May.

In an unanimous vote, longtime Cameron Park resident Sean Tucker was elected to take Green's spot on the CSD's Board of Directors.

"I am honored to have been selected to fill the vacant director position," Tucker, 43, said in an e-mail Friday. "I look forward to working with the residents of Cameron Park, the Community Services District staff and the rest of the Board of Directors."

Tucker first moved to Cameron Park in 1992. He is the current manager for Placer Title Co.'s El Dorado County division, where he oversees three branch offices and 17 full-time employees.

Tucker and his wife Lesley have two children, both currently enrolled at Ponderosa High School.

No stranger to public service, Tucker is currently serving as secretary to the board of the El Dorado Hills Rotary Club, is an affiliate member of the El Dorado County Association of Realtors and has been on the Board of Directors for the county's Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee.

"This is a great place to live," explained Tucker. "Serving on the board is a tremendous opportunity to give something back to the community and I appreciate the opportunity."

Cameron Park CSD Interim General Manager Rusty Dupray told the Mountain Democrat that Tucker emerged as the top from a pool of five qualified individuals.

"The board would have gotten it right with anyone (it chose)," he said. "Sean gave a great presentation. He's been a longtime resident, very involved."

Including Tucker's, Dupray received six applications for the empty director seat.

Applicants included 19-year Cameron Park resident Michael Bigler, a former Air Force medic and aviation business owner who has coached youth sports and raised funds for the Christa McAuliffe Park; Dave Kert, a retired police officer and current adjunct professor at American River College; John Pereira, a Cameron Park attorney and board member at the Cameron Park Country Club; and Bill Randall, vice president of Investigation Solutions and president of the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce.

Eric Driever, an architect who has been involved with the Cameron Park CSD committees, also submitted his application for review but withdrew his name for consideration before Thursday's meeting, Dupray said.

All the candidates were asked the same questions and given the same instructions during Thursday's meeting, said Dupray. The board conducted its deliberations openly in front of the candidates before voting unanimously for Tucker.

Tucker will replace former Director Rich Green, who announced his resignation during the board's May 18 meeting.

During his address, Green expressed his frustrations with current Directors Scott McNeil, Alan Clarke and Greg Stanton, saying his own ideas were ignored.

"I believe that I have demonstrated a high level of competency and attempted to bring positive changes and direction to the CSD," Green said at the meeting. "Most of these changes were either voted down by the board or pushed to a committee where they were deliberately never reviewed."

He continued: "The board is still fractured and deep wounds exist because of individual conflict between board members. I have no confidence that this group of elected officials will ever work for the best interests of the people they serve, except for Director (Shiva) Frentzen.”

Green's seat, now Tucker's, will run through 2012.

Tucker acknowledged the challenges faced by the board, but said he is ready to get to work.

"Certainly we face challenges," he said. "As a board member, I will give objective consideration to all sides of the issues and work for creative and effective solutions. Being accessible and accountable is what the community expects and I will work hard to be both."

E-mail Jim Ratajczak at jratajczak@mtdemocrat.net or call 530-344-5069.