Board, Bylaws, & More
Organization of the Bakersfield Sister City Project
Although Bakersfield Sister City is an entity separate from the City of Bakersfield, having its own articles of incorporation, bylaws, non-profit status, and board of directors, the Mayor of the City of Bakersfield is an official board director, has one vote and may appoint one board member of his/her choice to the board. The Mayor also serves as chairman of the board. The board president is the principal executive officer of the corporation and supervises and controls the business and affairs of the corporation, subject to the control of the board.
The Board of Directors meets monthly, September through June at the City Hall North conference room on Truxtun Ave in Bakersfield. We generally meet on the first Tuesday of the month at 6:00 p.m. All meetings are open to the public. Please consult the Board Calendar for specific meeting dates. However, if you wish to address the board, please contact the board president to be included on the agenda.
Executive Committee:
President: Regina Pryor
1st Vice-President Terry McCormick
2nd Vice-President Evan Sproul
Recording Secretary: Bethany Fleisher
Treasurer Debi Besenfelder
Board Members:
Scott Andrews
Debi Besenfelder
Paul Cha
Portia Choi
Tomas delToro-Diaz
Jack Dillon
Heidi He
Sachiko Hernandez
William Hungerford
Rupinder Jhaj
Nazar Kooner
Yong Eon Park
Elizabeth Ramos
Matab Singh
Evan Sproul
Susan Stone – Past President
Jay Tamsi
Debbie Verdugo
Emeritus Status
Eun Ja Park*
Young Woo Park*
Sue Stone
Sachiko Hernandez
Lifetime Members:
Scott Andrews, John & Diane Ackland, Susianne Anderson, Arthur & Annie Boehning, Suzanne Bunker-Kishimoto, Jim & Lois Caswell, Portia & Tim Chang, Morgan & Gloria Clayton, Tomas & Christina Del Tora-Diaz, Jagdish S. Dillon, Tsukio Fujimoto, Lavonne Hall, Bill & Stacey Hungerford, Dan Buehn & Cindy Skinner, Gurmit & Rupinder Jhaj, Hatsumi Kawasaki, Kenneth Kessinger, Nazar Singh Kooner, Elizabeth Krebs, Kerry Lattimore, Carl Livsey, Leland Luttrell, Mark Luttrell, Terry McCormick, Amy McGuire, Ralph & Heidi McKnight, Charlene Miller, Stephen & Joyce Hulen Montgomery, Dick & Pat Moon, Steve Vickie Murray, Rodney & Cheryl Palla, Barbara Patrick, Randy & Becca Peterson, Mark & Laura Salvaggio, Jae Myung Shin, Tina Skaer, Gene Tackett, Roger & Sandra Threlkeld, Frank Tripicchio, James & Ann Tucker, Matab Singh.
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
Prior to the creation of Bakersfield Sister City Project Corporation, Bakersfield’s Sister City relationship with Wakayama, Japan was established and coordinated by the People-to-People Steering Committee appointed by Mayor Gene Winer in 1962, with the invaluable assistance of the Women’s Division of the Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce. As the relationship grew, it became clear that more formal organization was needed, and on October 28, 1965, the Articles of Incorporation were signed by the Steering Committee Chairman Richard O. Tigner and Secretary Vera K. Gibson.