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RCAC board of directors makes major changes
West Sacramento, Calif. — Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) board of directors elected new officers at its annual meeting. Dr. Florine Raitano, Colorado, is now board president; Elizabeth Moore, Nevada, is vice president; Robert Rendon, Utah, is secretary; and Anita Gahimer Crow, Washington, is treasurer.
“Jon Townsend completed his second term as president and I especially appreciate Jon’s work assisting with my transition to RCAC’s CEO position,” said Stanley Keasling, RCAC chief executive officer.
Townsend continues to serve on the RCAC board.
RCAC board members serve three-year terms and may remain on the board for up to four consecutive terms. Officers are elected annually.
In November, board member Anita LaRan completed her fourth three-year term on the RCAC Board. LaRan is from Mora, New Mexico, a small, low-income community in northern New Mexico. “Anita provided the board with perspective on the impacts of federal policies on rural communities,” said Keasling.
“During her 12 years of service, Anita provided us with the insight and determination of a good leader who didn't just do things right, she worked to have the board find the right things to do,” said Townsend. “That's leadership and she will be missed.”
New member Nalani Fujimori Kaina
attended her third RCAC board
meeting in August.
Photo taken by Sharon Wills,
RCAC communications coordinator
At its November 2009 meeting, the board also elected new member, Nalani Fujimori Kaina. Kaina is the executive director of the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii which delivers needed civil legal services to both rural and urban areas in Hawaii. She began her career as a staff attorney on Molokai and created a leadership capacity development program on Lanai. She is a New York University School of Law graduate.
More recently, the board added Sandra Borbridge to its ranks. Borbridge comes to RCAC with a wealth of experience and contacts in Alaska. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Alaska in Anchorage. Currently, she is the grants administrator for the state of Alaska in Juneau. She was the tribal coordinator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Anchorage for more than 10 years. She has held several appointments including serving as a member of the Governor’s Task Force on State/Federal/Tribal Relations.
“The addition of Sandra Borbridge to the RCAC board of directors produces a new dimension of diversity and experience. Sandra’s backgroundprovides direct insight into the complexities and needs of rural Alaska, an intimate understanding of the challenges facing Alaska’s native communities, and first-hand experience with the functions of state, local and tribal governments. We are pleased to welcome Sandra to the board and look forward to a long and rewarding relationship,” said Raitano.
Vickie Oldman-John
now represents
New Mexico on the RCAC board.
Photo taken by Sharon Wills
Vickie Kitseallyboy Oldman-John, who resides in New Mexico, is the board’s newest member. She is an enrolled member of the Navajo tribe and her clans are Black Streak of the Forest People, Mud People, One Who Walks Around and Folding Arm People. Oldman-John is a degreed social worker, an accomplished facilitator, a skilled trainer, curriculum writer, and speaker who has worked with many national, state and Native communities. She provides strategic planning, community and organizational development, board development, team building, technical assistance, training, curricula development and program coordination in both urban and rural environments. She has a master’s degree in social work with a concentration in community planning and administration from New Mexico Highlands University and is a graduate of Arizona State University.
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