Jerry Mattos

Arn Hancock

John S. Schuster

Jim Ventura

Jim Ricker

ARN HANCOCK

Arn has been the owner/operator of a number of business enterprises in the Morongo Basin since 1979. Presently the Owner of Hancock Limousine Service, he is the President of Hancock Network Communications, Inc. Arn was a member of the Pioneertown Fire Auxiliary from 1973 to 1984. He was PCF Fire Captain in 1981, and honored as Firefighter of the Year that same year. He is currently a member of the Yucca Valley, Palm Springs, and Big Bear Lake Chambers of Commerce. He is a member of the National Limousine Association, the Greater Southern California Livery Association and the California Drug & Alcohol Testing Alliance. He is also a member of the Yucca Valley Rotary Club and was named Yucca Valley Citizen of the Year in 2001. In 2004 Soroptimist International named him “Man of Distinction”. He has been appointed to the Business Advisory Council (BAC) State of California 2006, and is part of The National Republican Congressional Committee. He is the current President of Yucca Valley Chapter of BNI 2006. Arn has been a member of the BWF since 2002.

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JERRY MATTOS

Employed by the Williams Insurance Service, Inc. since 1965, Jerry became its owner and CEO in 1972. In addition to his normal course of business activities, he has developed several commercial properties in the Morongo Basin. A past president of the Twentynine Palms Camber of Commerce, Jerry has also served as commissioner for the County of San Bernardino on several boards and as a director of the Hi-Desert Medical Center Foundation. He has also served as president of the 29 Palms Kiwanis Club, the Christian Business Men, and has been Bishop's Warden at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church. Jerry has been a Foundation member since early 2001.

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JIM VENTURA

Jim has lived in the community of Joshua Tree, CA since 1980. Born and raised in West Virginia and relocated to California in 1964. Jim retired from Southern California Edison in 1996 after 32 years of service. At the time of retirement, Jim was a Region Manager for Edison International. Jim has many years of experience in Government and Community affairs, as well as utility construction, budgeting and accounting. He served as a public elected Director on the Joshua Basin Water District Board of Directors from 1983 to 1989. Jim also served as a public elected member on the Board of Director’s of the Hi Desert Memorial Health Care District from 1994 to 2002 located in Joshua Tree. He served in the United States Air Force from 1960 – 1964. While in the Air Force, he was part of the United States Presidential Honor Guard, in Washington DC from 1960-1962. Jim has been very active in many community organizations in the Morongo Basin since moving to the area in 1980. Jim is currently a Director on the Mojave Water Agency, Board of Director’s, a state agency for responsible for providing water to 4900 sq miles in the Mojave Desert Region. Jim has received many community recognition awards as well, including Community Distinguished Citizenship Award - 1995 and Copper Mountain College Community Leadership Hall of Fame recipient - 1996.

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JOHN S. SCHUSTER

John is an attorney and consultant who relocated to the high desert in 2005. Since that time, he has redeveloped several commercial properties in the village of Joshua Tree, with a focus on sustainable, local business. He previously served as Managing Partner of the Southern California offices of Howrey LLP, a global law firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. John is active in a variety of civic and philanthropic organizations in the Morongo Basin and has served on the Board of the Basin Wide Foundation since 2008.

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JIM RICKER

Jim Ricker serves as Assistant Chief of Staff G-5, Marine Air Ground Task Force, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms California. Jim Ricker was born 27 September 1957 in Moorhead, Minnesota. He enlisted on 20 April 1976 and graduated basic training on 15 July 1976. He then reported for training to Marine Air Training Support Group, Millington, Tennessee. Upon graduation from school, he was assigned to Marine Training Unit, Cherry Point, North Carolina. In March 2004 he transferred to Twentynine Palms California Jim Ricker assumed the duties as the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, and the Marine Air Ground Combat Center Sergeant Major. Jim Ricker was transferred to the retired list effective 1 July 2006. From July 2006 through May 2007 Mr. Ricker performed the duties of the Deputy Director of Current Operations, G3 MAGTFTC. Assigned as the Assistant Chief of Staff G5 Community Plans in February 2007.for the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, and the Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms California.