Board & Bylaws

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.

Chairman:          Mayor Karen Goh

Executive Committee:
President:                                            Regina Pryor
1st Vice-President                         Terry McCormick
2nd Vice-President                        Evan Sproul
Recording Secretary                     Bethany Fleisher
Treasurer                                              Esther Schlaerth

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*

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.

To view these Articles of Incorporation, click below:
ArticlesOfIncorporation

To view a copy of the Bylaws of Bakersfield Sister City Project Corporation, click below:
BYLAWS –  Amended 2022

To view a copy of the  Social Medial Policy, click below: Bakersfield Sister City Social Media Policy

People Helping People