The San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency is governed by a publicly elected seven-member Board of Directors. Five of the Directors represent Divisions within the Agency, while two are elected at-large. Each Director is elected for a four-year term. Elections are held in November of even-numbered years.
The Board of Directors meets on the first Monday at 1:30 p.m. and on the third Monday of each month at 6 p.m. The Finance & Budget Committee meets on the fourth Thursday at 10 a.m. Water Conservation and Education, Legal Issues, and Employee Guide workshops, as well as special issue workshops, are held as needed.
All meetings are currently being held in person at the Agency’s Administration Building located at 1210 Beaumont Avenue, Beaumont, and virtually by Zoom. Please refer to the Agenda notification for the Zoom link.
View the Calendar for upcoming meetings.
Meet our Board of Directors and click on any photo to view their biography.
Ron Duncan
Director, Division 1
Chander Letulle
Vice President, Division 2
Kevin Walton
Secretary, Division 3
Ron Duncan, Director of Division 1, was initially appointed to the Board on April 16, 2012. He represents both Banning and Cabazon service areas. Director Duncan acts as SGPWA’s Water Conservation Education Committee Chairman member of the Agency’s Public Information and Outreach Committee, and Financial Feasibility Committee.
Director Duncan is dedicated to regional enrichment through his work on the Riverside County School District Boundary Realignment Committee and the Banning Unified School District Oversight Committee. He serves as the Riverside County Office of Education’s Redistricting of School Districts Chairman of the Board. He is on the ACWA JPIA Board of Directors and Risk Management Committee on behalf of SGPWA.
Director Duncan is semi-retired, a full-time beekeeper, and very active within the Banning community. Some of his local engagement activities include serving as Vice President of Softball at Banning Pass Little League and as a Board Member at Playhouse Bowl Association.
Term of Office: Re-elected in 2020, his term ends November 2024.
Chander Letulle, Vice President and Director of Division 2, was initially elected to the Board on December 4, 2020. His service area includes parts of Beaumont and Banning. Currently, Vice President Letulle serves on the Finance & Budget Committee. He is also an active member of several Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) committees, including the Groundwater Committee, Local Government Committee and Membership Committee.
Vice President Letulle’s water interests are aligned with the Agency’s purpose. He is dedicated to ensuring the region secures adequate water resources to support its growth. He is passionate about developing and cultivating local capture, reuse and conservation opportunities such as recycled water, stormwater recapture and turf rebates. The aim is to adapt to California’s climate and reduce reliance on the State Water Project.
Vice President Letulle has enjoyed a 25-year career in the water and wastewater industry, fostering a commitment to sustainable water practices and community enrichment. He currently serves as Director of Operations at Jurupa Community Services District. His educational background includes an M.S. in Environmental Engineering from UC Riverside, a B.S. in Environmental Science, and associate degrees in Water Treatment, Distribution, and Wastewater Treatment from Santiago Canyon College. He also holds an array of professional certifications, showcasing his extensive knowledge within the water industry.
Vice President Letulle has lived in Beaumont since 2004 and, along with his wife, has raised his two children in the city. His grown children intend to stay in the city and raise families of their own. As such, Vice President Letulle is deeply invested in the community’s future.
Term of Office: Elected in 2020, his term ends November 2024.
Kevin Walton, Board Secretary and Director of Division 3, was appointed to the Board on February 8, 2022. He represents portions of Banning (Sun Lakes) and Beaumont. Secretary Walton serves on the Finance & Budget Committee. He is passionate about water issues in California. As a SGPWA Director, his priorities include:
- Continue the vision of the early pioneers of the Pass area to ensure that water is available to commercial and residential uses, now and into the future.
- Ensure that the expenditure of public funds is used wisely.
- Provide the public a voice through their representative.
- Lead staff so that they can succeed in meeting the agency’s mission, goals, and objectives.
- Safeguard public trust in the agency, staff, and elected officials.
Secretary Walton is a retired Fire Captain Specialist from the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District. He served a 30+ career in public safety. Born in California, his family settled in Los Angeles in the late 1800s. The Inland Empire has been his home for 35 years and he has resided in Mira Loma, Yucaipa, and now Banning. He and his wife Susan have raised 5 children and have 5 grandchildren.
Term of Office: Re-elected in November 2022, his term ends November 2026.
Dr. Blair M Ball
Director, Division 4
Larry Smith
Director, Division 5
Mickey Valdivia
President, At Large No. 1
Robert Ybarra
Treasurer, At Large No. 2
Dr. Blair M. Ball, Director of Division 4, was initially elected to the Pass Agency on December 8, 2014. He represents the portions of Beaumont, Cherry Valley, and San Bernadino City.
His water interests include securing reliable, sustainable and affordable water for the citizens who live within the Agency’s boundaries. His further interest is to forge a stronger, more beneficial working relationship with the retail water agencies served by the Pass Agency in a manner that will not be excessively burdensome to the taxpayer.
Director Ball is an Optometrist by profession and has practiced Optometry since 1986 when he graduated from the Southern California College of Optometry. He and his wife are the parents of five children and eleven grandchildren and have lived in the Pass area for almost 35 years.
Term of Office: Unopposed in November 2022, his term ends November 2026.
Larry Smith, Director of Division 5, was elected to the Board on December 4, 2020. He represents the areas of Calimesa and Beaumont. Director Smith works to ensure the region has a high-quality, abundant and affordable water supply. He is an advocate for the public’s right to clean water, transparent representation, and full accountability as a representative of the San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency.
During the past decade, Director Smith has served the citizens of Riverside County as former Mayor, City Councilman, Planning Commissioner, and numerous regional boards including the Riverside Transportation Commission, Western Council of Governments, and Southern California Association of Governments.
Director Smith has a degree in Business Management from the University of Redlands. His years of public service, along with three decades in the construction industry building major roadways, dams, and bridges, have provided him with the ability to understand infrastructure issues and complex contract negotiations. Today, he owns and operates a mountain resort Inn located in the county of San Bernardino.
Director Smith has been married to his wife Roxanne for 44 years, raising two children and two granddaughters.
Term of Office: Elected in 2020, his term ends November 2024.
Mickey Valdivia, Board President and the At-Large 1 representative, was initially elected to the Board on December 4, 2020. As the At-Large 1 representative, he works with all the retailers as an active listener and problem solver. President Valdivia uses his talents in negotiations, urban planning, and land use knowledge to help provide a sustainable water supply to all the residents within the Agency boundaries.
President Valdivia is a Legislative Assistant to Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Hewitt. His primary role is to advise the Supervisor on transportation and land use policy and decisions.
He was appointed and then elected to the Beaumont-Cherry Valley Recreation and Parks District. Later, he served on the City of Beaumont Planning Commission and then as the Riverside County Planning Commissioner under Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley.
He transferred from Mt. San Jacinto College to the University of Redlands where he acquired a degree in Government. He later acquired a master’s degree in Cross Cultural Curriculum from National University.
President Valdivia is a lifetime resident of the Pass Area. He has been married for 29 years to Christy Valdivia and they have three children and two grandchildren. Their grandchildren reside in New York as their father is currently stationed at West Point Military Academy.
Term of Office: Elected in 2020, his term ends November 2024.
Robert Ybarra, Board Treasurer and the At-Large 2 representative, was initially appointed to the Board on January 25, 2021. As an At-Large Director of the San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency, Treasurer Ybarra represents the region from Cabazon to Calimesa/Yucaipa.
Treasurer Ybarra is President/CEO of Precision Material Handling Inc. and owns other local small businesses. He serves as the President of the Banning Chamber of Commerce, Director of the Pass Economic Development Agency, and serves on several Banning Ad-Hoc committees. He is a Pass Area native and has lived in Calimesa, Yucaipa, Cherry Valley and Banning. He was recognized in 2020 as Banning’s Citizen of the Year.
Term of Office: Unopposed in November 2022, his term ends November 2026.
Board of Director's Details
Board of Director’s Compensation
Find Ordinance No. 17 of the Board of Directors of the San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency setting compensation for the members of the Board of Directors below.
AB 1234 Ethics Training Report
AB 1234 requires that if a local agency provides any type of compensation, salary, or stipend to, or reimburses the expenses of a member of its “legislative body,” that local agency’s officials must receive training in ethics.
