BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President Paul Williams was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2002 and reappointed in 2018. He serves on the Administrative and Personnel Committee as well as the Mitigation and Lands Committee where his passion for open space and habitat conservation can best be put to use.

President Williams is retired from the Southern California Gas Company, where he served as the Planning Supervisor of Distribution District Operations Manager of the Inland Division which included San Bernardino, Riverside, and Imperial Counties. Upon his retirement, President Williams began working as a general contractor.

President Williams grew up on a citrus ranch in Alta Loma and has been a resident of San Bernardino County for the last 67 years. He also serves as the Vice President of the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, where he collaborates with CARCD board members and staff, and representatives from the California Department of Conservation in elevating the profile and level of service of districts throughout the state.  He has been repeatedly recognized for his service by CARCD, receiving Director of the year in 2011, and the Association's Service Award in 2016.

IERCD Vice-President Jim Earsom was appointed to the IERCD Board of Directors after a distinguished 32 year career with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Jim retired as the District Conservationist for the Redlands Service Center in 2009, where he provided a variety of technical services to landowners, cities, counties and other agencies within the District.  This considerable experience with residents, partners, and geography of the IERCD service area has been of tremendous benefit to the District since his 2010 appointment and most recent 2018 reappointment.

Since joining the Board of Directors, Jim has served on both the Mitigation and Lands Committee as well as the Public Outreach and Education Committee.  He is also the Area Chair for the SoCal Inland Region of the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts.

Jim Harrington was appointed to serve on the IERCD Board of Directors on Tuesday, December 20th, 2016.  Jim will serve a four-year term on the board, during which time he plans to remain active in the Budget and Finance and Mitigation and Lands Committees.  This appointment follows two years of Jim's service as an IERCD Associate Director.

Jim has lived in the Inland Empire for over 15 years after a move from his home state of Nebraska, and enjoys hiking, backpacking, camping, skiing and cycling with his family in his spare time. He is currently the CFO of Ross Organic Specialty Sales and is also a partner with Hardesty LLC providing on-demand CFO solutions for the company’s clients. In addition to serving on the IERCD Board, he is a Board Member of the Rancho Cucamonga Community and Arts Foundation, enriching lives through support of the arts at the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center.

Director Mathisen served on the Board of Directors from 1995-2007 and was re-appointed to the Board again in 2009. She was most recently re-appointed in 2016 and is on the committee for Public Outreach and Education. 

Director Mathisen is an Apple Rancher in Oak Glen, and serves on the Oak Glen Apple Growers Association.  In addition to being a farmer and rancher, Director Mathisen is an architectural designer, focusing on the wise and responsible use of natural resources as they relate to both construction and habitat. 

Environmental education is a passion of Director Mathisen’s and she donates much of her time to promoting, judging and volunteering for the California Envirothon each year. 

Director Terrie Andrews has served on the IERCD Board of Directors since her appointment in 2002. As a resident of the City of Calimesa, Director Andrews serves as the Riverside County Representative on the IERCD Board. In addition to serving on the Board, Director Andrews is active in both the Administrative and Personnel and Budget and Finance Committees, and was most recently reappointed in December of 2016.

In addition to her service on the IERCD Board, Director Andrews has worked for more than 20 years as a real estate professional in the Yucaipa area, following a career in education where she taught English.  She is active in her local Chamber of Commerce, Toastmasters as well as the Yucaipa/Calimesa Association of Realtors, the California Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors. In addition to her passion for selling homes, Director Andrews is interested in promoting the importance of water conservation to all Inland Empire residents. 

Director Brad Buller was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2009, and most recently reappointed in 2018.  Since being appointed, he has been most active on the Board's Administrative and Personnel Committee.

The need for open space protection and enhancement encouraged Director Buller to become a Licensed Landscape Architect and he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Landscape Architecture from California State Polytechnic University at Pomona.   Director Buller’s career includes over 30 years of working as the Planning Director for both the Cities of Rancho Cucamonga and Claremont where he worked with urban and open space issues. Director Buller currently owns and operates his own consulting company where he works to build quality communities that affect positive change.

In addition to his work on the Board of Directors of Inland Empire Resource Conservation District, Director Buller serves on the Board of Directors for the Alta Loma School District.  

Rick Gomez has served on the IERCD Board since 2015. He was recently reappointed in 2018. He comes to the IERCD with an extensive background in real estate development as well as over 30 years of city planning and management. Most recently his work includes community development for the cities of Adelanto, Pomona, and the City of Rancho Cucamonga, with specific experience in governmental contracts, intergovernmental relations, urban development, and the federal/state legislative processes. He provides insight and perspective on IERCD outreach methods and land management/mitigation need through service on both the Mitigation and Lands Committee and the Public Education and Outreach Committee. In addition to his professional background, Rick is a docent at the Ontario Museum of History and Art as well as a member of the Rancho Cucamonga Rotary Club.

Rod Lemond joined the board in 2018 as an Associate Director. He brings an extensive background in various financial fields as well as management consulting experience for local governments. Mr. Lemond has previously served on audit committees for United Way, Inland Valley, and San Bernardino County.

Mr. Lemond now works as Assistant General Manager and CFO for Western Municipal Water District in addition to serving as an adjunct professor of accounting at California State University, San Bernardino. IERCD looks forward to having his unique expertise and perspective on its Board.

​

Dr. Jennifer B. Alford is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at CSUSB. She grew up along the North Carolina coast where she developed a passion for conserving the unique natural resources and ecosystems of the Southeastern United States.

Prior to obtaining her PhD, Dr. Alford served as the Director for Community Conservation for the New Hanover County (North Carolina) Soil and Water Conservation District where she developed and managed environmental education programs for K-12 and public audiences, oversaw numerous water quality programs and worked with legislators to procure funding for environmental education and green infrastructure projects. She also completed her NC Environmental Educator Certification and has facilitated teacher centered workshops. During her PhD program Dr. Alford was awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship (GK-12), which allowed her to work with K-12 Title I school teachers to design and implement environmental education programs using place-based and STEM approaches.

​

Dr. Alford’s teaching and research interests reflect her passion for understanding and illustrating the geospatial interplay between human activities and complex environmental systems.  Her courses often include interactive learning experiences that assist students with gaining relevant real-world experiences through the lens of academic research and community partnerships. Dr. Alford’s most recent publication examines the spatial-temporal relationships between surface water impairments and human activities in the Cape Fear River Basin of North Carolina. Dr. Alford is very excited about expanding her teaching and research agendas to include the intricate issues surrounding water resources and environmental sustainability in the Southern California region.