Here is our email interview with Steven Muro, a candidate for the Crestview board of directors. All candidates have been invited to answer the same questions. In order meet our goal of publishing all responses before shareholders receive their proxies and start voting, we may increase our semi-weekly publication schedule and/or publish two or more on the same day. We will apply a new tag, Election, so that readers can easily refer back to all of them.
Why are you seeking this unpaid job?
I am running on a ticket with Dave Stephenson. Please see our website: www.cfast22.com Dave and I share the same goals for Crestview.
The organization needs to change, and I want to use my experience and expertise to achieve this goal. It needs stronger participation by shareholders (the owners of the company), greater fiscal and policy transparency and a higher level of communication between shareholders and the board. It is time to rethink Crestview.
Which of your skills will be your biggest contribution to Crestview?
My experience as a board member of other organizations has taught me how to work and negotiate to make considerable progress and reach mutually beneficial goals. This is advantageous both internally at Crestview and among vendors and partners servicing the organization. My communication skills allow for improved exchanges and relationships among board members and shareholders alike. Plus, I am an outgoing person who likes working and talking with people.
If you are elected, do you expect to serve until at least the next annual meeting?
Yes. I want to work until we see meaningful change and improvement in the organization. Then it will be time for others to shoulder the responsibility and bring their own thinking to the table. I do not want this to be a lifetime position. Change is a good thing!
Have you been preparing yourself for board membership by reading the board packets posted online and attending board meetings and, if so, for how long?
I attended my first Crestview meeting in 2019 and have attend many since. It is important to read all the materials, agenda, and minutes before every meeting. By doing this you can follow the content of each meeting in an informed manner and participate with valid and meaningful input. Also having constructive (and sometimes differing) conversations with other shareholders is an important part of preparing yourself for a role on the board
Do you have transferable experience as a member of another board(s)?
Yes, I was formerly the president of the board for a Business Improvement District in the San Fernando Valley. I am currently on the Community Advisory Board of the Public Media Group of Southern California (Public Television KCET, PBS SoCal and Link TV) and, Board Chair of AMFB, a non-profit organization working closely with the local government to provide relief and services for the unhoused population.
In addition to information about Crestview brought to you by the general manager, will you also develop other sources of information and insight?
From early in my career, I learned that you need to seek out multiple sources of information to gain proper insight. You need to surround yourself with multiple, and often opposing, points-of-view. Only then can you make an informed and educated decision.
Will shareholders be able to have two-way communication with you personally by email and/or by phone?
Yes! How can you represent shareholders if you do not communicate with them? Communication is incredibly important and one of my central goals of improving Crestview,
Which issues should be getting priority board attention in the next six months?
- Crestview’s agreement with the Calleguas Municipal Water District
- Shareholder outreach to facilitate greater participation and input
- Develop methods and procedures leading to greater fiscal and policy transparency
- Review of agreements and policies
What are your thoughts about Crestview’s biggest long-term challenges, including but not limited to drought, water conservation, shrinking groundwater supplies, and additional wells?
Here are my Top 3:
- Maintaining our water rights and supply so we can chart our own course and not be managed by distant governing bodies.
- Vision for the future – based on our current and projected needs, determine the necessity for and potential impact of wells (both current and future).
- Develop a fiscally sound and transparent organization whose policies reflect the needs of the shareholders.
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