Interview with new director and president Frank Mezzatesta

Our new president, Frank Mezzatesta, agreed to answer the same questions we posed in June to declared board candidates Ron Rieger, Stephen Muro, and Dave Stephenson.  Mezzatesta was not a candidate for election in June but was appointed by the board on November 15.

Why are you taking this unpaid job?

I believe I can take my many skills and have a positive impact on Crestview Mutual Water Company.

Which of your skills will be your biggest contribution to Crestview?

Consensus building, communication, and problem solving are a few. Also financial expertise as in my previous job I was in charge of multi-million dollar projects that always came in on time and on budget.

Do you expect to serve until at least the next annual meeting?

Yes and for many years after that if the shareholders want that.

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?

Since early 2021 I have been attending board meetings and reading all board materials including the bylaws and articles of incorporation. I have read much of the applicable laws governing mutual water companies in California. I have reached out to many of the shareholders and expect to reach out to many more. I have previously reached out to each board member and passed along some of my thoughts and new ideas and I have gotten to know every employee of Crestview.

Do you have transferable experience as a member of another board(s)?

I am the President of the Las Posas Summit HOA. Though a much smaller organization, I bring the skills of communicating with the HOA members and guiding the board as a whole to serve the needs of the members.

In addition to information about Crestview brought to you by the general manager, will you also develop other sources of information and insight?

Absolutely. From my many years as an executive, the only way to make informed decisions is to have all the information. I will want to meet with anyone and everyone with an opinion or information. In addition, any technical information will usually need to come from at least two sources.

Will shareholders be able to have two-way communication with you personally by email and/or by phone?

Yes, I have created an email address so any shareholder can reach out to me directly if they choose. That email is CrestviewFrank@gmail.com and I will do my best to answer all emails in a timely fashion. Any shareholder that wants to talk rather than email I will give them my cell number or meet with them in person.

Which issues should be getting priority board attention in the next six months?

Six months is a really long time so I hope to tackle any open issue starting with the well selection process and making sure that every shareholder has all the information they want. This is a good time to review long standing procedures at all levels. So I would like us to review all of them. Even lower priority items should be addressed in the first 6 months like updating the Website to provide more information to the shareholders and finding a way to notify shareholders of a leak even if they have not set a leak detection alert. These are just examples. I am currently coming up with a complete list based on input from everyone I am speaking with and putting that list in order of importance.

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?

It is probably too soon for me to give a well informed answer so please check back in a few months. But I think we all can agree that you have listed the important ones that are on everyone’s mind. By the way, let’s worry about anyone who thinks they have all the answers. I sure do not but one of my best skills is collecting the best answers from everyone and distilling them to something that can move us forward.

Please forward this newsletter to other Crestview shareholders so they can sign up to receive future posts directly. Click on the Home tab and read earlier posts, or use the Tags word cloud or Search box to focus on a topic.  Shareholders may comment below.