David W. Derr
I’m David W. Derr and I’m running for Kern Valley Hospital District Board. My wife, Dawn and I have raised five children. We live in Kernville. I’ve been a valley resident for over 30 years.
I believe in giving back to the community, and society, as I’ve been given so much.
I had the privilege of serving the citizens of Kern County and the Kern River Valley as a Kern County Firefighter for almost 30 years.
My involvement in the community and volunteerism has included many things. I coached teams and umpired for Kern Valley Little league for many years and served as head umpire and board member for two years.
I served on the Kern High School District Parent Advisory Committee at the district level for two years. I had the honor of travelling to New Orleans three times with volunteer teams to help rebuild homes and lives devastated by Hurricane Katrina, twice as Team Leader. I am currently registered as a team leader with UMVIM, (United Methodist Volunteers in Mission). We raised over $28,000.00 locally to fund those teams. I was honored and felt great pride in the generous charity this valley demonstrated in giving to help our fellow Americans half way across the country.
I am part of and have been involved with the Compassion Caravan since its beginning. Caravan collects and distributes food to all three of our local food banks and is now partnering with Rotary to continue this good work.
I currently serve as an active board member of KRVR, (Kern River Valley Revitalization). I also serve as a convener on the Sierra Nevada Geotourism Council in partnership with the Sierra Nevada Business Council, National Geographic and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy.
My mother, Barbara served at the hospital as a critical care, and coronary care nurse, and as a department head for many years. My oldest child was born there. I care deeply about the success of our hospital.
I’ve been attending Hospital Board meetings now for the better part of a year, and feel I have a good base of knowledge to begin serving as a board member. I know how to identify a common goal and work with others towards achieving that goal.
Answers to questions
Where do you see the hospital in 10, 20 years?
1. Where I see our hospital in ten or twenty years depends greatly on whether we can pass a decent funding bond. I’d like to see it is as a hospital that can grow with the needs of the population in the valley. I’d like it to have the financial breathing room to become a hospital that can fulfill more and more of those needs, and less just a “stage stop” that sends people to far away hospitals for treatment. The expansion and improvement of the E.R. is of critical importance and long overdue. I have done CPR in the current emergency room more times than I can count. I’ve worked with staff on full arrests, standing next to a curtain, inches away that had a six year old girl on the other side, needing a stitch or two on her knee who witnessed everything that was going on. How about the victim of sexual assault, who’s gone through something more horrible than I can imagine, not even having the small dignity of privacy in the current E.R. I do not believe valley residents realize how very little in taxes they pay now for this public hospital.
1. Where I see our hospital in ten or twenty years depends greatly on whether we can pass a decent funding bond. I’d like to see it is as a hospital that can grow with the needs of the population in the valley. I’d like it to have the financial breathing room to become a hospital that can fulfill more and more of those needs, and less just a “stage stop” that sends people to far away hospitals for treatment. The expansion and improvement of the E.R. is of critical importance and long overdue. I have done CPR in the current emergency room more times than I can count. I’ve worked with staff on full arrests, standing next to a curtain, inches away that had a six year old girl on the other side, needing a stitch or two on her knee who witnessed everything that was going on. How about the victim of sexual assault, who’s gone through something more horrible than I can imagine, not even having the small dignity of privacy in the current E.R. I do not believe valley residents realize how very little in taxes they pay now for this public hospital.
The hospital is a public healthcare district, how would you define that to the community?
2. I see it, a “Public Healthcare District” the same way I see our
sheriff’s department, our fire department, our schools, our libraries, and many other public institutions. I see them all as vital to the cohesiveness, success, and most importantly, improvement of our community, and improvement of life in our community. I believe that if our public institutions fail, our communities will die.
Finish this sentence, “the job of a KVHD board member is...”
2. I see it, a “Public Healthcare District” the same way I see our
sheriff’s department, our fire department, our schools, our libraries, and many other public institutions. I see them all as vital to the cohesiveness, success, and most importantly, improvement of our community, and improvement of life in our community. I believe that if our public institutions fail, our communities will die.
Finish this sentence, “the job of a KVHD board member is...”
3. I do not see a board member as having a “job” to do. I see it more as
holding a position of public trust. A board member is trusted and has
the responsibility of working together with the public, other board
members, and administration to insure the success and improvement
of the hospital and its services to the public. As a board member, I’d
see myself as I did when I was a firefighter, honored with that public trust,
holding a position of public trust. A board member is trusted and has
the responsibility of working together with the public, other board
members, and administration to insure the success and improvement
of the hospital and its services to the public. As a board member, I’d
see myself as I did when I was a firefighter, honored with that public trust,
and holding a responsibility to be an advocate for the hospital.
How much time can you devote to this endeavor if elected?
4. As much as time as is called for. I have the great privilege of retirement after serving the public for almost 30 years. I have the time.
David Derr can be contacted via email at dwderr@hotmail.com
David Derr is for the tax bond so I had to cross him off the list. I respect Derr for his career as a fireman and all, but we can't vote for taxes when there is no jobs or money here.
ReplyDeleteIsn't this the guy who was at the Cemetery District meeting yelling in anger, then leaving before the meeting started? Then within a week he did the same thing at KVHD...what is his motive of operanda?
ReplyDeleteDavid Derr does not have any experience of finance or management. Being a good fireman does not make a good Trustee; he sounds good when speaking and can write a good resume, but he has problems of nepotism with the hospital, his wife works there for years. Remember the last Board Member who had a nurse wife working at the District; he pushed an LVN into an Administrator position with a $90K + salary without having a licence as an RN or management experience! She was given administration over 5 Rural Health Clinics, (3 on paper) the Directors name was Bob Bibby, his wife Peg. By the way, Bob Bibby also brought the troublesome Bob Knight into the valley in 1996; "and the beat goes on."
ReplyDelete