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11/11/13 – Six candidates have applied to be considered for appointment to the Banning City Council. The Council had decided to make use of the appointment process in order to fill a vacancy created by Bob Botts’ recent abrupt resignation. The good news is that apparently none of the 6 candidates have ever held public office. This means that no matter who gets appointed, there will not be yet another ‘recycled’ politician appointed to the Council.

The Banning City Council will interview all 6 candidates and make the appointment in public session on November 19, 2013, at 1:30 PM.  Here are the candidates and their applications and resumes in the order they applied :

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JERRY WESTHOLDER

Westholder is the lead pastor at Highland Springs Fellowship and a Police Chaplain formerly for the LAPD and currently for the Beaumont Police Department. Westholder has lived in Banning for over 13 years.

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Westholder holds a Diploma in Pastoral Ministries and various Police training certificates. His resume and application can be found by clicking here.

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LYNDON TAYLOR

For readers of the Banning Informer, Lyndon Taylor needs no introduction. Taylor, a Sun Lakes resident, has not only contributed several articles to this website, but also is widely known for his successful fight against Banning’s proposed sludge plant (2009), alongside with Council member Ed Miller.

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Taylor ran for Council in 2010, but lost to Bob Botts and Debbie Franklin. Now retired,  he holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Biology with a minor in Chemistry, a Master’s Degree in Biochemistry and a PhD in Planning and Management. Click here for Lyndon Taylor’s application and resume.

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GEORGE MOYER

George Moyer is a Sun Lakes resident who has lived in Banning for 10 years. He is widely known as a Board member and President of Sun Lakes Country Club Homeowners Association.

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Moyer holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Redlands. Before he retired, he worked many years as an estimator and sales manager for various companies in the construction industry. George Moyers’s resume and application can be found by clicking here.

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MARY HAMLIN

Mary Hamlin has lived in Banning for 6 years and is a resident of Sun Lakes. Hamlin holds an M.A. in Organizational Management, a B.B.A. in Marketing and an A.S. in General Studies. In 2012 she founded the “Pass Job Connection” , an organization aimed at assisting local residents in seeking employment. Particularly, Hamlin’s organization teaches how to write effective resumes and how to conduct oneself during a job interview.

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Hamlin’s resume shows that she has an extensive employment history with Los Angeles County  and also worked as a substitute teacher in the Banning Unified School District since 2008. Mary Hamlin’s resume and application can be found here.

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SONIA BARANDIARAN

Sonia Barandiaran has lived in Banning for the past 6 years. Barandiaran holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts – Music Performance. In the past, she has worked as a banquet manager as well as a housekeeper and nanny.

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For almost 2 years, she volunteered as a  cook for Carol’s Kitchen , preparing about 200 meals each time. Sonia Barandiaran’s resume and application can be found here.

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DIEGO ROSE

Diego Rose is a Banning business owner and former nurse who worked at the San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital.

Rose is widely know for his criticism of San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital management, which ultimately lead him to file a formal complaint with the Riverside County Grand Jury. The Grand Jury largely agreed with Rose and subsequently issued a  rather devastating report on the San Gorgonio Hospital, faulting the hospital for unaccountability and failures (see previous story and Grand Jury Report). Diego Rose’ application can be found here.

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 CONCLUSION

There seems to be a wide variety of applicants to chose from, several of them with rather impressive resumes.

The good news is, that professional politician Bob Botts will not be replaced by yet another one of his kind, but rather by someone who has never held public office in the past.

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