• Steven Gutierrez , First District Supervisor
• Larry Ruhstaller , Second District Supervisor
• Victor Mow (Chairman),  Third District Supervisor
• Ken Vogel (Vice Chairman) , Fourth District Supervisor
• Leroy Ornellas, Fifth District Supervisor

Steven Gutierrez, Chair
First District Supervisor

Steve Gutierrez, a life-long resident of San Joaquin County, was elected to the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors in November of 1996 to represent the First Supervisorial District. He began his four-year term in January of 1997.

The First District consists of Central and South Stockton and French Camp.

Gutierrez, 37, is one of the youngest county supervisors in California and is not a stranger to county government. He served as Legislative Assistant to First District Supervisor William N. Sousa from 1991 until Sousa's retirement in 1996. Gutierrez spent six years (1985-91) with the County Private Industry Council as coordinator of the Summer Youth Employment and Training Program Theater Project. This $250,000 per year activity received a Presidential Award of Excellence during his tenure. Gutierrez also served as monitor of state and federal employment and training programs for the County Employment and Economic Development Department.

His duties as First District Legislative Assistant included organizing residents at Gianone and Kennedy Parks and establishing Neighborhood Watch programs in the Country Club, Northeast and South Stockton areas. His responsibilities have included assisting the Targeted Opportunities To Prevent Pollution in San Joaquin County (TOPPS), Kennedy Swimming Pool Booster Club, City of Stockton Truancy Task Force, Stockton Beautiful and City of Stockton Graffiti Abatement Task Force.

He currently serves as a member of the San Joaquin County Children and Families Commission. He has served as president of Hispanics for Political Action and the Coalition of Mexican American Organizations. He is the co-founder of Comerciantes Unidos (Stockton's first Spanish-speaking business group).

Gutierrez was born in French Camp on August 8, 1963. He attended Stockton schools, graduating from Edison High School in 1981. He also attended Delta College, majoring in communications and theater arts.

Gutierrez has a son, Luis, 15, who attends public school in Stockton.

Last Updated 02/22/07

 
Larry Ruhstaller
Second District Supervisor

Larry Ruhstaller was born in San Francisco on April 3, 1948. He is a fourth generation Stocktonian who grew up and attended local schools in the community.  

He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley where he earned his Bachelors of Arts in US History with an emphasis in US city planning. Larry was a Lieutenant JG in the U.S. Navy. He now owns and operates The Alder Market Restaurant and Catering Company and is currently celebrating their 25th year anniversary in Stockton.  

Larry was first elected to the Stockton City Council in 1996. Larry completed his second and final term on the City Council in 2004 due to term limits. While on the City Council, he also served on the Port Liaison Committee, the Community Improvement, Crime Prevention and Audit Committees, and San Joaquin Area Flood Agency Board of Directors.  

Larry has been involved in a number of community boards and commissions. He was Chairman of the 1993 Stockton Asparagus Festival and President of the Board of Directors of the Stockton Visitors and Convention Bureau. He is a member of the Stockton Beautiful Citizens’ Committee and the Miracle Mile Improvement Association Board of Directors.  

Larry and his wife Kitty have been married for over18 years. They have three children and three grandsons.
 
Last Updated 02/22/07

Victor Mow (Chairman),
Third District Supervisor

Victor Mow, a native of San Joaquin County, has been active in the community for more than three decades.   He was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2000 and served as Chairman of the Board in 2002.   He was elected to a second term in March of 2004 and currently serves as the 2007 Chairman.

Supervisor Mow represents District 3, a diverse district that includes north and west Stockton, the City of Lathrop, north Manteca and much of the Delta.  

Supervisor Mow has a long history of public service and came to the Board as a past Stockton City Council member where he was elected twice and served a term as Vice Mayor.

Supervisor Mow serves on many state, regional and local agencies. He currently serves as:

·        Chairman of the San Joaquin Local Agency Formation Commission
·        Vice Chairman of the San Joaquin County Council of Governments
·        Chairman of the San Joaquin Flood Control Agency
·        Delegate to the California State Association of Counties
·        Member to the San Joaquin County Retirement Board
·        Member to the San Joaquin Valley Regional Association of California Counties
·        Member to the Economic Development Association
·        Member to the San Joaquin Partnership
·        Commissioner to the Stockton Park and Recreation Commission
·        Member to the San Joaquin County Deferred Compensation Commission
·        Member to the Health Plan of San Joaquin
·        Member to the Stockton Unified School District 1852 Foundation Advisory Board
·        Member to the Goodwin Tunnel Financing Authority
·        Member to the KVIE Advisory Board
·        Member to the San Joaquin County Hospital Task Force
·        Member to the San Joaquin County Law Library
·        Member to the 2006-2007 Valley Partnership
·        Advisory Member to the San Joaquin Valley Blue Print Project
·        Member to the Delta Protection Commission

Supervisor Mow’s service to San Joaquin County has been recognized in many areas:  

Supervisor Mow was born in Stockton on November 15, 1941.  He graduated from Edison High School, received his Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Pacific and his Master’s Degree in Public Administration from California State University, Stanislaus.  He served in the United States Army Medical Service Corps in 1966-1968 during the Vietnam War.

Supervisor Mow has been married to his wife, Carolyn Sue, a retired teacher, for 42 years. They have two daughters, Shelly and Melanie, and two grandsons, Andrew and Aaron.

Last Updated 05/25/07

Ken Vogel (Vice Chairman), 
Fourth District Supervisor

Ken Scott Vogel was born in Stockton, California on March 9, 1945, and moved to the Linden/Waterloo area in 1947. Mr. Vogel’s family has been in the area since 1852 when his great-great grandparents came to the Jackson Valley in Amador County (about 15 miles east of Lockeford). The family then came to the Stockton/Lodi area in the early 1900’s.  

Ken attended Linden schools, graduating from Linden High School in 1963.   Ken attended Fresno State University where he received a BA, a MA, and Teaching and Administrative credentials. Ken also graduated from the California School Leadership Academy in Sacramento. He worked as a teacher, vice principal, and principal in the Lodi Unified School District from 1980 until retirement in 2004. He has substituted as principal since retirement in the Lodi District when needed. He has been an educator at Houston School, Needham Middle School, Delta Sierra Middle School, Live Oak Elementary School, Vinewood Elementary, Washington Elementary, and Wagner-Holt Elementary.  

Ken has received the Lodi Lodge #256 of Masons Award for Outstanding Professional Service to Students of Public Schools. Ken has also received the John Terry Award from the Lodi School Administrators Association for Outstanding Educator, and was named Boss of the Year in 2001 by the Lodi CSEA group of classified employees.  

Ken raises walnuts and cherries in the Linden and Farmington areas. He has farmed in the area for over 30 years and markets walnuts and cherries through local companies. He is an active member of the San Joaquin County Cherry Growers Association. In 2004, he received an award from Diamond Walnut as the Outstanding Hartley Walnut Grower of the area for that year. He and his family attend the First Baptist Church in Lodi.  

Ken’s community involvement activities include: Trustee and Past President of the Board of the Linden Unified School District 1992-2006; Trustee of the Lodi Public Library 2003-2006, Vice President of the Board; Member and Past Director of the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau; Member of the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Water Committee; Member and Past Director of the Kiwanis of Greater Lodi; Member of the Escalon Kiwanis Club; Member of the Stockton Rotary Club; Member of San Joaquin A+ Literacy Committee, Member of Linden Athletic Boosters Club; Member of the Friends of the Linden Library; Member of the San Joaquin County Historical Society; Member of the Escalon Historical Society; Member of the Morada Area Association; Member of the Stockton Chamber of Commerce; Member of the Lodi Chamber of Commerce; Member of the Clements-Lockeford Chamber of Commerce; Member of the Mokelumne River School Advisory Committee; Member of the Historical Society of the Germans from Russia; and Member of the Lodi American Legion Post #22.  Ken served in the United States Army Reserve from 1968-2000, and was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain.  

Ken married Donnetta Berreth of Lodi in 1977 and they have four children – Scott, Carolyn, Robert, and Tommy. Donnetta is a homemaker in their home near Linden and does the bookkeeping for the family ranches.

Last Updated 02/22/07

Leroy Ornellas,
Fifth District Supervisor

The Fifth Supervisorial District covers portions of south San Joaquin County, including Tracy, Ripon and part of Manteca.

Alfred L. “Leroy” Ornellas was born in Tracy, California, on April 3, 1944.

A third generation farmer and dairyman, Ornellas has served as a member of the San Joaquin County Agricultural Advisory Board, appointed to the Board by former County Supervisor Bob Cabral. He was selected by his peers to serve as Chair of the Agricultural Advisory Board for the past 5 years.

Recognizing his many contributions to the community and to agriculture, Leroy was honored by the City of Tracy and the Tracy Chamber of Commerce as “Agriculturist of the Year” in 1995.

He is active on several boards and commissions in the Tracy area, including the Board of Directors, for the Sutter/Tracy Community Hospital and the Tracy Chamber of Commerce. He was recently nominated to serve as Vice-President of the Tracy Rotary Club.

Leroy was a founding member of the San Joaquin County Citizens Land Alliance – an organization that advocates for the rights of private property owners.

He has been active in land use issues as a member of the first “Tracy Tomorrow” task force. He has provided testimony to various legislative bodies engaged in the development of land use plans, such as the San Joaquin County 2010 General Plan and the City of Tracy General Plan.

Leroy and his wife, the former Jennie Deaderick, were married in 1963. They have 3 sons; Kevin, 37, Mark, 35, and Matt, 33 – all of whom are married and assist in managing the family farming operation. The Ornellases have 4 grandchildren.

Last Updated 02/22/07