Skip to contentAnd it isn’t “GRF” Board anymore … call it “RWC,” for “Rossmoor Walnut Creek”
By Sam Richards
Staff writer
Wednesday, May 21 (11:30 a.m.): Three new names on Rossmoor’s governing board, and one new name for the Board itself.
At the 61st annual Meeting of Members and Organizational Meeting on May 12, the former GRF Board of Directors introduced not only the new trustees but also the new name for the body itself – the Rossmoor Walnut Creek (RWC) Board of Directors.
Board President Leanne Hamaji said this change reflects the recommendation of the RWC Marketing Task Force, which in April suggested the “DBA/doing business as” name change to help streamline marketing Rossmoor. “GRF,” short for Golden Rain Foundation, is overly vague to people who aren’t already residents or otherwise familiar with Rossmoor, task force members said.
The Rossmoor Walnut Creek descriptor also applies to the committees and task forces for which “GRF” used to be the prefix, Hamaji said. As of May 12, the Rossmoor.com website included references to RWC meeting agendas.
Thus, the first new RWC Board members are Janet Seldon, representing District B; Susan Hildreth, from District F; and Adrian Byram, representing District G. They succeed departing Board members Maxine Topper, Cheryl Hines and James Lee, respectively.
Byram, a member of the RWC Finance Committee, was named Board treasurer at this May 12 meeting, the only new member selected for a Board officer position. Hamaji was named to a second one-year stint as Board president; Ted Bentley was selected as vice president for the first time, succeeding Hines, and Mary Hurt was again selected as the Board secretary.
The nomination process for 2025 was a bit more involved than it’s been for the past couple of organizational meetings. First, after Board member Carol Lehr nominated Hamaji to continue as president, Board member Roy Yang nominated Dwight Walker to return to the Board presidency. (Walker had served three years as president before Hamaji took over last year.) In doing so, Yang contended that some Rossmoor residents have lost confidence in the Board. Walker declined Yang’s nomination, and Hamaji was named president again.
Then, when nominations for Board vice president were called for, Hurt nominated Bentley. Yang then nominated Hildreth. The full Board voted, by secret ballot, for Bentley by a 5-4 margin. Similarly, after Byram nominated Hurt for secretary – and Seldon nominated Hildreth – another secret ballot concluded with Hurt winning on another 5-4 vote.
“Democracy in action – I love it,” Hamaji commented after the second secret ballot.
Byram was nominated by Walker for the Board treasurer’s position, the only person so nominated.
Reappointed to their previous roles were Rossmoor Executive Services Manager Deborah Rose as assistant Board secretary, and Rossmoor Chief Financial Officer Todd Arterburn as assistant treasurer.
Before all that, all three departing members were praised for their Board work to make Rossmoor a better place. Hamaji said Topper “added an extra element to (the Board’s) often very staid and business-like procedures – we needed that,” and cited Lee’s turn of phrase – calling him a “master wordsmith,” especially valuable in his work with the Policy Committee – and expertise on various matters as strengths that will be missed.
Topper became emotional in recounting her three years as a Board member., describing the work as “an awesome privilege and responsibility,” and that many residents don’t appreciate the work involved, or the reward that comes with it.
“I think if people gave it more of a chance, and came to more of the meetings, and stayed for the entire meeting, and read all of the reports, they’d have a better understanding of how difficult these decisions are, and how well-thought-out these decisions are,” Topper said.
Hamaji credited Hines – who was absent from this meeting – for her “top-down approach” that helped the Board better understand different perspectives on issues, and for her early work with the Board’s Insurance Task Force.
Walker noted working with Hines on presentations to elected representatives regarding the insurance crisis. “Her professionalism, financial expertise and dedication to the community have left a lasting mark,” Walker said.
Seldon, Hildreth and Byram assumed their places on the dais a few minutes later.
The “RWC” identifier wasn’t the only change in terminology at this meeting. The segment once called “Residents Forum,” featuring in-person and Zoom public comments, is now called the “Members Forum,” because a legal requirement provides a platform for owners of manors in Rossmoor and not for other residents, including owners’ tenants or caregivers. And during the May 12 Members Forum, the three new Board members got a taste of a few of the issues they’ll likely be involved with in coming months – whether spending $4 million for a pickleball facility is appropriate, ongoing room reservation process concerns, Tice Creek restoration and the future of Creekside Grill.