Fifteen Upland residents, including a former councilman, former city treasurer, two of the city’s planning commissioners and a former member of the city council’s advisory commission have applied to fill the vacancy on the city council that ensued after the November 6, 2018 election.
Last year, Upland held its first by-district election. Janice Elliott, who was elected to the council at-large in 2016, chose to vie for the Second District position being contested in November. She was victorious. To assume the Second District post, she had to vacate the at-large seat she held. Rather than hold an election to fill for the two years remaining on the term of the position she resigned from, the city council last month opted to appoint a resident to fill the opening. Because it is an at-large position, there are no residency requirements beyond living within Upland’s city limits. Last Monday December 31 at noon was the deadline for submitting applications. In three days, on Monday January 7, the council will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m to, according to the agenda for that meeting, “hear oral presentations from the qualified applicants to fill the vacancy and discuss the appointment of a qualified applicant to fill the vacancy.”
The city yesterday made public the redacted application forms of the candidates to be considered by the council. Because of the redactions, contact information for those applying was not available, making it difficult to reach many of the applicants. Some limited information about them could be extrapolated from those applications.
Six of the fifteen are current or former government employees.
Glenn Bozar is a retired logistics manager with TE Connectivity and a former member of the city council from 2012 to 2016.
Ralph Cavallo is a retired Southern California Edison executive who has been active in youth sports and other community programs.
Misty Cheng is a journeywoman public finance professional who has lived in Upland for seven months. In a 21-year career she has served in the capacity of finance director or acting finance director with 15 different cities. Among those assignments, she was the finance director with the municipalities of Bell Gardens, Adelanto and Wildomar. She served as the interim finance director with the cities of Camarillo, El Segundo, Sierra Madre, Southgate and Upland. She was the contract finance director with the cities of San Marino, La Verne and Menifee. She was both the interim and contract finance director with the City of Rialto.
Lois Sicking Dieter is an air pollution specialist/engineer with the California Air Resources Board.
Carlos Francisco Flores is a police sergeant with the City of Riverside.
Sherman Garnett is a former teacher and principal currently employed with the Association of California School Administrators.
Neil Gerard is a 41-year resident and the retired associate dean of students at Pomona College. He said the city’s residents distrust Upland’s city government and in particular distrust the city council.
David Gomez is a retired shop superintendent with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
Craig Harper is 27-year resident and retired from a career in sales, sales management and real estate, the one-time Midwest region vice president of the United Guarantee Insurance Company.
Yvette Walker is the owner of Premier Marketing and Public Relations, and a member of the planning commission.
Eddie Limbaga, a 25-year resident is the owner of Agabmil Properties LLC and the owner of Hybrid Hockey Industries.
Shannan Maust is a consultant in the retail industry who formerly worked for Nordstrom.
Rod McAuliffe is a corporate loss prevention manager who was formerly employed as a deputy with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. He previously served as the chairman of the Upland City Council Advisory Committee.
Dan Morgan, a 26-year resident of the city, is the facilities manager with the Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company, the City of Upland’s former city treasurer and for eight years a member of the city council in El Monte.
William Velto, a 58-year resident, is the branch manager broker for Tarbell Realtors in Upland and a member of the planning commission.
-Mark Gutglueck