Current and past staff and friends gathered to recognize the contributions to the work of SHE made by Dave Warner, long-time stalwart of our Community Development staff. For over forty years, Dave was a fixture as he lead our work in Kern County, assisting dozens of small disadvantaged communities with their water and wastewater challenges. The local relationships he built were on display at the event, as Regina Houchin from Buttonwillow expressed gratitude for Dave’s expertise, availability, and humor in prepared remarks. Jesse Dhaliwal, engineer for the State Water Resources Control Board in Bakersfield, expressed appreciation for Dave’s relentless pursuit of practical community solutions.
Recently retired co-worker Paul Boyer performed a rendition of a well-known country song highlighting all of the places Dave has worked, and current staffer Eva Dominguez presented Dave-appropriate gifts and flea market treasures from the CD staff.
In final remarks, Tom Collishaw said, “David is a connector for SHE – to the past; to our mission which he absorbed directly from Bard McAllister; and a connector to people. He was the welcome wagon for new staff, making sure they felt acknowledged and that he would always be a friendly face they could rely upon.”
We will miss Dave’s passion for the work, insistence that community decisions be made at the local level, his priority for engaging directly with people, and his well-intended (even if bizarre) humor.
