{"id":2898,"date":"2018-02-01T16:50:28","date_gmt":"2018-02-02T00:50:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/?p=2898"},"modified":"2025-01-29T07:48:41","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T07:48:41","slug":"acorn-top-10-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/fr\/acorn-top-10-of-the-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Le Top 10 de l'ann\u00e9e selon Acorn"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Lire l'article complet ci-dessous ou sur le Camarillo Acorn (en anglais) site web<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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\"Vanessa<\/a>

Vanessa Bechtel<\/p><\/div>\n

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Vanessa Bechtel<\/strong>
\nWhen the Ventura County Community Foundation reported key administrative errors to the California attorney general\u2019s office in 2015, it could have spelled disaster for the charity organization.<\/p>\n

But under the leadership of Vanessa Bechtel, the foundation made all necessary corrections and the attorney general\u2019s office closed its investigation at the beginning of December, just in time for the foundation to assist in the Thomas fire recovery.<\/p>\n

Bechtel, 38, said her organization isn\u2019t taking any administrative fees or overhead costs out of funds for disaster relief.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe gave away over $1 million in the first three weeks of the disaster, and 100 percent of every dollar raised is going directly to organizations working with individuals,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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Bechtel and her husband of four years, Jim, have four grandchildren and two dogs. They live in Santa Barbara, but Bechtel said they plan to move to Camarillo soon. She said charity work is \u201ca tool to solve today\u2019s most pressing challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark Lorenzen
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\"Mark<\/a>

Mark Lorenzen<\/p><\/div>\n

Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen has had a busy two months.<\/p>\n

Lorenzen was in charge of battling the Thomas fire, the largest in state history, although, he said, it wasn\u2019t the most destructive.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a long, hard, trying period, and I\u2019ve never been prouder of the members of the Ventura County Fire Department,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He credits the saving of countless homes to the seamless cooperation of his 600 firefighters and the thousands of other first responders from around the state and country.
\n\u201cEveryone who was here in our county, it was like they were fighting fires in their own cities and counties and taking care of their own families,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The 54-year-old father of three also sent 80 firefighters to assist with the ensuing flood and mudslide in Montecito.<\/p>\n

When he\u2019s not battling disasters, the Santa Barbara resident likes to golf, snow ski and work out.<\/p>\n

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Joe Vacca<\/strong>
\nThis year was a big one for developers and construction crews in Camarillo, and as the director of community development, Joe Vacca oversaw it all.<\/p>\n

New housing developments, mixed-use buildings and the planned hotel and conference center near the Camarillo Premium Outlets all came across his desk.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the fact that I get to interact with the developers and the community and the decision-makers in maintaining and improving the quality of life in Camarillo,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Vacca, 43, came to Camarillo from the city of Moorpark in August 2014.<\/p>\n

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He started as an assistant director of community development, and five months later he was named interim director. By April 2015, he\u2019d lost the interim tag.<\/p>\n

Vacca lives in Simi Valley with his wife of 17 years, Jennifer, and their two sons. He serves as an assistant scoutmaster and basketball coach in Simi.<\/p>\n

Erika Beck<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Erika<\/a>

Erika Beck<\/p><\/div>\n

As president of California State University Channel Islands, Erika Beck has helped the newest CSU school expand into a campus with 7,000 students. \u201cWe\u2019re growing like gangbusters, and we\u2019ll continue to grow,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re focusing very squarely on student success, increasing graduation rates and decreasing time to graduate.\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019s also helped her school rank among the top 20 American colleges and universities for increasing students\u2019 social mobility, according to Portland, Ore.-based CollegeNET. Social mobility measures whether students are able to earn higher incomes than their parents and improve their socioeconomic status.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that, more than anything, encapsulates our mission,\u201d Beck said.<\/p>\n

The 45-year-old mom of two boys spends her time outside of work volunteering, doing yoga, running, surfing and being \u201ca soccer mom, baseball mom and basketball mom.\u201d She and her family moved to Camarillo about a year and a half ago. \u201cWe\u2019re so lucky we live in the best place in the world,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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Gwen Speakes<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Gwen<\/a>

Gwen Speakes<\/p><\/div>\n

As president of the Meadowlark Service League, Gwen Speakes oversaw the distribution of about $220,000 to 33 Ventura County charities and scholarship recipients in 2017.<\/p>\n

Speakes, 68, joined the Meadowlarks after she moved to Camarillo 20 years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like the fact that we give to local charities and focus on making an impact in our community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

In June, the group holds a luncheon to award the grant money, a day she said makes the hard work worth it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have the charities come and talk about what they do with the money and the impact it\u2019s had on the community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Speakes, who has three children and has been married to her husband, Jeffrey, for 34 years, is gearing up for the group\u2019s annual charity tennis tournament and luncheon at Las Posas Country Club in March, which she said usually raises about $50,000.<\/p>\n

Darren Lee<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Darren<\/a>

Darren Lee<\/p><\/div>\n

Late this summer, St. John\u2019s Pleasant Valley Hospital will unveil a new building with more than 70,000 square feet of operating rooms and patient care space.<\/p>\n

Darren Lee, president and CEO of the Camarillo hospital and the St. John\u2019s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, brought to fruition a project 20 years in the making.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe can do procedures here in Camarillo that we couldn\u2019t do before,\u201d he said. \u201cIt also gives this community state-of-the-art technology and access to care they couldn\u2019t otherwise get.\u201d<\/p>\n

The remodel cost $80 million, and Lee, 50, said it\u2019s \u201cessentially a whole new hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is going to become a destination hospital for many of our residents and people outside of Camarillo to come and be cared for right here in Camarillo,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The head job at the Dignity Health-owned facilities brought Lee, his wife, Debbie, and their four children to Camarillo three years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love my connection to the community and to patients and families,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mary Otten<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Mary<\/a>

Mary Otten<\/p><\/div>\n

Mary Otten, general manager of the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District, oversaw a year in which the district made strides to address overcrowding in its facilities.<\/p>\n

The district and the City of Camarillo funded a needs study, the first results of which were released at a public forum on Jan. 30. Otten said the final results should come out in March.<\/p>\n

\u201cA couple of things I really enjoy about recreation and parks are the opportunity to do something that directly affects people in a positive manner in our community,\u201d Otten said. \u201cThe other thing is every day is a little bit different and never the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

Otten, 52, moved to Camarillo in 2014 when she was named general manager of PVRPD. Before that, she worked for Modesto\u2019s department of recreation, parks and neighborhoods.<\/p>\n

Otten said she enjoys spending time with her 7-year-old dachshund, especially at the beach or on a hike, and loves being outside.<\/p>\n

John Zaruka<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"John<\/a>

John Zaruka<\/p><\/div>\n

The new owner of Sterling Hills Golf Course is prioritizing golf over housing development.<\/p>\n

John Zaruka, the CEO and founder of Wedgewood Weddings and Z-Golf Food and Beverage, bought the property last year and plans to improve the course and keep it functioning at full capacity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to keep golf in Camarillo,\u201d Zaruka said. \u201cIt\u2019s close to me. We already had an ongoing business there, and it was a good long-term investment. I love golf.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zaruka, 66, lives in the Vista Las Posas development in Camarillo with his wife, Linda. They\u2019ve been married for 44 years, and their children, Bill and Stacy, are involved in the family business.<\/p>\n

Zaruka said he and his family love Camarillo.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s not to like? We like the location, love the weather,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s convenient to airports, not bad to go to Burbank or L.A. I like the mix of people here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chris Johnston<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Chris<\/a>

Chris Johnston<\/p><\/div>\n

Teaching is a difficult job, but Chris Johnston, assistant superintendent of business services for the Pleasant Valley School District, knows there are other ways to help children get an education.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot everybody has the skill set to be a teacher, but for those of us that don\u2019t have that skill set, this is a chance to be a part of it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Johnston, 40, helps manage the finances for a school district with more than 6,000 students at 11 schools. He looks at the big picture, but it all comes back to the students, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing better than going to a school and seeing kids engaged in the classroom and knowing that you\u2019re a part of it,\u201d Johnston said.<\/p>\n

He has been a Camarillo resident for three years. When he\u2019s not working, he exercises, works in his garden and plays with his 4-year-old miniature dachshund.<\/p>\n

He said he\u2019s blessed to live, work and help the children in this community.<\/p>\n

Jim Bittner<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Jim<\/a>

Jim Bittner<\/p><\/div>\n

The Rio Mesa High School football team may have lost in the CIF semifinals, but the Spartans went a perfect 10-0 in the regular season and tied the school record for wins in a year with their 12-1 mark under fourth-year coach Jim Bittner.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a great year working with a great group of kids and coaches,\u201d Bittner said. \u201cEverything seemed to fall in place for us. We had some fortunate events along the way, and hard work and perseverance paid off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bittner, 50, also teaches physical education and weight training at Rio Mesa. He\u2019s been in teaching and coaching for nearly 30 years at every level from kindergarten to Moorpark College.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love working with kids,\u201d he said. \u201cI love coaching. It\u2019s a passion. I was brought up to go after your passion, and it\u2019s not like going to work every day. You go out and do what you love doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bittner and his wife, Tauna, were married in 2004 and have three children.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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