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Board of Directors

Rajima Danish

Rajima Danish

PRESIDENT

Human Services Agency

Jeri Cooper

Jeri Cooper

VICE PRESIDENT

General Services Agency

Cory Rubright Pic

Cory Rubright

TREASURER

Sheriff's Office

Seleta Dobrovsky Pic

Seleta Dobrosky

SECRETARY

Public Health

Paul Drevenstedt Pic

Paul Drevenstedt

BOARD MEMBER

Public Defender's Office

Jessica Jimenez

Jessica Jimenez

BOARD MEMBER

County Executive Office

Christy Madden

Christy Madden

BOARD MEMBER

County Executive Office

Monique Nowlin Pic

Monique Nowlin

BOARD MEMBER

Area Agency on Aging

Kim Prillhart Pic

Kim Prillhart

BOARD MEMBER

Resource Management Agency

Derrick Wilson

BOARD MEMBER

Public Works Agency

Faizal Ummer

BOARD MEMBER

health care agency

Michele Guzman

BOARD MEMBER

COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE

Tina Figurski

BOARD MEMBER

Resource Management Agency

Crystal Stratton

BOARD MEMBER

fIRE DEPARTMENT

Erin Powers

BOARD MEMBER

airport DEPARTMENT

Copyright ©2023 – Ventura County Management Council

Rajima Danish

My professional work has always focused on “evidence-based helping”. Positions as a counselor, trainer, analyst and project manager in health and social service sectors emphasize thoughtful, data-driven advocacy and action. My philosophy of providing help-informed-by-data is shaped by formal education in research-based programs where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychobiology from UCLA and a Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychology from California Lutheran University. In working with the Council and its members, I hope to foster a productive, learning environment that encourages skill-building in leadership competencies, meaningful connection to each other, and opportunities to demonstrate leadership for all of our County managers.

Jeri Cooper

Jeri Cooper is a Ventura native and has spent more than 15 years working for local municipalities throughout the County of Ventura during her career. As the Parks Manager for the County of Ventura, she brings her comprehensive knowledge of parks, recreation, event planning and special districts administration to her role. 

Cory Rubright

Hello, I’m Cory Rubright.  I am currently a Commander with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.  I have been an employee of the County of Ventura since 1990 and have been a manager for the past 10 years.  I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Management in addition to many other managerial and supervisory courses provided through the California Peace Officer Standards and Training.  I am pleased to serve on the Management Council Board of Directors with the opportunity to network with others and enhance my own management and leadership skills.

Seleta Dobrosky

Hi. My name is Seleta Dobrosky and I am honored to serve on the Management Council’s Board of Directors. I have been with Public Health since 2004, serving in a variety of management roles. Currently, I am the Infectious Disease Prevention Administrator, responsible for the management and administration of several programs in Public Health. I have my Bachelor’s in Nursing and my Master’s in Nursing Administration. One of my greatest passions is to help others develop their leadership and management skills through mentoring. I am excited to serve our County managers through the Management Council, offering my skills, experience, and enthusiasm through the various educational and networking opportunities the Council has to offer. I look forward to meeting you!

Paul Drevenstedt

I am an Assistant Public Defender and I have worked for the county of Ventura since 2006.  After serving in the Marine Corps, I studied Philosophy and Spanish at Georgia State University in Atlanta.  My law degree is from Tulane University in New Orleans. In 2014, I earned a Master’s in Public Administration from Cal State Northridge.  The Management Council facilitates networking and the sharing of best practices amongst county leaders and I am proud to assist in those efforts.

Jessica Jimenez

I have been with the county of Ventura for 14 years, mostly in human
resources positions. Currently, I am the Training Administrator for
Learning & Organizational Development in CEO-HR, and the highlight
of this position is that I get to be a friendly face and voice that
welcomes each new employee to the county family as the host for the
County’s monthly New Employee Orientation.

I am serving on this board because I want to contribute to the County
workforce in a fun and interesting way, by sharing my creativity to
increase member visibility and participation because having a sense of
belonging is integral for our workforce. Additionally, I want to be a
voice for members because I believe that the County of Ventura is the
best place to work, learn, and grow. 

I am proud to share that during my employment at the County, I have utilized the textbook & tuition reimbursement program to earn certifications in public and private sector Human Resources,  a certificate in Human Resources Management, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.

In addition to the above, I am a wife and a mother, and I spend my free time with my wife Estela (a County Public Health Nurse ), my daughter Raven (an aspiring Irish dancer), and I practice yoga.

I am looking forward to this amazing journey with you!

Christy Madden

Hello, my name is Christy Madden and I have served on the Management Council Board since 1996, as Council Board President until 2021.  I’ve worked for the County since 1985 in a variety of capacities including in the Planning Division of RMA, the Integrated Waste Management Division in PWA. In 1996 I moved to the CEO’s office where I am currently a Sr. Deputy Executive Officer overseeing the Community Development Division.  Here we administer federal and state grants awarded to organizations who assist persons of low-income with an emphasis on persons who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.  Working collaboratively with community and local government partners we staff the Countywide Continuum of Care, a collaborative group dedicated to promoting a safe, desirable and thriving community by ending homelessness in Ventura County through enhanced service delivery, making data-driven decisions and increasing housing availability to this vulnerable population. A native of southern California, I earned bachelor’s degrees in Environmental Studies and Economics from UCSB and a Master’s in Public Administration from Cal State Northridge.  Enhancing opportunities for peer interaction, personal and professional improvement, and highlighting what’s good with government are my passions.  I commit to do what I can to promote these objectives through the Council’s events, activities, and communication tools and make the Council responsive to its members’ priorities.

Monique Nowlin

Hello, I’m Monique Nowlin and I am the Deputy Director for the
Ventura County Area Agency on Aging (VCAAA) where I am responsible for
the supervision and management of VCAAA operations and services.    I’ve
been with the County since 1991 and during that time I’ve worked in a
variety of management capacities.  I possess a Bachelor’s Degree in
Liberal Studies and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and
Administration.   My educational background coupled with my extensive
human resources experience makes me uniquely qualified to add value in
the area of professional development for our County Managers.

I am pleased to be serving on your Board and look forward to continue
partnering with my fellow Board members to provide our County Managers
opportunities to grow and improve in areas such as leadership, coaching
and mentoring, and self-management.  Additionally, besides fostering
leadership development, my goals include encouraging the onboarding of
new Managers as they transition into leadership roles.

I look forward to continuing to serve the members and I hope to see you at our educational and networking events! 

Kim Prillhart

Hello!  My name is Kim Prillhart and I’m so pleased to serve on your Management Council.   I have worked for the County in a variety of positions in the Resource Management Agency beginning as a planning intern in 1995 becoming the Agency Director in 2020.  In this role I continue to look for innovative ways to ensure that our staff is not only serving the public at the highest levels, but that they are also enjoying the journey of their career. This journey is a space where our managers need to thrive and feel supported.

I like the that the mission of the Management Council is to “…promote excellence among its members by providing opportunities for professional growth through education, networking, exchanging information, celebrating success and developing future leaders”.  It is a simple – yet profound, mission as our managers set much of the tone in the county – not only for their staff, but importantly, in the way that our community views their government.

As a longtime management member, I feel that the Management Council has exceled at celebrating successes.  The Council Awards have always been a highlight for the RMA management staff and we look forward to it every year.  It brings an energy, excitement and inspiration to the entire management team just hearing about the many innovations happening in the County.

I would like to continue to build on the strong foundations of the Ventura County Management Council by working alongside our board to build a broader membership in development our future leaders. I am especially focused on ensuring that the work we do is both innovative and speaks to the needs of all levels of our managers – from new managers to those more experienced.   I look forward to speaking, and learning from you, at one of our upcoming events!

Derrick Wilson

I have been a member of the Ventura County Management Council for well over a decade and have participated in numerous trainings, picnics, State of the Agency briefings, as well as the past holiday dinners and now the current awards luncheon. I have always been impressed with the thoughtfulness put into each of the events and the Board’s intent to meet the needs of its members. For years I have performed volunteer work and have sat on a Board of Directors for a non-profit, so I bring to the table a passion for helping others, event planning and project management, all of which can help enhance the already stellar skills and expertise collectively contained within the current Board of Directors.

As a manager for over 18 years, I truly believe in continuous learning and professional growth and view membership on the Ventura County Management Council Board of Directors as an outstanding opportunity to create new working relationships while at the same time expand my leadership skills. I look forward to contributing to the continued success and progress the Board has created over the years.

Faizal Ummer

Hi, I am Faizal Ummer and I am excited to join the Board of Directors for the Management Council. I have been working for Ventura County Behavioral Health since 2015 and have held various management and technical roles. Currently, I am the Program Administrator for the VCBH Electronic Health Record Division where I lead a team in conducting mental health related data analysis and research. I have a Master’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Computer Applications. I am eager to serve the management council members and attend networking events.

Michele Guzman

Michele joined the County of Ventura in March of 2020 as the Government Relations Manager for the Human Services Agency. In addition to her work on legislative issues for HSA, Michele led several high-profile initiatives for the agency including facilitating strategic planning sessions, standing up a call bank for wellness checks on high-risk clients at the onset of the pandemic, and securing grant funding to conduct a community needs assessment focused on improving outcomes for vulnerable communities across the County during times of disaster. In 2021, Michele was deployed as a disaster service worker to act as project manager for the vaccine administration efforts in Ventura County. During that time, she worked with a cross-agency team that stood up mass vaccination sites across the County and managed the operations of vaccine distribution and administration with public and private partners. Michele earned her Doctor of Social Work and Master of Public Administration degrees from the University of Southern California and her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The cross-cutting theme of her education and professional experience has been how systems change can improve outcomes for vulnerable individuals.

 

Tina Figurski

Tina brings 30 years of experience of project coordination and civic engagement in various industries including local government, sales, communications and healthcare. 

In 2015, she started working for the County of Ventura and reports directly to the Director of the Resource Management Agency.

Tina is an active member of the community serving on multiple Boards and she is committed to assisting and promoting a thriving Management Council. 

Crystal Stratton

A 10 year resident of Ventura County, Crystal currently works for the Ventura County Fire Department as the Community Engagement Manager, managing specialized programs under the VCFD’s Communication and Public Relations Unit, with an emphasis on community development and engagement, including outreach and education. Crystal currently serves as a Board of Director, Treasurer and Event Committee Chair for the Ventura County Leadership Academy, is the current Advisory Chair, past President, Treasurer and Membership chair of the Ventura County Volunteer Coordinator Council active as a member of VOAD, Member and Committee Chair of California Public Information Officers (CAPIO).

Erin Powers

Hello, I’m Erin Powers and I am the Projects & Programs Administrator for the Ventura County Department of Airports (VCDOA).  I am responsible for the planning, construction, project environmental review and grant management programs for Camarillo and Oxnard Airports.  I started with the County in an extra help/intern position in the County Counsel’s office in 1998 and was hired fulltime by the Department of Airports in 2005. 

Through programs like the County’s Nuts and Bolt Training, Leadership Excellence and Action Program (LEAP), and Project Management Program, I have learned the importance and value that continuing education, networking, and celebrating ‘wins’ can bring personally and professionally.  I am excited to join the Management Council Board to help spread the word and help promote these type of principals.