LAKE COUNTY
Woodland Community College picks Kathy Sorensen as new V.P. of instruction
Woodland Community College is delighted to announce the selection of Kathy Sorensen as the new Vice President of Instruction, pending approval by the Yuba Community College District (YCCD) Board of Trustees on August 8.
Sorensen brings nearly three decades of dedicated service to student success across four different institutions in three states. Her most recent role was Dean of People, Culture, and Society at American River College (Los Rios CCD), where she co-led with faculty the development and implementation of Homebases, the centerpiece of the Guided Pathways framework.
Additionally, Sorensen has significantly contributed to dual enrollment efforts and co-chaired the professional development task force. Her management experience includes positions as interim Dean of Counseling at American River College (ARC); Dean of Science, Math, and Engineering at Cosumnes River College (Los Rios CCD); and Associate Dean of Business and Applied Arts at Madison Area Technical College in Wisconsin.
Sorensen’s career in academia began with teaching at Palo Alto College in San Antonio, Texas, an experience she credits with igniting her passion for community colleges. As a Professor of Biology at ARC, Kathy initiated the Science Skills Center, an academic support center for students, and served as its program coordinator for eight years. Her extensive leadership roles at ARC also included Education Initiative Coordinator, Basic Skills Coordinator, Academic Senator, and Academic Senate President.
She holds a B.S. in Biology from Baylor University, an M.S. in Biology from The University of Texas at Arlington, and a Ph.D. in Science Education from The University of Texas at Austin.
Woodland Community College President Lizette Navarette noted that Kathy’s first day will be August 9.
—Submitted
LAKE COUNTY
Rep. Thompson Votes on 2024 Water Resources for 4th District Water Projects
Last night, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) voted to pass H.R. 8812, the Water Resources Development Act of 2024, bipartisan legislation that will authorize the Army Corp of Engineers to make crucial investments in America’s ports, inland waterways, flood management systems, ecosystems, and other water resources infrastructure.
Rep. Thompson secured authorization for the following Fourth District projects:
—Up to $20,000,000 to Lake County to address stormwater flows and habitat restoration in and around Clear Lake. The project would develop infrastructure that protects communities near the lake from stormflows and ensures water is entering the lake. Additionally, it would address habitat restoration efforts of species in Clear Lake and support river and stream restoration.
—Up to $10,000,000 to the City of Rohnert Park to remove arsenic from the city’s wells and improve efficiency. The City of Rohnert Park has a significant well water capacity unique to the rest of the region and ensuring that the community’s wells are operating to their full potential would provide a substantial benefit for the entire region.
The legislation also authorized a study for the Army Corp to assess flood risk management and ecosystem restoration for Clear Lake. Next, the legislation must pass the Senate before being signed into law. Once signed into law, authorized projects will become eligible for federal funding.
—Submitted
SACRAMENTO
Hundreds of thousands of Californians now have access to clean drinking water
Five years after its launch, California’s landmark Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) drinking water program that’s largely funded by cap-and-trade dollars has made historic progress connecting people to clean, safe drinking water.
The SAFER Program has distributed more than $830 million in grants to disadvantaged communities – over two-and-a-half times the amount of grants provided during the five years prior.
Today in Porterville, a community that has gotten connected to more clean drinking water, state officials announced that the number of people served by failing water systems has fallen from roughly 1.6 million to 700,000 – a net gain of 900,000 Californians who now have safe and affordable drinking water.
“When I took office, 1.6 million people didn’t have access to clean drinking water,” Newsom said. “Connecting 900,000 people to water is a huge success, but we won’t let up until every single Californian gets access to this essential resource.”
How we got here
That same year, Governor Newsom signed legislation to establish the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund, which has received over $600 million in cap-and-trade dollars. Connecting communities like Porterville to clean drinking water
Monday, the State Water Board and the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) joined a host of partners, including the City of Porterville, elected officials, advisory group members, community-based organizations and community members, at Porterville City Hall to share and celebrate the past five years of the program’s achievements.
Porterville, in partnership with the state, has led local efforts to expand access to safe drinking water by consolidating neighboring water systems into its own single system.
Since 2019, the SAFER program has provided over $15 million to Porterville, with an additional $5.5 million grant in process, for six consolidations benefiting over 900 people. Three of those consolidations have been completed. Statewide, there have been 142 consolidations benefiting over 100,000 people since 2019.
—Submitted
