I joined CDFEA back in 1973 when union president Hank Weston signed me up. In 1991, I took my first position as chapter treasurer. Two years later, I became chapter director for the Humboldt-Del Norte chapter. In 1995, I took the Deputy Region Director position for Region 1 before we changed Regions to Districts and Directors to Vice Presidents. A few months later, my term ended. I was elevated to the Region Director when our Region Director became the Union Vice President due to a vacancy in the President's position.

From 1992 to 2003, I served on the Joint Union-Labor-Management Health Cost Containment Committee, which was mandated by our MOU. Because of this participation, we obtained several unexpected benefits such as a $10 increase in dental premiums, the ability to participate in the Group Legal Plan, and an arbitration victory in the Rural Subsidy Program, which put money back in some member's pockets.

My CDF career ended on March 1st, 2000, when I suffered a brain tumor while serving on the State Board. Suddenly, I lost my job, 75% of my vision, and driver's license. Since that time, one of the things I discovered I liked most was helping people and why I wanted to do this job. Over the last eight years, I have assisted 50-60 members' spouses/families as a Family Liaison or assisted as part of a team effort in some way. Four of these members now have their names on both the California and Colorado Springs Memorial Walls, and I accompanied the families to both ceremonies. Several spouses still contact me for advice on what to do or help with messages they receive from CalPERS. My wife is behind me 100% and often drives me to meet with spouses. Together we make a good team as she is such an extrovert and diffuses the sad situation at hand.

Years ago, missing what I used to do with CDF, I signed up to work for FEMA. I once worked three months in New York after Super Storm Sandy, lived in Manhattan, rode the subway to Queens, and now know all the locations are when they are mentioned on the TV cop shows. If you want an adventure, try flying to Baton Rouge, where there is no power, no motels or facilities or restaurants open, with rain in the middle of a disaster area, and you are blind.

Since I have held the State Retiree Director position, cases never seem to stop coming in. I have helped a Retired Annuitant obtain back pay from 2020, another get his Industrial Disability Retirement processed, and a third involving a Retired Honor Guard bagpiper, along with several requests for information on Industrial Disability Retirement and death benefits.

One of the things we need to do as members, both retired and active, is explain to our spouses what our benefits are and what we need to attend to at different times in our careers. I hope to communicate this via articles in the Fire Front publications and improve the information on our website.