Yorba Linda Councilman Gene Hernandez, Anaheim Mayor Pro Tem Jose F. Moreno, Dana Point Councilman Joe Muller officially sworn in as successors to Al Murray, Tom Tait and Lori Donchak
ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority Board of Directors today welcomed three new members to begin serving on the 18-member body that oversees transportation planning, funding and implementation in the county of 3.1 million residents.
The new board members are:
* Gene Hernandez, Councilmember, City of Yorba Linda: Director Hernandez has served on the Yorba Linda City Council since November 2012 and served as that city’s mayor from 2017 to 2018. Hernandez is passionate about serving the community through hands-on community volunteerism and world humanitarian travel. Born and raised in Burbank, Hernandez is a third generation Californian and a 32-year resident of Yorba Linda.
Prior to his retirement, Director Hernandez worked in law enforcement for 34 years, retiring as the Chief of Police for the City of Chino, a position in which he served from 1998 to 2006. Before he served in the Orange Police Department, where he attained the rank of captain.
Director Hernandez received a Master of Science degree in Management from California State Polytechnic School, Pomona and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Administration of Criminal Justice from San Jose State University. He has been married for 49 years to his wife, Louise, and has three children and five grandchildren.
* Jose F. Moreno, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Anaheim: Director Moreno was re-elected to the City Council in November 2018 representing District 3 in north-central Anaheim. He was first elected for a two-year term on the Anaheim City Council in November 2016. Before joining the Council, Moreno served two terms on the Anaheim City School District Board of Education from 2006 to 2014. In 2017, Moreno led efforts to adopt a “sunshine ordinance” that has resulted in stronger, more responsive and accountable local government.
Moreno is an associate professor in the Department of Chicano & Latino Studies at California State University, Long Beach, where he focuses on Latino education and policy studies. He received his undergraduate degree in social ecology with an emphasis on criminology and human behavior from the University of California, Irvine, and earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in administration, planning and social policy from Harvard University, where he co-chaired the editorial board of the Harvard Educational Review.
The youngest son of an immigrant family, Moreno grew up in Oxnard, California. He and wife Lorena, a school principal, have lived in Anaheim for more than a decade. They have four daughters.
* Joe Muller Mayor, City of Dana Point: Director Muller was elected to the Dana Point City Council in November 2014 and currently serves as Mayor. He also represents South Orange County on the boards of the Orange County Fire Authority and Transportation Corridor Agencies, and he is a member of the Orange County Parks Commission.
Muller is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin. He worked as an Environmental Chemist before moving onto a career in sales. After spending years helping to develop supply chain and logistics products to better serve his customers, he moved into the field of educational software sales. He retired when his children were born. After spending years raising his children, he started a property management company to manage his family’s investment properties, which is his current profession.
The appointment of the three new members also meant that the OCTA board said goodbye to three longtime members whose service helped improve transportation in Orange County on freeways, roads, rail and active transportation such as walking and cycling. “We look forward to working with our new OCTA colleagues and appreciate the leadership, experience, and enthusiasm they bring to our board of directors,” said OCTA Chairwoman Lisa Bartlett, also the county’s Fifth District Supervisor. “At the same time, we want to extend a sincere thank you to the board members who are stepping down after years of valuable service that have helped improve our county’s transportation system with innovative and comprehensive mobility solutions.”
The departing board members are:
* Al Murray, Tustin mayor, who served on the OCTA board for six years. During his tenure, Murray supported Orange County’s regional interests through his work as vice chairman of the SR-91 Advisory Committee and of the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor board.
Under his leadership as chairman of the OCTA Transit Committee, Murray helped reshape Orange County’s bus system through his contributions to OC Bus 360°.
* Lori Donchak, who also serves on the San Clemente City Council, served on the OCTA board for five years, including as chair and as vice chair, helping lead the OC Bus 360° efforts. Her contributions include working with San Clemente businesses and residents to prepare for and work through construction of the now completed I-5 South project.
As chair of the Environmental Oversight Committee, Director Donchak helped identify, secure and forever protect more than 1,300 acres of Orange County’s environmental assets.
* Tom Tait, Anaheim Mayor, who served on the OCTA board for five years. Director Tait played a valuable role in advancing Measure M, the county’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements, and in distributing Measure M funds to cities and the county.
He supported Orange County’s interests regionally through his work on the OC Bridges program and the improvements to the SR-57 and SR-91 freeways. Tait has also contributed to the reorganization of Orange County’s bus system through the OC Bus 360° initiative.
Monday’s meeting was also the final meeting for longtime OCTA Directors Todd Spitzer and Shawn Nelson. Their successors will be appointed at meetings in early 2019.
Nelson served on the OCTA board for more than eight years and served as its chairman in 2014, helping guide planning of the I-405 Improvement Project, the OC Streetcar project, and the OC Loop.
Spitzer served two separate terms totaling 12 years on the OCTA board dating back to the early 2000s. During his time on the board, Spitzer led the Finance and Administration committee and is credited with helping with investment decisions and enhancing OCTA’s financial footing.
The OCTA board is comprised of 18 members including the five county supervisors, two members from city councils in each of the five supervisorial districts, two public members and the Caltrans District Director serves in a non-voting ex-officio capacity.
