Division 1
Norman B. Waldner, Director

Norman Waldner was seated on the Board in 1981 representing Division 1, which includes the Reedley, Dinuba, Orosi and Traver areas. Waldner serves on KRCD’s Labor and Personnel committee and served as President of the Board from 1993-97.

Waldner has extensive experience in resource management issues. In addition to his role as a KRCD Director, Waldner has held leadership positions on numerous boards including the Alta Irrigation District, serving as board president since 1983; and the Kings River Water Association Executive Committee, serving as Chair from 1984-86 and 1996-98. Previously Waldner served on the Association of California Water Agencies Board of Directors, Executive Committee and the Association’s Irrigation District Section. He also represents Alta Irrigation District and KRCD on the Joint Powers Insurance Authority.

Waldner was a member of the Kings River Water Association’s Fish and Game Committee that negotiated the historic Fisheries Management Agreement signed by the Department of Fish and Game, KRWA and KRCD. In addition, Waldner was actively involved in discussions between KRWA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the development of the Pine Flat Dam Fish and Wildlife Habitat Restoration Investigation, which laid the groundwork for the successful construction of the Pine Flat Turbine Bypass, a temperature management device for the Kings River.

Waldner resides in the Dinuba area where he farms tree fruit and grapes. Waldner has been active in his local community as a Lion’s Club member for thirty years, a 4-H club community leader and a member of the Tulare County Farm Bureau’s Water Committee.

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Division 2
Mike M. Yoshimoto, Director

Mike Yoshimoto was seated on the Board in 1979 representing Division 2, which includes the Sanger, Fowler, Parlier, Caruthers and Kingsburg areas. Yoshimoto has served as President of the Board from 1989-93.

Yoshimoto is a registered electrical engineer and currently works with the City of San Jose in the Development Department of Public Works. He is an employee representative to the Federated Retirement Fund. Yoshimoto is also a retired employee of the Department of Transportation, Cal Trans.

Yoshimoto is a native of the Kingsburg area and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Yoshimoto’s family background is in agriculture, and during his career at Cal Trans he farmed vineyards and orchards on the weekends.

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Division 3
Gildo Nonini, Director

Gildo Nonini was seated on the Board in 2002 representing Division 3, which includes the Fresno, Biola, and Kerman areas. Nonini serves on KRCD’s Budget and Audit committee and on the Accounts Payable committee. Nonini is the District’s representative to the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies. In addition to his role as a KRCD Director, Nonini served on the Fresno Irrigation District board from 1988-92 and again from 1996-2000.

Nonini farms almonds west of Fresno and has been an active member in the community. Nonini has served on numerous boards including the Central Union District Board of Trustees; Biola-Pershing Elementary Board of Trustees; Fresno County Board of Education, serving on the Delegate Assembly of the California School Board Assistant Policy Making Board; PBS Channel 18 Board of Management; Fresno ROP Board of Management; and Director of the North Central Fire and Paramedics. He has also served on the Future Farmers of America Advisory Committee and was the Boy Scouts Troop 162 Kerman commissioner.

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Division 4
Mark C. McKean, President

Mark McKean was seated on the Board in 1995 representing Division 4, which includes the Laton, Riverdale, Burrel, San Joaquin, Raisin City and Tranquillity areas. He was elected Vice President of the Board on December 10, 2002. McKean also serves on KRCD’s Budget and Audit, Labor and Personnel, Public Power, and the Accounts Payable committees.

McKean has extensive experience in water management issues. In addition to his role as a KRCD Director, McKean holds leadership positions on numerous water boards including the Kings River Water Association, the Crescent Canal Company, the Reed Ditch Company and the Murphy Slough Association. McKean has also been appointed by the Governor to serve on the AB 303 grant selection panel.

McKean is the owner and manager of McKean Farms in the Riverdale area, where he farms primarily cotton, along with sugar beets, onions, grains, alfalfa and tomatoes. In addition, McKean Farms performs custom farming practices on numerous other farms.

McKean is a member of the Fresno County Farm Bureau and is chair of the Commodity and Water Committee. He is a graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program, Class XX and served as a regional director. He has also served on the Riverdale High School Ag Advisory Council.

McKean is a native of Riverdale and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a Masters degree from Colorado State University. McKean is an active member in the Riverdale community and currently serves on the West Hills Community College Board and as was previously the president of the Central California Community College District consortium. He has also served on the boards of the Central California Cutting Club and the Riverdale Rodeo Association.

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Division 5
Brent Graham, Vice President

Brent Graham was seated on the Board in May 2006 representing Division 5, which includes much of northern Kings County. Graham serves on KRCD’s Public Power Committee.

In addition to his role as a KRCD Director, Graham is the General Manager of the Tulare Lake Basin Water Storage District. Prior to becoming General Manager of the District in 1969, he was a hydrographer for the Kings River Water Association.

He currently chairs the Lower (Kings River) Board of Directors and the Kings County Water Commission, and is the long-time secretary of the San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Water Committee. He is also secretary-treasurer of the newly formed Valley Ag Water Coalition as well as vice chair of both the California Farm Water Coalition and the State Project Water Contractors Authority. Graham heads the Tule River Improvement Joint Powers Authority, which is currently working with the Army Corps of Engineers for the replacement of Success Dam.

Graham resides in the Hanford area where he farms walnuts. Graham has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Fresno State College. Graham is an active member in the Hanford community and currently serves as Chairman of the Hanford Sister City Committee, which arranges cultural exchanges between delegations of students and city representatives from Hanford and Setana, which is Hanford’s sister city in Japan. He is also involved in the restoration of the Kings Hand Laundry, a building of historical significance in the City of Hanford.

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Division 6
Ceil W. Howe, Jr., Director

Ceil Howe, Jr. was seated on the Board in 1993 representing Division 6, which includes the Tulare Lake Basin area. Howe serves on the following KRCD committees; Budget and Audit, Labor and Personnel, and Public Power. Howe served as President of the Board from 2002 to the present.

Howe has extensive experience in resource management issues. In addition to his role as KRCD Director, Howe has held leadership positions on numerous other boards including the Tulare Lake Basin Storage District and Empire Westside Irrigation District.

Howe is the president of Westlake Farms in the Stratford area where he farms primarily cotton and small grains. Howe sits on the Board of Directors of the California Cotton Growers Association; Calcot, a cotton marketing co-op; and he is an alternate director on the Cotton Incorporated Board.

Howe is married with three children and lives on the ranch near Stratford. Howe’s son, Ceil Howe III, graduated from Cal Poly and is actively involved in the management of Westlake Farms.

Howe earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University in 1967 and a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Stanford University in 1968. He is a registered engineer in California.

Howe is an active member in the Stratford community and is currently serving on the Central Union Elementary School District Board of Trustees. He has been a member of that board since 1975.

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At-Large
Alvin Quist, Director

Alvin Quist was seated on the Board of Kings River Conservation District in 1985-2002 representing Division 3 and again in 2004 representing the at-large seat, which includes the entire District service area. Quist served as President of the Board from 1997-2002 and currently serves on KRCD's accounts payable committee.

Quist has extensive experience in resource management issues. In addition to his role as KRCD Director, Quist has held leadership positions on numerous other boards including the Fresno Irrigation District Board, Kings River Water Association Executive Committee, and the Association of California Water Agencies.

Quist is a partner with his son Jim in Quist Dairy in Fresno County just west of Fresno. Quist and his son also farm alfalfa, corn, wheat and cotton. Quist is past President and a member of the Fresno County Farm Bureau. He is also a member of the California Holstein Association and has served on the Dairy Herd Improvement Association and the California Milk Advisory Board. He is former chairman of the CSU Fresno Agricultural Foundation Board of Governors.

Quist is an active member in the community and has served on the Board of Trustees for Madison Elementary School, Central Union High School and the State Center Community College. He has served on the Fresno District Fair Board of Directors, the Fresno County Planning Commission and the Commission for Higher Education in Agriculture. Quist is currently serving as a member of the Cal Poly School of Agriculture Advisory Council to the University President and is a Rotary member.

Quist is married with three children and lives on the ranch near Fresno. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Dairy Science from Cal Poly-SLO and is a former Marine.

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