JOHN KNUTSEN – Desert Creek

I am the President & owner of Express Employment Professionals, formerly Express Personnel Services, in Lynnwood, Washington. I previously owned two offices but sold my North Seattle office in 2005. I previously worked 25 years for Washington Natural Gas Company in Seattle as their Marketing Manager. I currently teach Business courses for Everett Community College and Pima Community College in Tucson.

I am a former President of the South County Chamber of Commerce, the Alderwood Rotary Club and the Steven’s Hospital Foundation. I am also one of the founders and former Chairman of the Snohomish County Workforce Development Council. I have served on a variety of education advisory committees for the community colleges and local school districts. I also served as a Board member for Campfire USA for 25 years before coming to Green Valley.

I am a past Assistant Governor for Rotary District 5030, one of the largest Rotary Districts in the world. I am also a past District Vocational Chair. Currently I am a member of the Valle Verde Rotary Club here in Green Valley.

My wife Donna and I currently have homes on Lake Serene in Washington and in Green Valley, Arizona. While in Seattle we enjoy sailing, gardening and walking our two dogs. While in Green Valley, I enjoy teaching business management courses at Pima Community College, movies and swimming. We have two adult children, a married daughter living in Calgary, Canada and a son living in northern California.

CHUCK CATINO – San Ignacio Vistas

Growing up in Chicago, I participated in all sports. I went to Transportation College, studying law and claims. I managed trucking companies, including negotiating contacts with unions.

In Green Valley, I am a charter member of the Born Again Jocks Association (BAJA) Sporting Club. I umpire for the Copper Hills Little League and the Tri-county Middle School girls softball and boys baseball teams.

I was instrumental in receiving a $47,000 Community Development Block Grant for another softball field at Sahuarita Park. I work with a developer who will be donating 57 acres to Pima County for our only Green Valley Park. Eighty percent (80%) of the funding will be in the proposed 2010 Bond Issue.

At GVCCC, I am a member on their Community Services and Environmental Committees, and attend their Planning & Zoning (P&Z) and Board of Representative’s meetings.

I have been Treasurer of the Green Valley Men’s Poker Club for 6 years.

In November, I was appointed to serve a 5-year term as Parks and Recreation Commissioner of District 4 in Pima County.

I have been a GVR Director for three years. During my tenure, I chaired the Nominations Committee, chaired and vice-chaired both the Planning & Evaluation and Developer Committees, and currently I am the Vice-President of the Board.

GVR needs to bring in revenue other than raising dues, to keep our aging facilities in good condition. This is one area I am very interested in continuing to develop. My background in negotiations, being on various Boards and Committees, and being a “people person” has and will again serve me well on the Board of GVR.

My wife, Harriet, and I have lived in Green Valley for 3 ½ years, after living in Silver Springs, MD (just outside of Washington, DC for 35 years). Harriet was a teacher. I was a lawyer with the Postal Service’s legal department. My primary work involved litigation against persons and companies charged with mail fraud. I also worked as adjunct instructor of business law and economics for the University of Maryland and other schools. (Thanks to the internet, I now evaluate student projects, and also mentor federal probation officers enrolled in a management course.)

I earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in economics in New York and Minnesota respectively. My law school years in Ohio were in evening classes, so I have some idea how to juggle diverse responsibilities – school, job, family, and civic activities.

My local volunteer activities include my HOA board (and as the HOA representative to GVCCC); a member on GVR’s Bylaws Committee; volunteer as a fitness room monitor; assisting at the Performing Arts Center; helping at the state Attorney General’s consumer protection office in Tucson; and as a poll worker during elections (ok, there is a small stipend for a 16-hour day).

If I am privileged to serve on the GVR board, I will try to listen carefully, ask good questions, respect differing views, and cast my votes objectively for the best interests – short term and long term – of the GVR membership.

MARK HASKOE – Las Campanas - San Miguel

My wife and I have been Green Valley residents for nearly two years. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed the move from Washington and enjoy our active lifestyle here. I’m a member of the BAJA Sporting Group and an avid pickle ball player. I like helping others and feel a need to give back to a society that’s been good to me.

I retired from the USAF in 1998, as a Chief Master Sergeant, following a 30-year career. I managed air traffic control facilities around the world. I was a member of, or chaired, numerous boards and committees. I spent many hours developing policies, designing budgets and working with people from diverse backgrounds. I’ve earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a Masters Degree in Public Administration.

In 1998, we moved to Walla Walla, Washington, where I pursued various volunteer opportunities. I was an administrative assistant for the VA’s Outpatient Clinic Manager and an Ombudsman for two assisted living facilities. I taught AARP Driver’s Safety and served as the program’s District Manager. I’ve worked in AARP’s Tax-Aide program for 10+ years, and held local and WA state leadership positions. Currently, I’m a Tax-Aide counselor, helping local residents prepare their annual tax returns.

As a Director, I would ensure that GVR provides superior recreational, educational and social opportunities. The organization must focus on allocating limited resources smartly and fairly, and in accordance with membership desires. I would work with board members toward those goals and ensure that all member requests are equitably considered.

I believe in serving the community I live in and being on the GVR board is a good way to do this. I have served on numerous Boards in Colorado, one of which was a Special District that provided Parks and Recreation, water, sewer and irrigation.

I have a B.S. in Organizational Management and a Masters Degree in Business Administration. I retired from teaching high school business education and computer science a year before moving to Green Valley and have worked in business all my adult life.

As a Board member, I have served as Treasurer and have either Chaired or been a committee member on Elections, Nominations, Fiscal Affairs and Planning and Evaluation. I now have a good grasp of the way GVR operates and believe I can use this experience to serve the members in the next 3 years. I voted no on the increase in dues last year and no on the budget for 2009. Why? Because I did not agree with the process or with the reasoning behind the increase in member dues.

As I come to the end of my 3 years of service, I look back on the experience and realize I have used my mediation training consistently, my sense of humor often, kept an open mind to new ideas, and worked for transparency and open communication. I would like to have the opportunity to use all the knowledge and experience I have gained over the last 3 years to represent the members another 3 years.