Jim Larson
Jim Larson is the retired CEO of Cal State Central Credit Union with four branches in Sonoma County. He held this position 35 years and is a recognized business leader in Sonoma County.
Jim served with the U.S. Army in Vietnam in 1970 in Tay Ninh Province near the Cambodian Border, fifty miles NW of Ho Chi Minh City (then Saigon). He received the Bronze Star in recognition of his service.
Jim joined the Board of VRC more than 20 years ago because he wanted to become active with a non-profit organization-serving veterans in his community, and he was impressed with what VRC was doing and attempting to do.
Jim’s fiscal expertise contributes greatly to the agency. He is able to review and oversee the fiscal policies of VRC, as well as provide leadership in program development and planning.
Jim and his wife, Anh, a Vietnamese native and a U.S. citizen, led VRC in sponsoring and funding medical outreach clinics in Vietnam’s impoverished Luong Son area. Jim and Anh visit Vietnam yearly as liaisons for VRC’s humanitarian projects, which in addition to the clinic include three primary schools, two built by VRC in partnership with East Meets West. VRC also maintains a surgery fund for those individuals with more serious medical conditions.
Charles Helget
Charles Helget has served as an Army Officer and legislative staff director, political and policy consultant and lobbyist. He formed the government affairs firm, Sector Strategies in January 1991. As the firm’s President, Charles, has developed extensive experience, in California and the Western States, organizing government affairs strategies for public organizations and private corporations and representing their interests before legislative bodies, state agencies and local governments. Through experiences as a senior legislative staff director, government affairs manager, and consultant, he has built an extensive network of public officials and community leaders throughout California, the Western States, and Washington, DC.
Mr. Helget has served as California Government Relations Manager for ARCO, managing the company's home state and local government affairs office. He directed and administered the political, lobbying, operating, and community relations programs. He was recruited by ARCO after successfully directing the Senate Democratic Caucus staff in Washington State. As Caucus Chief of Staff, he was responsible for reorganizing and managing a caucus staff of fifty professionals and ten clerical positions. He previously served in the Washington State Legislature as Staff Director for the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee and as a Research Director for the Senate Research Center. In 1985, Helget was Staff Director for Washington's Major League Baseball Commission, a public sector research commission appointed by the Governor, King County Executive, and the Mayor of Seattle.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Veterans Resource Centers of America and as Executive Director of the California Association of Veteran Service Agencies.
Charles holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration, graduating with honors from the University of Puget Sound and a Bachelor's degree from the College of Saint Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, majoring in philosophy and pre-law. He served in the U.S. Army from 1973 to 1977, where he achieved the rank of Captain, holding positions as a combat arm's unit commander and senior legal officer.
He lives in Sacramento California with his wife Mercy. His son Kurt is a student athlete at Portland State University.
James C. Kuhl, Sr.
A recent addition to the KPMG team, Jim has 24 years of experience in the sales and use tax field. Jim joined us after serving as the Chief of Staff for the Chairwoman of the Board of Equalization, Fiona Ma. Prior to that Jim was appointed by Governor Brown as the Tax Consultant Expert for the Office of Senator George Runner, Vice-Chair of the Board of Equalization.
After serving in the United States Marine Corps, Jim obtained his accounting degree and started his career in sales tax as a tax auditor in the San Diego District office. Prior to serving the elected members of the Board of Equalization, Jim served on the Business Taxes Committee staff and was the Director of Sales and Use Tax Audit Policy, where he resolved emerging issues for both the agency management and taxpayers. Included within his section were the responsibility for reviewing voluntary disclosures and overseeing the computer audit specialist staff. Jim was also instrumental in revising the BOE audit manuals and procedures.
Jim was the staff person responsible for the implementation of the legislative amendments to allow lender bad debts in California. In this capacity, Jim was the principal author of the extensive revision to Regulation 1642 and successfully negotiated the final regulatory language with all interested parties concurring with all proposed regulatory amendments.
Working with representatives from the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Jim changed BOE policy to reflect the evolution of the software industry by providing clarity and change to longstanding BOE practices.
Jim was an active leader in the Border States Caucus and Western States Association of Tax Administrators. Meeting with representatives of multiple states, Jim provided a forum to address common issues and pursue conformity for taxpayers.
Jim was a student of Accounting at Cal State University San Marcos.
Burt McChesney
Burt McChesney is a retired policy consultant and advocate. Burt served as Special Assistant to the Speaker of the California Assembly, as Chief Consultant to the Chair of the Assembly Democratic Caucus, advisor to the Budget Conference Committee, chief consultant to the Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee and as chief consultant to the Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee. After leaving the legislature, Burt worked for the California Association of Realtors and other business clients.
Interspersed with his legislative career, Burt worked on numerous political and issue campaigns for clients as diverse as Corazon Aquino, former President of the Philippines, and a Bay Area waste management firm. Most recently, Burt led the campaign for Proposition 41, a $600 Million housing bond for homeless and at-risk veterans.
The son of an Air Force officer, Burt served in the United States Army in Vietnam and Europe as helicopter gunner and as the NCOIC (non-commissioned officer in charge) of flight operations.
Burt and his wife, Jo-Ellen reside in Southern California.
Javier Tenorio
Javier Tenorio is the Corporate Controller of La Tortilla Factory, Inc. where over one million tortillas are made every day! Javier joined the US Army in 2001 and served four years active duty as an Infantryman with the 1st Infantry Division in Schweinfurt, Germany. While with his unit, he completed a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo and two tours in Iraq. Javier left active duty service with an honorable discharge and began his undergraduate studies.
Since graduating from the U.C. Berkeley Haas School of Business with a degree in Business Administration, Javier has worked in several accounting, finance, and audit functions with both Wells Fargo Bank and Jackson Family Wines. While at Wells Fargo, Javier served on the Board of Directors for Swords to Plowshares as both chair of the audit committee and a member of the resource development committee.
He currently resides in Santa Rosa with his wife, Christine, and two sons, Jacob and Grant.
Philip Williams
Philip Williams grew up in Saudi Arabia and later served for over eight years as an Officer and Army Ranger, including two combat tours in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division. His military awards and medals include the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster denoting a second award, and an Army Achievement Medal recommended by one of his squad leaders. Now a California water, environmental, and public agency attorney, he holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Utah and a J.D. and an LL.M from McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento.
Phil is a recipient of the U.C. Davis Police Department Citizen Appreciation Award and the Tim Naccarato Leadership Award. Prior to joining VRC, he organized and participated in numerous fundraisers for local non-profit organizations that treat the homeless veteran community. He has spoken at a variety of conferences and seminars on issues of water and resources law and policy, and guest-lectured on aspects of public agency and water law and on the philosophical and moral implications of modern warfare. Phil is also the author of birdmen, a novel based loosely on his experiences serving in, and returning home from, the war in Iraq. His greatest joy and privilege lies in being a husband to his wife, Emily, and father to their two children.