The Wrightwood Community Service District (WCSD) Board of Directors held a special meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 18, to discuss the non-renewal of General Manager Tami Keen’s contract. Keen, who has been with WCSD since its formation in July 2017, served as secretary, parks attendant, and became general manager in 2021.
At the meeting, Board Director Kurt Watson motioned for non-renewal, seconded by Board President Kristy Gerardo. The board voted 4-1 in favor of termination, with Director Rick Christensen opposing the decision.
The boards’ action not to renew Keen’s contract came after concerns about purchasing policies arose during the Feb. 4th regular meeting regarding the Wrightwood CSD Bathroom Expansion project that was granted funding from San Bernardino County last August. It was revealed that Keen signed contracts and checks for the project without board approval, contrary to WCSD policy, since the General Manager’s purchasing authority is only valid for up to $300.
Director Watson, noted he believed Keen acted in good faith to advance the project but emphasized the policy breach: “Backing into a contract with the board that was approved without prior board knowledge, and basically doing an after-the-fact approval, that’s what I see as an issue.”
WCSD attorney Steven Kennedy echoed these concerns, stating the legal contracts Keen signed with NexGen Engineering & Consulting and Pacific Crest Designs, two of the businesses already actively working on the project, were more problematic than the financial aspects. Kennedy then offered to renegotiate the agreements to include amendments, which will be presented back to the board for proper board approval.
“I don’t think anything was done with the intent of avoiding the purchasing policy; it was just confusion…” Kennedy said.
Pamela Wright, president of the Wrightwood Property Owners Association, stressed the need for better governance and operations within the WCSD: “Some guidance is needed. The lesson is, you are official representatives of our government you aren’t just volunteers. You have a responsibility to find out how to do your job […] Fix it and move on.”
The board acknowledged lessons learned and expressed a commitment to improving processes, especially since the bathroom improvements have been one of their biggest projects to date. Keen also apologized, admitting her mistake and assured the board that it would not recur.
What seemed like a clear solution for moving forward as the regular meeting adjourned, instead led to a subsequent Special Board meeting, scheduled the following week for Wednesday, February 12th, at the recommendation of CSD’s legal counsel.
The session included a closed performance evaluation for Keen, followed by open public comments with several community members voicing support for her continued role, praising Keen’s hard work and dedication as General Manager.
“Tami has been very involved with all the projects that’s been going on. Having a person that represents the CSD that has continuity with all those programs is very very important,” said longtime resident Hank Hallmark. “So I think that her past history with these programs entitles her to continue because it would be a benefit to the community.”
Despite community support, the board decided on the non-renewal of Keen’s contract without providing a specific reason, as permitted in the month-to-month employee agreement. Board members did give a parting thanks and heartfelt gratitude toward Tami for her years of service to the CSD during the Feb.18th, special board meeting.
“Tami this is not personal and we genuinely do appreciate everything that you’ve done for the board and the community as a whole.” said Vice President Alexis Claiborne “We appreciate it and we saw how many people came out to support you and to offer their words of support. We definitely respect that and this decision wasn’t one that was made lightly, speaking for myself personally. But thank you for your service and we appreciate everything you’ve done to help the CSD grow.”
At a special meeting on February 22nd, the board voted to appoint Angela Rovida as the new Interim Manager while they develop a plan to hire a new CSD Manager. Rovida has been with the WCSD since 2022, serving as the Administrative Assistant under Tamie Keen. She feels well-prepared to take on this role, stating, “I feel super honored to able to serve the community in which I live and continue to do what I do.” As a local resident of Wrightwood, she is deeply invested in the town and its future success.
The next WCSD Regular Meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 1st at 5:30pm in the Wrightwood Community Building. You can listen to the live recording of the last board meeting from March 4th, 2025 on the WCSD website.
