The Wrightwood CSD appointed a new board member in August, making this the third appointed board member to serve on the WCSD within the last year.
The open seat on the board of directors resulted from the resignation of Director Kurt Watson, who had been appointed in September 2024 to fill a two-year term left vacant by the late Director Franklin. Watson served only nine months before announcing his resignation at the June 2025 regular board meeting, just one month after the board had appointed another new director, Erin DeGroot.
DeGroot was appointed in May 2025 and filled a vacancy on the board left by President Kristy Gerard, who resigned in April 2025 because of a new career opportunity and job relocation, which moved her out of state.
The WCSD has seen significant changes in recent months, not only on the board but also with staff members. The WCSD board also voted in a new general manager in June, appointing Ramona Evey after the board declined to renew the previous general manager’s employment agreement.
Familiar with recent changes and resignations, the board acted promptly to fill the vacant director seat, holding a special meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 6, to conduct open interviews with three candidates vying for the spot.
The candidates were Wes Zuber, CEO and founder of UIA and the first WCSD president in 2017; Jill Carlton-Payne, current president of the Timberline Lions Club of Wrightwood and longtime resident; and David Schoenwetter, who retired as associate vice president of operations at Santa Clara University in 2023, with prior experience in engineering and management at Disneyland Resort.
Candidates responded to a series of questions, including identifying what they believe are the three most pressing challenges facing Wrightwood today. Their answers included WCSD finances, wastewater treatment, the bathroom facilities project, fire insurance, limited activities for youth and young adults, and the need for smoother transitions and workflow within the WCSD.
After the interviews, the board briefly deliberated and voted unanimously to appoint Schoenwetter as the new WCSD board member. The board also commended the other candidates for their dedication to the community.
“I am also very excited to have a full board again, and hopefully we can keep this one until 2026,” said board President Alexis Claiborne. “I want to thank both of you for coming out, and again, thank you, Wes, for everything that you did to put this together in 2017 and really build it out and push us into this direction. Jill, I think — honestly, I agree with Vice President Christensen that any one of the three would have been phenomenal, and I really appreciate both of your time and coming out.”
At the conclusion of the meeting, Schoenwetter was officially sworn in as a WCSD board member by the new general manager, Ramona Evey. While taking a seat at the board Schoenwetter stated “I’m excited to be selected for the role and there’s a lot to learn.”
The next regular WCSD board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. in the Wrightwood Community Building.
