The board held a special meeting on Sept. 3 to interview two candidates before making the appointment. The other applicant was Jo Ann Geller.

Asked to comment after the meeting, Cowles said he was pleased with the appointment.

“Having nibbled all the way around the perimeter, I guess it’s time to jump in,” he said.

Geller also commented. 

“I thought it was a very good decision, and I was grateful to be considered,” she said.

Cowles and his wife moved to Rancho Murieta more than 11 years ago. He is perhaps best known locally as a founding member of the Rancho Murieta Pickleball Club and its second president.

His educational background includes a Ph.D. in criminology with post-doctoral work in management development. His career experience spans roles as a parole and probation officer, prison psychologist, deputy director of the State Department of Corrections, university faculty member at four institutions, and director of three research institutes. 

Most recently, he was the director of the Institute for Social Research at Sacramento State University and is now an emeritus professor. 

Cowles’ appointments and honors are equally extensive. His community involvements include volunteering in various capacities in Rancho Murieta and beyond. For instance, he serves on a board of an organization that helps incarcerated women stay connected with their children. Locally, he is a member of Save Our Lakes & Open Spaces (SOLOS).

Geller said she has maintained a “kind of undercover” profile while participating in community activities since moving to Rancho Murieta 10 years ago. 

She has worked as a real estate broker and bankruptcy consultant and liquidator for more than 40 years. In the 1970s, she managed two community associations – a 275-unit condominium community in Huntington Beach and a 2,200-unit planned development in Irvine – and was involved in the acquisition, development and construction of more than 200 homes. 

She also taught junior high math in the 1970s and created a federally funded Title IV student financial aid project.

Three RMA board members expressed appreciation for the fact that such highly qualified residents had applied for the position.

Director Chris Child spoke first.

“I’m just thrilled for this community that we have this kind of decision to make,” he said.

Director Scott Adams said he wished both candidates could join the board. 

“But one has got to lose. I hope that person thinks about next year’s election because this year is already closed off,” he said.

He was referring to the fact that the only candidates who applied for two vacancies by the deadline for the November ballot were the incumbents: Board President Patrick O’Hern and Director Child.

O’Hern also addressed the difficulty of the decision after he announced the vote tally. 

“Literally, when I was casting my vote I was going from one name to the other,” he said.

The five directors present voted by secret ballot. O’Hern said it had been a split decision but did not provide the breakdown. Director John Haviland was unable to attend the meeting.

Of the three questions posed to the candidates, the most difficult likely came from Director Scott Adams, who asked how the community could be improved or changed.

Geller said a community should have fair rules that are enforced impartially and predictably. 

“I don’t think we have gotten there yet,” she said. “I think there is some room for improvement in the area of enforcement.”

She also suggested finding more recreational opportunities for pre-teens. 

“I found that when we planned things that encouraged younger people, they turned out to be community members rather than disrupters.”

Cowles noted that there are two types of changes: planned changes, which are deliberate and directed, and unplanned changes, which usually involve outside factors such as Amazon drivers or wildland fire threats. He suggested that the community needs to revise the covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs) to address new challenges, prepare for external changes and enhance technology. Cowles also agreed with Geller on the need to provide more recreational opportunities for young people.

The candidates were also asked which RMA standing committee they would like to chair if appointed to the board.

Geller said she was interested in the Communications Committee, explaining that the board has been doing a “remarkable” job and is made up of “quality board members.”

“I’m not saying this because I care about the job. I say it because I have observed it,” she said.

Geller believes the board needs a better way to tell its story to the community. 

“I think the things you do don’t make it to the ground level, and it might be helpful to get some other vehicle to do that.”

Cowles said he would be interested in serving on the Compliance Committee, describing his two years as a member as “interesting, thankless and even sometime fun. It obviously fits with my background,” he said.

Cowles also mentioned the Finance Committee, noting that he has extensive experience with budgeting, and expressed interest in the Recreation Committee. 

“I think just addressing the issues surrounding this for young folks to do is a major issue,” he said.

The candidates were also asked if they had any special skills that would be beneficial in the position and what they liked about the community. Both gave opening and closing statements as part of the interview.