While Rose Venard and her husband, Rocky, only moved to Pine Cove as full-time residents in August 2018, they have owned a cabin in Pine Cove since 2013. Venard has been coming to Idyllwild since the early 1980s. For years, she visited a high school friend who lived up here. She says she fell in love with the community and environment.
Venard has a broad business accounting background. Relying on this financial experience will be her contribution to the board as she learns more about water issues, she said.
Venard attended several local colleges and learned the business as she worked. She credits her willingness to work hard with her climb up the ladder to management positions.
Her first job was with a circuit board manufacturer. She started in the software division and moved to accounting. Unexpectedly, one day the manager of the credit department approached her and said, “I think I want you to join my department. I really enjoy working with you.”
She made the switch. After her mentor retired, Venard served 15 years as the credit manager.
Venard understands how the price must cover the cost of delivering a product or service.
“There is always inflation and the cost of other supplies and wages go up. I understand that the cost of water goes up with the prices of everything,” she said. “Unfortunately, with higher costs, some must be passed on. The district can’t absorb all of them.”
Venard looks forward to learning more about the water business. She has books to read and anxiously awaits a tour of the district.
Meanwhile, she and Rocky continue to make improvements on the home in Pine Cove. They have recently completed a shop area, which she looks forward to using as much as he does.
“I call it my ‘She/He Shed,’” she added. “Retirement will not be ‘couch potato’ life.”
Becoming more involved in the community is one of the priorities and one of the reasons she applied for the vacant water director position.
“A couple of days before the meeting, they called and said nobody else had requested the position,” Venard said.
When she and Rocky began scouting possible retirement locations, they visited many to the north, including Oregon. Eventually, he asked her about her interest in Pine Cove to which she replied, “That has been my goal for years!”
“I look forward to the day I can say I’m an established resident of the community,” Venard said smiling. “I know so many who have been here a year or less, and I know people who know everyone. That’s what I want to do!”
Editor’s note: At its Sept. 11 meeting, the board of directors selected Rose Venard as the fifth director. She replaces former Director Steven King, who resigned on Aug. 1 because he moved out of the district. Since an election was not necessary to fill the position, the Town Crier interviewed her so the community would have some knowledge of the new water director. She will have to stand for election in 2020 for the final two years of the term.
