AVAQMD Governing Board
Mike Dispenza, Mayor Pro Tem - City of Palmdale
Mike Dispenza was elected for the second time as a member of the Palmdale City Council on November 4, 2003. He is serving a four-year term.
Dispenza is a State Farm Insurance agent in Palmdale and operates one of the most successful agencies in the country, being recognized for outstanding leadership in sales performance year after year. Dispenza has more than 25 years combined experience in the insurance business, having worked in both California and Louisiana. Prior to entering the insurance industry, Dispenza practiced hospital and retail pharmacy.
Dispenza represents the City Council as delegate of the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District; California Contract Cities Association-Safer Board; the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Community, Economic and Human Development Committee North Region, representing Palmdale, Lancaster and Santa Clarita; and the Antelope Valley Transit Authority. He is an alternate delegate of the League of California Cities Desert Mountain Division and an alternate delegate for Los Angeles County Sanitation District Number 14.
Dispenza has been involved with the community in a variety of ways serving as president of the Antelope Valley Underwriters; co-founding the Palmdale Education Foundation; co-chairing three Antelope Valley Board of Trade business outlook conferences; and founding the Palmdale Sheriff's Boosters. Dispenza has also been named "Outstanding Citizen" by the Palmdale Chamber of Commerce in 1992 and 1998 and was named "Who's Who Internationally" in 1997. Dispenza was also named "Outstanding Good Neighbor" by the Antelope Valley chapter of the American Red Cross.
Dispenza holds a bachelor's degree in pharmacology from Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe, Louisiana. He has three grown children and five grandchildren and resides with his wife Sarah in Palmdale.
Ron Smith was elected to the Lancaster City Council in 2006 after serving five years on the Lancaster Planning Commission, four years as the elected chairman.
Smith is a retired Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff, and served 13 years in the Antelope Valley. He was awarded “Deputy of the Year” in 1994 and 1999. Smith is currently an instructor at Antelope Valley College where he was elected and served two years on the Academic Senate, and awarded “Adjunct Faculty of the Year” for 2005.
His educational background includes Howard Taft School of Law, graduate studies in law; California State University Bakersfield, graduate studies in education; Savannah College of Art and Design, graduate studies in graphic design; Bachelor of Arts, California State University Northridge; Associates of Science, Cypress College.
Dedicated to his community, Smith has served 9 years with the Boy Scouts of America and was chairman for the first annual American Heroes Dinner. He was elected and served as chairman for the 36th Assembly District Central Committee, Republican Party of Los Angeles County. He has also served as chairman for the Antelope Valley Crime Task Force, and Citizen’s for a Safer Community.
Smith is an award winning wildlife artist who conducts nature walks at the Lancaster Prime Desert Woodlands Preserve. Together with his wife Jamie, they have owned a local graphic design business for over fourteen years.
He moved to Lancaster in 1987 with his wife. They have two children.
Ron’s interest in public service began shortly after moving to Antelope Acres in 2001 by working cooperatively with neighboring farmers and the AVAQMD to address fugitive dust concerns. That involvement resulted in working with Antelope Acres Town Council, the city of Lancaster, and the Los Angeles County Supervisor’s field office. Ron currently serves his local community as Vice President of the Antelope Acres Town Council.
Ron’s interest is the general welfare and quality of life of the residents of our Antelope Valley. That interest is expressed through involvement with his church the Desert Vineyard and various involvements with local organizations. Ron also serves on the Lancaster General Plan Citizen’s Advisory Committee as one of two representatives of the unincorporated areas within Lancaster’s sphere of influence.
Ron holds a Master degree in Business Administration degree with a leadership focus from the University of LaVerne. Ron also holds a Certified Professional Property Management certificate. A lifelong Antelope Valley resident, Ron has three children and resides with his wife and children in Antelope Acres.
Sherry Marquez was elected to the Lancaster City Council in April 2008.
Marquez is an Administrative Assistant and Ladies Counselor at Lancaster Baptist Church and has been on staff for 12 years. She is presently working on a degree in Biblical Counseling through Bethany Divinity College and Seminary located in Dothan, AL. She was previously employed at Edwards AFB as a secretary on the C-17 Program and worked at the Base Library and with Civilian Personnel.
Marquez is currently the Performance Measurement Committee Chair for Antelope Valley War on Gangs. She belongs to the Antelope Valley Republican Women organization and is Director of the Antelope Valley Republican Assembly. She is also the Antelope Valley Coordinator for WeTip, Inc. In 2006, Marquez belonged to the General Plan Citizens’ Advisory Committee.
Marquez was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1953 to Jerry and Juanita Harrell. Jerry Harrell is a retired Navy Chief having served for 24 years. Sherry married Edward F. Marquez, of Key West, Florida in 1971 and they have two children. Their daughter Nicole is married to Scott Hand. Nicole and Scott are residents of Lancaster and have three children. Sherry and Edward’s son Edward F. Marquez, Jr. is a Major in the Air Force and he and his wife, Chrissy, are currently stationed at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Fl.
Sherry and Edward Marquez, Sr. have been members of Lancaster Baptist Church for 17 years and came to the Antelope Valley when Edward was stationed at Edwards AFB. Edward retired in 1993 after 21 years of service.
Sherry's vision is to see Lancaster heralded as the safest and most attractive city to live in within Los Angeles County.
Vern Lawson is currently the Director of Economic Development/Redevelopment for the City of Lancaster’s Redevelopment Agency. Mr. Lawson holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from UCLA and has completed graduate work at California State University Long Beach and California State University Los Angeles. Mr. Lawson has over thirty-five years of local government management experience. He has a wealth of experience in business attraction, creation, and retention programs that have brought significant economic activity to the City of Lancaster.
From 1998 to 2006, Mr. Lawson held the position of Marketing and Economic Development Manager. During this time, he was involved in a list of notable projects and achievements such as the Lancaster Business Park, which includes 90 businesses that employs over 4,200 workers. He was involved in the process that attracted Countrywide Home Loans, which occupies 13 acres and will employ 1,600 workers when fully staffed; SYGMA’s 110,000 sq. ft. Food Distribution Center will employ 300 citizens; Starwood Hotels & Resorts Reservation Call Center, created 250 new jobs; Regent Aerospace, which will start construction this summer and plans to employ 300 people; and much more. Vern was instrumental in bringing in retailers via the Lancaster Town Center at Avenue K and 10th Street West; the Valley Central Shopping Center, which will host a Wal-Mart Super Store; the upcoming Lancaster Spectrum Center on 20th Street West; and is currently working on the Promenade at Amargosa Creek project.
Mr. Lawson was previously the Executive Director of the Lancaster Economic Development Corporation for 17 years. Under his direction, the corporation developed the 240-acre Lancaster Business Park, which included one of California’s first incubator facilities. A sister organization which Mr. Lawson also directed, known as the Antelope Valley Local Development Corporation, served as the development arm of the LEDC and was a certified local development corporation under the SBA 504 Loan Program.
James C. Ledford Jr. was elected to his eighth term as mayor of the City of Palmdale on November 8, 2005. Ledford also served four years as a City of Palmdale Planning Commissioner and two years as a council member prior to his first election as Mayor in 1992.
A graduate of Palmdale High School, Ledford attended Antelope Valley College and received management training at Lockheed Development Corporation. Ledford, a resident of the City of Palmdale since 1968, served as a supervisor at Lockheed for six years. He also owned and operated a small business in Palmdale for 10 years.
Ledford represents the City Council as a delegate for the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District, Antelope Valley Transit Authority, Los Angeles County Sanitation District Numbers 14 and 20 and the North County Transportation Coalition. He also serves as an alternate delegate for the California Contract Cities Association Safer Board.
Mayor Ledford is also active in a number of other civic and community organizations, including the Antelope Valley Service Organization Association and the Boy Scouts of America.
Ledford, his wife Rachelle and their son Kye live in Palmdale.
Ken McCoy served as Chief Executive Officer at Antelope Valley Schools Transportation Agency. He provided transportation services to six school districts involving 160 buses, 2,500,000 miles, and a $6,000,000 budget, transporting 8,000 students, including 1,200 Special Education.
McCoy has worked with other various school districts and companies in their fleet departments. He has provided management safety programs including Workers Compensation, Driver Training and Accident Prevention. He was in charge of setting up new operations in California with Ryder Student Transportation Services. He has been responsible for more than 1,350 vehicles in a fleet. In addition to the fleet maintenance, specifications for new equipment and purchasing of all parts, he supervised the repair shops which maintained all gardening and industrial arts equipment. Other areas of expertise include contracts, computer programming, design, implementation of automated systems, maintenance and accounting responsibilities. Alternate fuels is an area where he has had substantial experience, including the use of compressed natural gas, methanol, propane and electric.
He received a B.A. Degree in Business at National University. He has attended the California Department of Education Driver Training Academy in Sacramento.
McCoy has served on the AVAQMD Board since it’s inception on July 1, 1997.
