Five Seek Two Seats on Hospital Board

Sonoma Valley Sun

Following are ballot statements from candidates seeking two available hospital board seats. Lisa Hardy did not file a ballot statement, so The Sun interviewed her for this article.

Kathy (Whelan) Barnett
Age: 55
Occupation: Financial Consultant

I am running for a seat on the Sonoma Valley Health Care District Board because nothing is more important to our Valley than saving our hospital.If elected, I will be a voice of the community on the board.

As a financial consultant, the fiscal health and sustainability of our hospital will be my highest priority. I will continue to listen to every perspective and make commonsense decisions with the best interests of our community in mind.

As Treasurer of the No on C Committee, I worked hard to defeat a measure which was too expensive and which used eminent domain. I refused to listen to doomsday scenarios and knew there was another solution. Going forward, it is important for all of us to come together, regardless of where we stood on Measure C, and find a proposal our community can support.From the very beginning, a local hospital and the services it provides are important to me. I was born in a hospital which is now Bartholomew Park Winery.

Both my children were delivered at Sonoma Valley Hospital. Simply, our hospital is a vital part of our community’s fabric that must be preserved. With you vote, I’ll make sure that happens.


Dick Kirk
Age: 63
Occupation: Psychiatrist, pediatrician, family doctor, business consultant

I am a physician and member of the Health Care District Board, who grew up in Sonoma Valley valuing the land, people and beautiful environment. My education, from Dunbar School and Sonoma High, through becoming a Psychiatrist, Pediatrician, Family Physician, and a Master’s in Health Planning taught me to help heal.

I heal individuals, families and family businesses from illnesses and conflicts. The common sense I learned from our Valley combined with the technical sense of medical education helps me keep both in balance.I have focused on bringing the Board and community together, respecting all viewpoints and people.

The community is struggling to save our existing resources and build a new hospital. The hospital is a vital part of our community and must be preserved. I joined the “Plan B” process to develop alternatives to the hospital’s Measure C, and am now part of the new Coalition, working with integrity to find a quality solution, at reasonable cost, in an acceptable location.

I am working to increase community involvement to balance professional recommendations. I will bring the community together to heal this conflict. Please support me for another term on your District Board.

Michael A. Norton
Age: 57
Hospital Pharmacist

Healthcare in Sonoma Valley is at a crossroads. Timing is critical, if we are to preserve the services provided by our local hospital in a way that is sustainable. I am proud to have worked as a hospital pharmacist, both at a staff level and managerial capacity for 21 years. It’s been a pleasure to work with many dedicated hospital employees and I have enjoyed a collegial relationship with all our local physicians.

It is through the energies of devoted healthcare providers and support staff as well as the creativity of many different administrators and managers that the hospital has been able to survive and even thrive.

My wife and I moved to Sonoma in 1985. We are proud to be Sonomans and plan to live here long into retirement. Continuation of a local hospital is an important part of our vision for Sonoma’s future as it is for many longtime residents and recent arrivals. I hope to use my knowledge of hospital operations to help create a facility that is operationally efficient, capable of attracting quality physicians and other healthcare professionals, affordable and sustainable for years to come. If you share this vision, I would appreciate your vote.

Arnold J. “Arnie” Riebli
Age: 63
Occupation: Farmer-Businessman

I am running for the SVH Board. I am running for the good of my community, my neighbors and my grandchildren.I am a fourth generation, 52-year resident of Sonoma Valley, married to Joan, and I have four adult children, two of whom still reside in Sonoma with four of my grandchildren. I was formerly a volunteer fireman serving in the Valley for over 28 years.

I have worked in Agribusiness in Sonoma County for over 40 years. I reside on six boards. I feel my qualifications as a farmer, businessman and past public servant make me a solid candidate for the board. I am practical, possess integrity and I look forward to working with others to reach positive solutions. As a longstanding member of the community, I believe that I have a sound understanding of a major cross section of the local community.

If given the public confidence, I will represent the people with fiscal responsibility, compassion for my fellow neighbor and willingness to work toward compromise for the common good.With my experience, respect for community and your support, I feel that together, we can collectively make SVHCD the best that it can be.

Lisa Hardy
Occupation: Property Management

Glen Ellen resident Lisa Hardy didn’t file a campaign statement because, she explained Tuesday, doing so cost several hundred dollars and “I’m low-budget campaigning.”“I threw my hat into the the race because I felt like the hospital board has been dragging its feet, kind of in a rut,” said Hardy, who said she hopes to bring “new energy” and a “fresh voice” to the board.

Hardy feels it’s taking too long to get a new hospital built.“We should have been taking care of this sooner,” she said.Hardy said she was opposed to Measure C, the failed ballot proposal to build a new $148 million hospital on Fifth Street West because she was opposed to eminent domain required to take the Leveroni family’s hayfield there as a building site.

Hardy said she’s open-minded about a variety of sites for the hospital, but feels building a new facility on Eighth Street East and Napa Road might be too far away from Glen Ellen. Hardy worked for more than 18 years at Hanna Boys Center, starting as a child care worker and moving up to supervisor. Currently, she and her husband, Michael Hardy, run their own property management business.