Mountain House...

Where Villages Create a Community

Steven Gutierrez          Bernice King Tingle          Brian Lucid          Jim Lamb          Andy K. Su

Jim Lamb

Director

Board Member Since - 12/08

First Term - 12/08 - 12/12

Second Term - 12/12 - 12/16

Current Term Expires - 12/16

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Commitees:
Public Safety Committee / Vice Chairman
Parks, Recreation & Special Events Committee

Other Roles:
Vice President 2012
Vice Chairman - MH Public Financing Authority
Point Person - Mariposa Power Plant opposition

Profile

MHCSD Board Director Jim Lamb is an inquisitive life-long learner. His interests vary from wine making to scuba diving, to building survival igloos. Regardless of the subject, the constant among his multi-faceted interests is Lamb’s keen desire to fully understand the ins and outs of the subject.

While working as a part-time manager and waiter for Wente Vineyards, Lamb began studying the art and science of wine. This study eventually led him to earn a certification as a Sommelier, a wine expert whose responsibilities include wine procurement, storage, wine cellar rotation and providing expert advice to customers. In addition to ensuring the patrons had a pleasant dining experience, Lamb also found opportunities to improve some of the business processes. He created a software program that reduced the wine inventory effort to approximately three hours. No small feat, as inventory typically took at least eight hours to perform.

When Lamb and his sister purchased the real estate and property management company from their mother, Lamb spent the first year learning the intricacies of the business. "I imagine the staff got pretty tired of me asking a bunch of questions," said Lamb. "I needed to understand the how’s and why’s of the business before I started making changes." This inquisitiveness and desire to improve are some of the qualities that Lamb feels he brings to the MHCSD Board.

Prior to being elected to the Board, Lamb saw himself as an unofficial community organizer. In addition to moderating a community-based website, mhvillages.com, an on-line discussion site dedicated to Mountain House, and founding the sister site wiki.mhvillages.com, an on-line community driven Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), Lamb organized voter registration drives in Mountain House, helped organize a grass roots effort petitioning the Lammersville School Board to pursue unification with the goal of getting our own high school, and helped to organize and participate in the Mountain House Neighborhood Watch program. He’s been a consistent and reliable volunteer for Mountain House community events, including the 4th of July parade, El Paseo and the Mountain House 5K and 10K Fun run and Walk, amongst others.

As a Board Director, Lamb states that he and the other Board Members are required to focus their efforts on the MHCSD specific mission, which does not include economic development or land use. "Our first priority should be addressing whatever falls under the MHCSD purview," said Lamb. "However, we should always try to be responsive to our constituents. If residents come to our Board meetings, we owe it to them to listen and acknowledge them, ask questions and do our best to be responsive."

Director Lamb leads the Parks, Recreation and Special Events Committee for the District. Some of Lamb’s goals include expanding the Parks and Recreation programs in Mountain House, expanding community involvement in special events, and expanding the communication between the MHCSD and its residents. "Communication is key component to making sure our community thrives," said Lamb. "When residents are talking to each other, then they begin to learn and care about each other."