Upcoming Events:
The annual meeting of the Gualala Community Center members will be held on June 13, 2026, at 1:00 in the Bill Platt Training Room at the South Coast Life Support District located at 38901 Ocean Drive in Gualala, CA. (PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF LOCATION) The election of four Board members will also happen on that date.  An announcement was recently sent to members who are eligible to vote in the election (membership dues must have been received by March 14, 2026, to be eligible to vote in the June election). A quorum of twenty-five members is required to conduct the annual meeting so we hope you will make every effort to attend and if eligible, cast your vote for new GCC Board members.
The new Board will hold their first Board meeting on July 8, 2026.
 
Recent Events:
It was an honor for me, on behalf of Gualala community Center, to present $2000.00 scholarships to six outstanding seniors at the Point Arena High School Honors Program on May 27, 2026.  These students have earned high academic honors while also excelling in athletics, serving their community, and completing a variety of college classes, all the while maintaining at least a 3.5 GPA.  They are a credit to their families, teachers and community. These scholarships were made possible through the generosity of Gualala Community Center members, and we are grateful for your support of their educational journey.  Congratulations to Elizabeth Arriaga, Addison Clark, Alexa Selena Ferrerya, Alicia Fuentes, Madelyn Nata and Sophia Jean Roach.  We wish them every success.

GCC Re-Building News:
GCC continues to wait for the final building permit from Mendocino Building Department. We have been told it will be coming our way in the next few weeks.
We have applied for a final ruling from the USDA to use the Federal grant as a reimbursement for previous soft costs of about $733,000. This includes architect fees, and fees from other professionals such as surveyors and landscapers who worked on the building proposed by Figure Design. We have also applied for $102,000. for HVAC and kitchen equipment for the new building. When received, all these funds will be used toward the cost of the new building. The balance of about $165,000. would be allocated for the remodel of and a new roof for the Annex. We anticipate approval for these items within the next few weeks.
A request for “Letters of Interest” from General Contractors will be published in the ICO on June 4th.  A request for bids will be published as soon as we have our final building permit.
 
June GCC Board Meeting:
As always, we invite you to attend our next Board meeting on Wednesday, June 10th at 2:30 p.m. at the Gualala Baptist Church, 37300 Church Street, Gualala. We are interested in your ideas, feedback, and participation. This is the last Board meeting of this fiscal year.
 
Best wishes from your GCC Board of Directors.
President, Janet Pierucci
Vice President, Darla Buechner                      Member: Paul Cupich
Secretary: Laverne Hancock                           Member: Nancy Howard
Treasurer: Colby Bibb                                    Member: Whyte Owen

​Up Coming Events:
The GCC fiscal year 2025-2026, which ends on June 30, 2026, is rapidly winding down.  Several important events are just around the corner: the election of new Board members and the annual meeting.  A Board election announcement was recently sent to members who are eligible to vote in the June election and run for a Board seat, (membership dues must have been received by March 14, 2026, to be eligible to vote in the June election and run for a Board seat). The annual GCC membership meeting will be held on June 13, 2026, at the Gualala Baptist Church at 1:00pm, when the results of the election will be announced.  The new Board will hold their first Board meeting on July 8, 2026. If you are interested in being a candidate for a Board seat, May 5th is the last day to declare your candidacy.
 
GCC Bylaws:
The GCC Bylaws committee, headed by the GCC Secretary, Laverne Hancock, has been exploring the best way to restate GCC Bylaws, which have undergone piecemeal revisions over the years and do not adhere to the CA codes for non-profit organizations.  The original Bylaws, written on onion skin paper in 1955, reflect the financial and social norms of that period along with language to match.  For example: “The dues of each member shall be One Dollar ($1.00) per year, payable in advance at such time as may be determined by the Board of Directors.” And “All names proposed for active membership shall be submitted to the Board of Directors, who shall investigate the fitness of applicants and recommend to the membership the election of the approved person, and such election shall be held at the regular meeting of the membership.” 

Also, there is a long section devoted to the expulsion of members “Should any member of the Community Center be convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude, or be connected with any notorious public scandal, or conduct himself in such a way that his connection with the Community Center may injure its good name, neither the Board of Directors nor the membership shall take any action to terminate his membership until he or she is given a private hearing by five members of the Board at a closed meeting.” And it goes on from here about steps to be taken to expel the offending member.  It makes me wonder how the GCC Bylaws will be scrutinized 70 years from now.

Although Laverne and her committee will not have to deal with the terms of the 1955 Bylaws, there are significant issues with the current Bylaws which need to be addressed such as the length of time someone must be a member before such person can vote or be elected to the Board.

GCC Re-Building News:
Mendocino Building Department has notified Adrian Adams, the Structural Engineer for the Community Center, that the building permit is being prepared and will be ready for pick-up soon.  A fee for the permit has not yet been established.

Recently, Reef Atwell-Smith, from the USDA regional office in Santa Rosa, met with several of the Board members and members of the Build Local Plan Construction Group to discuss the most effective means of using the USDA grant.  Questions about what the grant could specifically be used for were discussed. Reef indicated he would have some answers within a week.
​
May GCC Board Meeting:
As always, we invite you to attend our next Board meeting Wednesday, May 13th at 2:30 p.m. at the Gualala Baptist Church, 37300 Church Street, Gualala. We are interested in your ideas, feedback, and participation.  Also, Check out the two attachments!
 
Best wishes from your GCC Board of Directors.
 
President, Janet Pierucci
Vice President, Darla Buechner                      Member: Paul Cupich
Secretary: Laverne Hancock                           Member: Nancy Howard
Treasurer: Colby Bibb                                    Member: Whyte Owen

Hello, Gualala Community Center (GCC) members. If the old saying is true about April showers bringing May flowers—we should be in for beautiful wildflower displays next month.
 
GCC Rebuilding Update:
The last 6 months have been a period of planning and paperwork, meaning that none, except the people pushing the paperwork, are seeing any real progress.  This is frustrating for all of us as we want to see ACTION! The Build Local Plan Construction Group (BLPCG) has been busy addressing ADA compliance issues and continuing to answer the second round of comments sent out by the Mendocino Building Department.  One big achievement was getting a permit for destruction of the old septic tank without having to undergo a Coastal Commission Environmental review. Julia Krog, Director, County of Mendocino Department of Building and Planning, was instrumental in helping GCC avoid a $975. permit fee.
 
The BLPCG has also been actively satisfying requirements of the USDA Urban Development grant including back and forth correspondence with an architect from the Western States-USDA Rural Development.
 
So much has been accomplished by the BLPCG.  However, no shovel can hit the ground regarding the rebuilding until all the conditions of the USDA Grant have been satisfied.  For example, the USDA Grant specifies in the Guide to Applications for Preparing Environmental Reports or Categorical Exclusions Under 1970.54: "No construction activities may begin until the Agency (USDA Rural Development) completes its environmental review process."
 
We hope this brief description satisfies your curiosity and concern about not seeing any real action on the GCC property.
 
GCC Volunteers:
National Volunteer Week is celebrated the week of April 19-25 this year.  GCC got a jump start honoring the wonderful group of volunteers who keep GCC running including all the Pay n Take volunteers.  In addition, we said goodbye to a long-time volunteer who is moving out of the area by celebrating her and all the GCC volunteers with an alfresco lunch.  See the pictures on the website: Gualala Community Center - Home.
 
Upcoming Election for GCC Board of directors:
You will soon be receiving information about the upcoming June election for GCC Board members and the GCC annual meeting. 
​
If you are interested in becoming a candidate for a Board position, please read the information carefully to make sure you qualify.  Information will also be posted on the GCC website: Gualala Community Center - Home.
 
April GCC Board Meeting:
As always, we invite you to attend our next Board meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, April 8th at 2:30 p.m. at the Gualala Baptist Church, 37300 Church Street, Gualala. We are interested in your ideas, feedback, and participation.
 
Best wishes from your GCC Board of Directors.
 
President, Janet Pierucci
Vice President, Darla Buechner              Member: Paul Cupich
Secretary: Laverne Hancock                    Member: Nancy Howard
Treasurer: Colby Bibb                               Member: Whyte Owen

​Hello, Gualala Community Center (GCC) members.  I hope everyone survived the wet weather and is now enjoying the sunshine here on the North Coast. 
 
Website Update:
By now, I hope each of you has been able to log on to the beautiful, new GCC website.  Karen Wilder has done a masterful job transforming our website to a new platform that is more user friendly.  Now, you can actually join or renew your GCC membership, make a donation, learn about Pay ‘n’ Take, get the latest rebuilding news, find out how you can get involved with other great GCC volunteers, discover upcoming events and meetings on the new GCC Calendar of Events, review GCC financials, policies, and minutes of GCC Board meetings.  You can now see items available at the Pay ‘n’ Take clothing store and soon you will be able to preview items available at the regular Pay ‘n’ Take sales on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month.  Clothing store is open on Saturdays from 9:00 to 12:00.
 
GCC Membership Update:
As of March 1st, there are 394 GCC members.  If you know anyone who is not yet a GCC member or a member who has not renewed their membership, please encourage them to join GCC or renew their membership by March 14th. That is the current cutoff date for eligibility to vote in the June election of the Board.
 
GCC Rebuilding Update:
The members of the Build Local Professional Group have been working hard this month to answer the second round of Mendocino Building Department comments.  Answers and corrections will likely go out to the Mendocino Building Department early next week.  We are looking forward to the building permit being issued sometime in March or April. 
 
Monday March 9th, three metal shipping containers will be delivered to the GCC site.  These containers will replace the 40-year-old 40’container that is presently on site and allow for more efficient storage of seasonal and overflow Pay ‘n’ Take items.  When the old container is removed, the clean-up of the area can begin in preparation for grading and compaction of the building site.
 
Grants Update:
Currently, GCC has applied for or is in the process of applying for 4 grants.  These are: Mendocino Community Foundation for about 6K and the Sonoma Community Foundation for about 9K which will both be used for commercial kitchen equipment; Sonoma Clean Power will be used for Solar or HVAC; T-Mobile Homegrown Grant for up to 50K for a specific use that is in the process of being identified.  I am grateful to Kathleen Chesey for alerting us to the T-Mobile and other possible grants.  Whyte Owen is owed a big round of applause for his expertise, knowledge and help with these grants.
 
Volunteer Opportunities:
Your GCC Board has been quite busy establishing committees to help the GCC Corporation function more effectively. To date, new committees include the Finance Committee, Paul Cupich, Chair; the Bylaws Committee, Laverne Hancock, Chair, and the Membership Committee, Nancy Howard, Chair (to be approved at the March Board of Directors meeting).  Finance and Membership committees have openings for GCC members.  We plan to form a Media Committee soon.  Becoming a member of one of these committees is a wonderful way to learn more about the internal operations of GCC, and to hang out with fabulous GCC volunteers!  If you are interested, please contact Kathy McMurtery, office manager, at 707-882-3179 and she will facilitate your contact with the appropriate Chair.
 
GCC Media Presence:
A big “Thank You” goes out to Sally Shine and De Williams who are working with Karen Wilder to integrate the GCC Facebook Page and GCC Instagram with the GCC website.

March GCC Board Meeting:
As always, we invite you to attend our next Board meeting on Wednesday, March 11th at 2:30 p.m. at the Gualala Baptist Church, 37300 Church Street, Gualala. We are interested in your ideas, feedback, and participation.
 
DON’T FORGET!!!  Turn your clocks ahead one hour this Saturday night.
Best wishes from your Gualala Community Center Board of Directors.
 
President, Janet Pierucci
Vice President, Darla Buechner              Member: Paul Cupich
Secretary: Laverne Hancock                  Member: Nancy Howard
Treasurer: Colby Bibb                            Member: Whyte Owen

​An early Happy Valentine’s Day to all. Remember to do something extra nice for someone on February 14th. February is a bittersweet month for our community as this year marks the third anniversary an arsonist torched our Community Center. We lost our dear building, but the real center of our community is the people, and true to form, our community has responded and is in the process of planning and constructing a new building for our community. 

 Community Center Rebuilding Update The Gualala Community Center (GCC) was awarded a $1,000,000 federal grant in November 2025 for the rebuilding of the Community Center. This Federal Community Project Grant is administered through the Rural Development division of the Agricultural Department of the federal government (USDA). The grant has been appropriated and passed into law, and we are now preparing an application that describes what we plan to build and what we expect it to cost. Reef Atwell-Smith, the Community Programs specialist at the USDA Rural Development office in Santa Rosa was in Gualala on Wednesday, February 4th, for his first site visit. Volunteers had staked out the footprint for the new building and the container corral so everyone could see the actual building site and imagine a new Community Center arising from the ashes. After a tour of the site, Reef met with members of the GCC Board and the Rebuild committee to answer questions about the next steps in having the grant awarded. There are many documents to complete and questions to answer before GCC gets a green light to begin the actual construction. Everyone who attended was encouraged by Reef’s comments and offers of help at every step of the way.

GCC Membership Update 
 As of Dec 31, 2025, GCC had 663 members. Memberships run from January 1st through December 31st. So, people need to renew in January to continue their membership. As of February 6, 2026, GCC had a total of 277 paid memberships. That means that 386 members did not renew! GCC depends on members for the success of the organization and help in supporting a variety of philanthropic projects from funding scholarships for High School Seniors to funding for three local Food Banks. If you have not renewed your membership, please do so. Print and complete the form below and mail it with a check to GCC at P.O. Box 263 Gualala CA 95445 or drop it off on any Tuesday morning at Pay N Take or the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month during the Pay N Take sale. Volunteer Opportunities The paid staff of GCC includes a part-time bookkeeper, a part-time facilities manager, and a part-time janitor. However, GCC is an organization managed and run by volunteers. There is a seven-member Board of Directors who is responsible for the fiscal and operational management of the GCC Corporation. Volunteers are the key to the success of GCC’s programs, and they provide all the “people” hours for the major fundraising activity, Pay ‘n’ Take. 

Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers have also taken the lead in the rebuilding efforts with all the principles donating their time and expertise which amounts to thousands of hours and thousands of dollars saved. How can you help? GCC is looking for volunteers who can take an active role in making GCC the best 501 (c) 3 organization it can be. We are looking for volunteers to form and serve on the following committees: Membership; Marketing, Media & Publicity; Fund Raising, Finance, and someone to serve as Volunteer Coordinator. Please consider helping your Community Center grow and prosper. 

Website Update The new GCC website is almost ready to launch. We are fine tuning it and making sure we exterminate all the bugs. We anticipate it will be up and running by February 15th.

February GCC Board Meeting As always, we invite you to attend our next Board meeting on Wednesday, February 11th at 2:30 at the Gualala Baptist Church, 37300 Church Street, Gualala. We are interested in your ideas, feedback, and participation.

Best wishes from your Gualala Community Center Board of Directors.
Janet Pierucci, President, Gualala Community Center Board of Directors.
GCC Board Members: Vice President, Darla Buechner Secretary: Laverne Hancock
Treasurer: Colby Bibb,  Member: Paul Cupich,  Member: George Provencher, Member: Whyte Owen

​Happy New Year to all Gualala Community Center (GCC) Members!  Wild weather kicked off the New Year but now the coast is drying out, and the sunny days are back.

Rebuilding update:
Although the GCC physical site at Center Street has not changed in the last few months, that doesn’t mean work on the rebuilding project has stopped.  During this phase of the project, most work being done is paperwork.  Please be assured that GCC is striving to move the rebuilding project forward without delay.  Click to read the rebuilding update.

Federal Grant:
GCC was contacted by a representative of USDA Rural Development office in Santa Rosa on January 5th who explained the next steps in securing the GCC grant of one million dollars which has been funded by Congress and fully allocated.  GCC Board members are in the process of completing the next phase of the paperwork.

Donations and Account Balances:
Our community has been very generous in their support of the rebuilding of the Gualala Community Center building.  Recently we received a $300,000 matching grant and so far, $225,000. has been received toward that grant.  We currently have $2,394,554. in the rebuild fund and $814,522 in the general fund some of which may be transferred to the rebuild fund.

Website:
The revised GCC website will likely be up and running by February 1st.  Karen Wilder, our web designer, has been working diligently to produce a user-friendly and welcoming site.

January GCC Board meeting:
As always, your GCC Board of directors invite you to attend our upcoming Board meeting on January 14th at 2:30 pm at the Gualala Baptist Church, 37300 Church Street, Gualala, CA.
Best wishes for 2026 from your Gualala Community Center Board of Directors.

Janet Pierucci, President, Board of Directors, Gualala Community Center
GCC Board Members:
Vice President: Darla Buechner         Member: Paul Cupich
Secretary: Laverne Hancock               Member: George Provencher
Treasurer: Colby Bibb                          Member: Whyte Owen

Hello Gualala Community Center (GCC) members
 
It is hard to believe that we are entering the last month of 2025, the years seem to be flying by.  Time is such a curious commodity, we either have too much time on our hands and suffer from boredom or too little of it which can make us cranky and irritable.  But time is all we have and we need to make the most of it, like taking a walk in the forest and foraging for mushrooms; photographing birds on the cliffs; having a sundowner as we watch one more gorgeous north coast sunset or curling up with a good book.  If you ever have extra time on your hands and want to make it count, consider becoming a Pay n Take volunteer.  You will be doing good work and having fun at the same time with other dedicated GCC volunteers.

Gualala Community Center has been through a challenging year but with the help of the many GCC volunteers and community support, good things are happening.  You may have heard that the project, Gualala Community Center Rebuilding part of the House Appropriations Committee Agricultural Bill, was approved for $1,000,000 by congress!  The GCC project money has been appropriated, and we should receive the funding in the next four to six months. The funds will be dispersed by the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development.  Congressman Huffman’s office stated that we should hear from the USDA by the end of January.  His office also stated that the money had been “appropriated, budgeted and signed into law.” However, it should be noted that the money is not real until we have it in our bank account. This Federal grant was applied for by the previous GCC Board, and we are all grateful for the work put in to submit this grant.

The Rebuilding of the Community Center continues to move forward.   Construction plans for the building were submitted to the Mendocino Building Department on November 12, 2025. Applications for permits for the necessary containers have also been submitted. The property will be surveyed, and property lines staked within the next month.

I mentioned in the last Board Briefing that GCC had received a challenge grant for $300,000.00 which will double any gift to GCC of $25,000.00 or greater from private individuals. This challenge grant has already produced $75,000. Remember, donations can be made by cash or check, through a Charitable Trust or with appreciated securities. 

GCC would like to raise additional funds for items not included in the original estimate of the building costs such as a solar energy collection system, tables and chairs, portable risers for a stage, and landscaping, etc. To this end, GCC is developing a wish list which will be published on the Website in the near future. This list will provide a great way for donors to pick and choose where they want their money to go.

Thank you, all, for supporting Gualala Community Center Gualala Community Center Volunteers and Board of Directors wish you and your family a very Happy Holiday Season.
 
Janet Pierucci, President
Board of Directors
Gualala Community Center
 
GCC Board Members:
Vice President: Darla Buechner             Member: Paul Cupich
Secretary: Laverne Hancock                   Member: George Provencher
Treasurer: Colby Bibb                              Member: Whyte Owen

Hello Gualala Community Center (GCC) members
 
Welcome to November, the month of giving thanks.  We all have so much to be grateful for living on this beautiful coast. Being able to see the ocean every day as it moves in ever-changing rhythmic patterns, watching the migrating pelicans between the sand bar and the cliffs as they beat the water with their wings to drive fish to the shore are just a few of the reminders of the wonderful place in which we live.
​
The volunteer appreciation event that was organized by Darla Buechner and underwritten by Adrian Adams was a great way to say “thank you” to the GCC volunteers who put in countless hours at Pay n Take, not only at the twice-a-month Saturday sales at the Annex located at 47950 Center Street and the weekly sales at the Clothing Store located at 39175 S. Highway 1 but also every Tuesday morning at the annex and Clothing Store; accepting, sorting and pricing donations from the community.  Steering committee members and Board members were also honored as volunteers who make a difference in our community.

The Rebuilding Project continues to make progress. The grading and compaction permit has not yet been received so we are playing hurry-up- and-wait, hoping the rain will hold off so that part of the project can be completed as soon as we receive the permit.

November is the time that individuals begin to think of actions they can take to reduce their taxes for the year by making donations to their favorite charities. GCC has received a challenge grant for $300,000.00 which will double any gift to GCC of $25,000.00 or greater from private individuals. Donations can be made by cash or check, through a Charitable Trust or with appreciated securities.

GCC would like to raise additional funds for items not included in the original estimate of the building costs such as a solar energy collection system, tables and chairs, portable risers for a stage, and landscaping, etc. To this end, GCC is developing a wish list which will be published on the Website in the near future. This list will provide a great way for donors to pick and choose where they want their money to go.

Gualala Community Center Volunteers and Board of Directors wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving.
 
Janet Pierucci, President
Board of Directors
Gualala Community Center
 
GCC Board Members:
Vice President: Darla Buechner
Secretary: Paul Cupich
Treasurer: Colby Bibb

Hello Gualala Community Center (GCC) members,
​​
Fall is definitely here with our first rain of the season. I’m already seeing patches of green pop up in the meadow behind my house. The deer are loving it.

If you haven’t driven by the Gualala Community Center (GCC) plan to do so soon. The
demolition is nearly complete, and the Grading and Compaction phase of our rebuilding project will start as soon as we have the permit in hand. I want to give a big shout out to John Bower & Bobby Baker for their very hard work on the demolition. They donated time and equipment and expertise to get the job done. Ray Feeny, a member of the GCC Steering Committee, paid all labor costs that were not covered by donations of in-kind
services.

Some of you have asked about the rebuilding process going forward. The first step is to get the ground cleared, graded, and compacted. Once that process is completed, the foundation/slab can be poured. We are hoping to have that completed before the rainy season starts in earnest. If not, it will have to wait until the end of the rainy season.

Meanwhile, our construction team is hard at work completing the working drawings for the building. Structural engineering, measuring, computing and assessing drainage issues, underground equipment locations and site parameters are also taking place. Our landscape designer has been spending a lot of time at the GCC campus, laying out ideas for hardscape, planting, traffic flow and outdoor lighting. Two local architects have also been providing guidance regarding design and materials. As soon as the working drawings are finished, local contractors will be asked to bid on the project.

We hope to get started with the actual building just as soon as the weather permits.
Other news: Our annual Volunteer appreciation event will be held on October 11th from 4:00 to 7:00pm at the GCC annex. This event honors all the volunteers who spend countless hours working at Pay n Take, participating on the Steering Committee and the Board of Directors. GCC is run by volunteers who are dedicated to the Gualala community and strive to make GCC a successful community resource.

Our next Board meeting will be held on October 8th at 6:00PM at the Gualala Baptist Church at 37300 Church Street, Gualala. We hope you will attend. There will be reports

by various members of the Construction committee and a chance for you to ask questions or make comments.
There are GCC Board positions vacant, and we request anyone who is interested in
serving on the GCC Board to send an email to gualalacc@gmail.com. Please include your reasons for wanting to be a GCC Board member, your interests and skills that would
benefit GCC and your resume or just a bit about yourself, your work and/or volunteer experiences. You must have been a member of GCC for three months to serve on the GCC Board. We would like to receive any inquiries no later than October 24th.

We are very sad to announce that the Pay n Take Bakery is closed for the foreseeable future. Our Bakers are working with Mendocino County to secure an appropriate permit which would allow the Bakery to reopen. The Health Department understands our issues and has been very helpful. Our bakers are an integral part of Pay n Take and contribute well over an average of $1,000.00 a month in profit to benefit the Gualala
Community Center’s philanthropic activities.

Don’t forget Pay n Take this Saturday October 4th from 9:00 to 12:00. Come find that treasure you can’t live without!

I would be remiss if I didn’t give special thanks to Bill Mathews, the GCC facilities manager. He is the glue who holds us all together. He is there, rain or shine, directing, helping, and supporting all the volunteers.
Finally, I and the Board welcome your feedback and suggestions!
 
Janet Pierucci, President Board of Directors
Gualala Community Center Thursday, October 2, 2025

Hello Gualala Community Center (GCC) members
I have received emails from several GCC members who were confused by my letter and attachments of August 29th. I hope the following clarifies the invalid election situation and answers questions about the status of the GCC Board.
 
Our attorney, Eric Gorovitz, spelled out the procedure for correcting the invalid election in paragraphs two and three of his email which accompanied the Board Briefings emailed to members of GCC on August 29, 2025, and follows here:
 
“ 1.  The most recent election was not validly conducted, and no directors were elected.

1. By operation of law, the current Board consists of four directors: two whose terms have not yet expired, and two* whose terms expired on June 30 but who remain in their seats because their successors have not yet been elected. Those four directors constitute a quorum for the conduct of business under the current bylaws, and any action they take by majority vote at a meeting of the directors at which a quorum is present, or by unanimous written consent in the absence of a meeting, constitutes the act of the Board of Directors.
2. The Board has the authority under both the Corporations Code and GCC’s Bylaws to fill any vacancy on the Board for the remainder of the term applicable to that seat. If the current Board, consisting of the four directors described in Item 2 above, holds a meeting at which all four are present, and votes to fill any vacancy on the Board with approval of a majority of the directors present, that vote effectively fills the vacancy for the remainder of the applicable term. Any person so elected becomes a director upon their election, and the number of directors currently serving increases accordingly.”

 
*Mr. Gorovitz' letter has one error. There were not two but rather three directors whose terms expired on June 30th: Paula Smith, David Fouts and Karen Russell. Due to the invalid election, and according to the CA Corp Code, these three remain in their seats until successors are elected or appointed.
 
The two directors whose terms had not expired, Barbara Pratt and Whyte Owen, and two of the three members whose terms expired on June 30th but who remain in their seats because their successors had not yet been elected/appointed**, Karen Russell and David Fouts, met in a special Board meeting on August 25th. They appointed Michael Combs and me to fill the seats of Kevin Evans and Leslie Bates. These are both one-year terms, ending June 30, 2026.

 
On August 27th in another special Board meeting, Barbara Pratt, Michael Combs, Whyte Owen, David Fouts and I met and appointed Colby Bibb and Darla Buechner to the Board for two-year terms, ending June 30, 2027, replacing David Fouts and Karen Russell. At this point, David Fouts left the meeting. The Board then elected me President, Darla Vice President and Colby Treasurer. These Board appointments leave the seat Paula Smith held open. The Board will fill that seat, with the term ending June 30, 2027, at the September 10th Board meeting.
 
The current GCC Board members are:

• Janet Pierucci, President
  
• Darla Buechner, Vice president
  
• Colby Bibb, Treasurer                                                           
  
• Whyte Owen, Acting Secretary
  
• Barbara Pratt                                                         
  
• Michael Combs

 
I do hope this answers your questions and that you will attend the GCC Board meeting on September 10th at 6:00pm at the Gualala Baptist Church.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Janet Pierucci, President Board of Directors
Gualala Community Center