KRCD is governed by a board of seven directors elected by the people. The directors represent the seven divisions of the District. Directors must be residents and registered voters within their respective divisions.
The Board meets regularly every second Tuesday at the office of the Kings River Conservation District at 1:30 pm.
Chris Kapheim was seated on the Board in 2018. Raised on a family farm near Dinuba, Kapheim attended local schools and graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in Soil Science in 1977. After graduation, he became involved in several farming partnerships. Kapheim was General Manager of Alta Irrigation District from 1983 until 2016 and served on the Tulare County Planning Commission.
Mike Yoshimoto was seated on the Board in 1979. Yoshimoto is a registered electrical engineer and currently works with the City of San Jose in the Development Department of Public Works. Yoshimoto is a native of the Kingsburg area and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Yoshimoto’s family background is in agriculture, and during his career he farmed vineyards and orchards on the weekends.
Gregory Beberian was seated on the Board in 2016. Beberian was born in Philadelphia and moved to Fresno in 1978. He currently works as the Chief Financial Officer for Integrated Medical Solutions, Inc. Beberian is also an organic raisin grape grower and farms 50 acres near Biola. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Organizational Behavior from the University of San Francisco, a Master of Business Administration from National University, and a Master of Science in Organizational Behavior from California School of Professional Psychology. Beberian also serves as director on the Fresno Irrigation District Board.
Mark McKean was seated on the Board in 1995. McKean also holds leadership positions on the boards of the Kings River Water Association, the Crescent Canal Company, the Reed Ditch Company and the Murphy Slough Association. McKean is the owner and manager of McKean Farms in the Riverdale area, where he farms cotton, almonds, wine grapes, grains, alfalfa and tomatoes. In addition, McKean Farms performs custom farming practices on numerous other farms. McKean is a native of Riverdale and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a Masters degree from Colorado State University.
D. Paul Stanfield was seated on the Board in 2012. Stanfield has expressed his priorities as a KRCD board member are to preserve and maintain a balanced groundwater supply for growers, provide support for efficient water conservation practices by farmers, and maintain efficient flood protections along the Kings River. Stanfield is currently the President of Summerfield Farms, a walnut and pecan operation in Kings County. Prior to starting Summerfield Farms, Stanfield was the Ranch Manager for Joseph B. Summers. Stanfield is also a Director on the California Pecan Growers Board.
Ceil Howe, Jr. was seated on the Board in 1993. In addition to his role as KRCD Director, Howe has held leadership positions on numerous other boards including the Tulare Lake Basin Storage District and Empire Westside Irrigation District. Howe is the president of Westlake Farms in the Stratford area where he farms cotton, processing tomatoes, small grains, alfalfa hay, almonds, pistachios, pomegranates, and beef cattle. Howe earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University in 1967 and a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Stanford University in 1968. He is a registered engineer in California.
Dr. David Cehrs was seated on the Board in 2008.Cehrs volunteers in several organizations that deal with regional water resource management including the Kings Basin Water Authority, the El Rio Reyes Conservation Trust, the Tehipite Chapter of the Sierra Club, and the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint Planning Process. Cehrs also serves on the Association of California Water Agencies Water Management Committee and the CV Salts Technical Advisory Committee. Cehrs earned bachelor‘s and master’s degrees in geology from California State University, Fresno and a doctorate in hydrology from the University of Arizona. He is a registered geologist and certified hydrogeologist. Cehrs is also a citrus farmer.
