County welcomes new supervisors

Former Congressman and retired U.S. Marine Col. Paul Cook, County Supervisor Dawn Rowe, and former Rialto Councilman and State Assembly Member Joe Baca, Jr. were administered the oath of office on Monday, Dec. 7, and began four-year terms on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

They join Supervisor and Board Chairman Curt Hagman and Supervisor Janice Rutherford on the body that governs an award-winning organization made up of more than 23,000 employees and more than 100 departments, divisions, and agencies offering a diverse array of essential and quality-of-life services to more than 2.2 million county residents.

“I am very, very honored to be here,” Supervisor Cook said after being sworn in by his wife Jeanne. “Local government is where it all begins. This is part of the reason I got involved – to make a difference.”

After being administered the oath by her father, Robert Haynes, Supervisor Rowe said, “I would like to thank the voters. It is an honor to be here. It has been a long journey for me since the time I was appointed in December 2018.”

“I’ve had the chance to work with great people and I’ve learned a lot,” Rowe said. “I’m very blessed that God has placed me here to do good work for our citizens.”

“These are challenging times, and I’m looking forward to taking on the challenge and working with all of you and working for this community,” Supervisor Baca said after being sworn in by his father, retired seven-term Congressman Joe Baca, Sr.

Due to COVID-19, attendance was limited to a small group of masked and socially distanced family members, staff, and friends. A recording of the event can be viewed on the CountyDirect Broadcast Network under the “Other Meetings and Events tab.

Supervisor Cook was elected in March to represent the First Supervisorial District, which includes the Town of Apple Valley and the cities of Adelanto, Hesperia, Needles, and Victorville. Cook had served in Congress since 2013 and also served in the State Assembly and on the Yucca Valley Town Council. Cook succeeds Robert Lovingood, who retired after serving two terms on the Board of Supervisors.

Supervisor Rowe was elected in March to represent the Third Supervisorial District, which includes the Town of Yucca Valley and the cities of Barstow, Big Bear Lake, Colton, Grand Terrace, Highland, Loma Linda, Redlands, San Bernardino, Twentynine Palms, and Yucaipa. Rowe has served on the Board of Supervisors since December 2018 and previously served on the Yucca Valley Town Council.

Supervisor Baca was elected in November to represent the Fifth Supervisorial District, which includes the cities of Colton, Fontana, Rialto, and San Bernardino. Baca had served on the Rialto City Council since 2006 and also served in the State Assembly. Baca succeeds Josie Gonzales, who retired after serving four terms on the Board of Supervisors.