MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Twenty-three years after her retirement from the Lake County Board of Supervisors, Middletown resident Voris Brumfield has announced that in 2016 she will seek to regain her former position as District 1 supervisor.
District 1 is Lake County’s southernmost district, bordering Napa and Sonoma counties.
Brumfield served as the District 1 supervisor from 1985 to 1992.
“I love this county and I love participating,” she said.
The District 1 supervisorial seat currently is held by Jim Comstock, who has elected not to seek a third term on the board.
Comstock told Lake County News that by the time his term runs out, he will be 67 years old and will have served 26 years in public office – 18 years with the Middletown Unified School District Board and eight years on the Board of Supervisors.
“It's been a pleasure to serve,” he said, adding that the time has come to be ready to turn the office over to someone else.
Brumfield is the second person so far to declare her plans to run for the District 1 seat next year.
In February, Monica Rosenthal – a former member of the Lake County Planning Commission and Lake County Farm Bureau Board, and a small business owner – announced she was running for the Board of Supervisors seat.
While Rob Brown – Comstock's colleague on the Board of Supervisors – said he's endorsing Rosenthal, Comstock said he plans to give his support to Brumfield, who he's known for some 30 years.
He said Brumfield is a good community servant who approaches things very logically.
In addition, she's accessible, he said.
“Voris is very approachable. Anyone can talk to her,” Comstock said.
Today, Brumfield is a part-time lay minister for the Kelseyville Unified Methodist Church – a position she started in August after serving five years as lay minister for Middletown Community Methodist Church – and the president of the Lake County Historical Society.
She’s also a loving mother and doting grandmother.
In the past she has served as a county staff member, working as an analyst in public services and in geothermal coordination, as well as the Lake County Marketing Program.
She also completed the Lake County Sheriff’s Citizens Academy and suicide prevention training offered by Lake County Behavioral Health.
Her current involvement with the Lake County Historical Society and the Gibson Museum and Cultural Center “pretty much takes up all my time,” Brumfield explained.
Regarding the differences in Lake County from 1992 until now, she said: “I think there has been more awareness of government helping Lake County evolve to its best potential. A lot of things have happened in the county since 1992. I want to be part of assuring that those changes continue in the best interests of our county.”
Much has changed in Brumfield’s life in the past dozen years as well.
Most notably, Allee Mitchell, her 93-year-old mother, whom she says was the most positive force in her maturation, died after Brumfield moved back to her native Houston to help care for her.
“My mother worked on her PhD and started several types of training programs during the ‘60s and ‘70s,” she said.
At Texas Southern University, Allee Mitchell created the Head Start teacher training program for the southeastern United States.
In addition to her mother, Brumfield said aunts on both her maternal and paternal sides lived long and productive lives.
Brumfield touts the positive aspects of Lake County.
“What’s good and great about this county is that the people here have an appreciation of the county and a desire to see improvement. Then there’s the natural beauty of the area and the natural resources we have that are opportunities for development, whether it’s geothermal or agricultural,” Brumfield said.
“The potential is here to develop hiking and multiuse trails,” she added.
She referred to the development of a hiking trail from Middletown out to Twin Pine Casino that is being developed. “We can be a beacon for health and wellbeing and a place where people come to support themselves.”
The upfront need in the county is for economic development, Brumfield observed.
She believes that her prior experience as a supervisor – as well as all the leadership positions she has held over the years – will be of value in leveraging professional relationships with city, county, state and federal agencies.
“People who know me are confident that I’m a do-er,” according to Brumfield. “I get things done.”
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Brumfield to seek District 1 supervisorial seat in 2016
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