Meet the Board of Directors
Kester Tapaha
President
Affiliated with the native American tribe, the Dine, Kester brings cultural awareness to the board. His employment plays to his strengths as he specializes in working with Blind and Visually Impaired by conducting Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling for Utah State Office of Rehabilitation. Kester has a special interest in intergenerational trauma, effects of colonization, labeling, disability issues, and same sex relations research and practices. Kester represents the voice of the blind community on RRCI’s board of directors.
To contact the RRCI board reach out to us at: Board@rrci.org
Lester Ruesch
Vice President
Lester has worked in the disability field for over 30 years. He was a Clients Rights Advocate for several years in the Regional Center System in California and then was a supervisor of case management services for several years as well as a Support Coordinator with DSPD for 9 years with a specialty in the area of Family Support. Lester was a founding member of Red Rock Center for Independence (now RRCI) and has been on the Board of Directors on and off since then as well as an officer at various times. He has been involved with a number of community issues over the years. He's served on the Washington County Local Interagency Council for about 8 years and was chairperson for 2 years. In addition he has been on several statewide committees, including the Statewide Council for Independent Living, working to improve services for people with disabilities. He has enjoyed his involvement with Independent Living issues and is looking forward to once again serving on RRCI’s Board of Directors.
Jonathan Dormire
Secretary
Jonathan is originally from Idaho. He moved to La Verkin, Utah in 2014 and has been with RRCI for 5 years. He states, "RRCI has helped me to learn about life skills." Jonathan works at Dixie Nutrition and loves to go places and meet new people. Helping others is important to him. Jonathan loves to travel, ride his three wheels E-bike around his community and go on UTV rides with his dad and family. He also loves to be outdoors camping and hiking. Jonathan loves to advocate for people with disabilities, specifically to help them get around in our community. One way he has advocated for easier travel access, was contacting the City of La Verkin to fix a broken sidewalk so people who use wheelchairs and walkers could safely use the sidewalk.
George Gehling
Member
George has worked for over 20 years with people of all ages who have special needs. He has experience in independent living, job development and employment supports, and recreational programs for both children and adults. A past Board member, George is excited to serve again. He hopes to contribute to RRCI's efforts to provide high quality services that meet the needs of the people we serve and their families.
Anne Picot
Member
With extensive experience in business and administration, Anne is a valuable member of our board. From owning her own business, to being an information manager, Anne has worked hard to make a difference. She has experience multiple councils, including the Governor's Developmental Disabilities Planning Council in Wyoming, and the Mayor's Council for People with Disabilities. Anne brings advocacy for people with disabilities and knowledge of council planning, appealing, and problem solving.
Susannah O'Brien
Member
Bio coming soon!
Tyler Presnell
Member
Bio coming soon!