Meet the Board of Directors
Dianne Aldrich
President
Dianne Aldrich received a Master’s of Science in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is currently the head of public services at the Dixie State University Library. Her professional interests focus on higher education, information literacy, diversity and inclusion in higher education, and support services for neurodiverse students. She is also a doctoral student working toward a Ph.D. in Leadership in Higher Education with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion. Professionally, she serves as the executive board secretary for RRCI and she was appointed by the governor to serve on the Utah State Library Board in 2020. Dianne most recently co-authored a book with her colleague Kathleen Broeder, showcasing Southern Utah’s history through the use of curated pictures from the Dixie State University Library Special Collections vault. She resides in beautiful Southern Utah with her husband.
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.
Thomas Sorenson
Treasurer
Bio coming soon!
Kester Tapaha
Member
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.
Susannah O'Brien
Member
Bio coming soon!
Ray Holt
Member
Ray is a Southern Utah University Alumni with a Bachelor's Degree and a license to teach grades 6-12 in social studies. However, He ended up working for the Office of Family Support (later Department of Workforce Services) in 1990. After 17 years, he was hired at Vocational Rehabilitation, where he worked with individuals with disabilities. Ray himself is a person with disabilities, being deaf in his left ear in which he uses a hearing aid. Additionally, a car accident left him with an artificial hip and nerve damage in his right leg. I have to use a cane. I understand the trials and tribulations of being disabled and I think I have been effective in my job because my clients understand this. I love my job and I am sincere and there is no faking that to the people I serve and work with . I have been working for the state for over 32 years now. I was on the board for RRCI several years ago. I was seeking to learn new pathways and best practices that would help USOR and RRCI. But unfortunately that did not happen and I eventually left. I am hoping that under your new leadership we can accomplish this . I am hoping that I can also educate others there on USOR services so that our clients can benefit from each of our agencies' resources. I have one ex-wife, 4 grown children, 2 grandchildren and two cats. I love to read history and enjoy baseball and hockey seasons.
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.