Check this page frequently for any news regarding the GJAOC. For more pictures and information, see the GJAOC Facebook page. Also, don’t forget to check the Reports in the News web page for any stories in the local newspapers that mention previous Grand Jury reports.
Civil Grand Jurors Convention held October 20 & 21, 2024
The Civil Grand Jurors’ Association (CGJA) of California is composed of current and former grand jurors from throughout the state. It is dedicated to promoting the understanding of the unique practices of grand juries in California and to educating the public and prospective grand jurors about the beneficial oversight function of the system. This dedication is embodied in the mission statement- To promote, preserve, and support the grand jury system through training, education, and outreach. The annual conference was held in Monterey on October 20 & 21. GJAOC Board Member and Membership Chair, Greg Tettemer, attended to represent our organization. The Keynote Speaker was Leon Panetta, former Monterey Congressman and cabinet member in the Clinton administration, who spoke on the value of public service. Among the many topics discussed was how each county grand jurors’ association can better interface with the public, how the associations serve the county grand juries, and how students at Cuyamaca College are creating a database of grand jury reports. See the GGJA website at cgja.org for more information about the organization or contact Greg at membership@gjaoc.org for his thoughts on the convention.
October 2024 OLLI Events
GJAOC members described the Orange County Grand Jury during two Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) events. The October 15 UCI OLLI event went very well with about 20 attendees and several more on ZOOM. The coordinator at UCI dedicated this presentation to the memory of Sandy Dunkin. The October 22 CSUF event had 35 present, and 15 or more on ZOOM. There were many good questions, and more fliers were passed out at both events, especially at CSUF, where an application pitch was made for those living in Supervisor District #4.
September 2024 Luncheon
The Fall Luncheon was held at our usual venue, the Santa Ana Elks Club, on September 12, 2024.
General Meeting
Several items were discussed during the General Meeting, including
Election of Board Directors The terms of 5 Board Directors are up at the end of the year. Board Directors Doug Gillen, Karen Kindschi and Ken Blake were elected to 2nd terms. And Patti Whitman was elected to the 4th position. There is still an opening for the 5th Director. And 3 mid-term Directors are retiring and must be replaced. Anyone interested in serving at whatever capacity they can, email the Membership Chair.
Approval of By-Laws As a 501(c) organization, GJAOC operates under a set of By-Laws. These are periodically reviewed and updated as required. The latest revision was approved by the membership and can be found on the By-Laws page.
Ambassador Recruitment Catalina Roger spoke about the Ambassador Program in an effort to recruit volunteers. For more information, see the Ambassador page.
Recognition and Presentations
This year the GJAOC recognized and honored two organizations that diligently address issues of interest to previous Grand Juries, namely protection of our environment, its flora and fauna. Representatives delivered presentations at the September 12 luncheon at the Santa Ana Elks Lodge.
OC Animal Allies began in 1984 as a small group of resolute animal lovers in Orange County who joined together to form an organization dedicated to helping Orange County residents and animals. It is an independent, volunteer-driven, non-profit and is not affiliated with any other SPCA, including the ASPCA. Kevin Marlin, Executive Director of OC Animal Allies, spoke to the group. In addition, Misty Marlin brought along two trained therapy pups. His presentation can be found here.
The Natural Communities Coalition (NCC) was established in 1996 as one of the first steps following the signing of a landscape-scale habitat planning and conservation effort to provide long-term protection for wildlife and their critical habitats, and regulatory assurances and economic benefits for participating landowners. It initially was known as the Nature Reserve of Orange County. Darin Loughrey, Outreach and Engagement Coordinator of Natural Communities Coalition, gave a presentation on his organization. His presentation can be found here.
GJAOC members are encouraged to learn more about the valuable work that these two collaborations do: https://www.ocanimalallies.org/ and https://occonservation.org/
Sandy Dunkin Passes
With heavy hearts, we’re saying farewell to Sandy Dunkin, our Chair of the Speaker’s Bureau who has worked tirelessly to support the Grand Jury system. Sandy passed away August 18th after 5 years of going through treatments for cancer. Always optimistic and positive. Sandy’s background in marketing served the county well.
Sandy spent her time working hard to make our community a better place. Her attention to detail, intelligence, professionalism, and dedication to the citizens of our county was monumental, whether with the Rotary Club of Irvine, GJAOC, and other volunteer organizations. Sandy spent her retirement years in the service of the community. Sandy wasn’t just a volunteer, she was a force of nature and made every project a success. When she started volunteering as a speaker, she went on to speak before more than 50 organizations all over the county and produced a power point adaptable to a variety of audiences. Sandy is responsible for having UCI and CSUF OLLI classes on the regular schedule every fall.
On a personal level, her smile says it all! Love of life, her family , and community, and always optimistic, and pragmatic. If there’s a problem, let’s fix it. An unforgettable lady who will always be missed.
GJAOC at Orange County Fair July 20 and 21, 2024
The GJAOC manned a booth at the Orange County Fair July 20 and 21, 2024. We talked with several people who were interested in the OC Grand Jury and we’re hoping some of them will apply. The event was deemed a success. Primary goal at these events is to inform the general public about the Orange County Grand Jury and to generate interest to obtain future applicants.
2024-2025 Grand Jury Sworn In
The 2024-2025 Grand Jury members were sworn in July 1st.
2023-2024 Grand Jury Completes their Session
The 2023-2024 Grand Jury has completed their session and released their Final Report which includes six investigative reports. View them on the Reports page.
June 2024 Luncheon
The GJAOC Summer luncheon was held on June 6, at our usual venue, the Santa Ana Elks Club.
March 2024 Luncheon
The GJAOC Spring luncheon was held on Pi Day, March 14, at our usual venue, the Santa Ana Elks Club. Bill Underwood, GJAOC OG Go Lead, spoke about the program. For more information, visit the OC Go page.
Lisa Wright Jenkins, President & CEO of the Southern California Council on Aging, gave a well received presentation about the organization. View or download her COASC Overview presentation. For more information visit their website at coasc.org.
Elections Are Upon Us
Do you want to see a deeper level of how elections are administered in Orange County? Many of us have taken tours of the Registrar of Voters (ROV) when we were sitting on the Grand Jury. Orange County’s ROV is award winning and supports the 5th largest county election in the nation. The ROV is looking for folks to help out with volunteer and paid positions available. For more information, visit the Volunteer page.
December 2023 Luncheon
The GJAOC Holiday Luncheon was held Thursday, December 7. We were treated to a wonderful presentation from special guest federal Judge David O. Carter who always gives an informative talk. He spoke about his recent trip to Ukraine. The 2024 Board members were also introduced with the new members being sworn in by Judge Carter.
GJAOC Booth at Placentia Tamale Festival
The Placentia Tamale Festival was held in downtown Placentia from 4:00 to 10:00 pm on Thursday, December 7. Karen Kindschi and Ken Blake handed out flyers as they manned a booth at the festival. Our community events are always lots of fun!
Ambassador Training Held September 19
The first Ambassador Training was held Tuesday, September 19, 2023 at the Orange County Superior Court. The schedule is being finalized now with the first Court tour scheduled for late October. See the Ambassador page for more information.
September 2023 General Meeting and Luncheon Recap
The Fall GJAOC Luncheon was held September 14th at the Santa Ana Elks Club. The general membership elected six new Board members who will begin serving their terms in January 2024. They are:
- Sandy Dunkin
- Theresa (Terri) Elders
- Chris Evans
- Larry (Klem) Klementowski
- John Siragusa
- Greg Tettemer
Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick was the featured speaker. She is a forensic scientist and entrepreneur, widely recognized as the founder of modern Forensic Genetic Genealogy. She described the research to find the identity of “The Unknown Child” whose remains were recovered after the Titanic sank on April 15th 1912. For more comments and photos, visit the GJAOC Facebook page.
OCTA Board Members Chosen
Two new members to serve on the Orange County Transportation Association (OCTA) board were chose at the June 26, 2023 OCTA Board meeting. The potential candidates were selected based on recommendations from the GJAOC’s Taxpayer’s Oversight Committee Selection Panel. See the OC Go page for details.