Four cities and two community associations are represented in the coalition. The Steering Committee is comprised of one elected official from each agency. Three cities and on community association also have identified an alternate member. Each steering committee member was appointed by their City Council, or community association board. The Steering Committee Chariman and Vice Chairman were elected from the membership of the committee and serve one year terms.

The Steering Committee is responsible for setting policy, providing financial oversight and establishing direction for all HOSEC activities.

HOSEC also has recently added three Affiliate Members who have applied and been approved by the HOSEC Steering Committee for membership. The three groups include: Hills for Everyone, Endangered Habitats League and the Puente-Chino Hills Task Force.

Councilmember John Beauman was elected to the Brea City Council in November 2002 and served as Mayor in 2004. In November 2001, he was appointed for a one-year term to fill a vacancy on the City Council.

As part of his Council duties, Councilmember Beauman serves on Brea’s Development Committee, as a Commissioner on the Orange County Integrated Waste Management Commission, the Orange County Library Advisory Board, and the National League of Cities' Finance, Administration, and Intergovernmental Relations Policy and Advocacy Committee regarding national issues and policies that affect local government. He also is a member of the League of California Cities Taxation and Revenue Policy Committee and the Advocacy Committee for State issues affecting cities. Prior to receiving his council appointment, he served on Brea’s General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC). His community services include a number of leadership roles at his church, the Board of Directors of a non-profit organization, and as president of a homeowners association.

Councilmember Beauman served as Director of Engineering at Parker Hannifin Corporation in Irvine, where he worked for the past 14 years. John retired in February 2003 and has been retained as a consultant. Previously, he was Engineering Manager at Northrop Grumman’s Advanced Systems Division, where he participated in the design of the B-2 stealth bomber. He has both a Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and his professional memberships include the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the International Council on Systems Engineering.

Steve Simonian serves on the City Council of the City of La Habra as Mayor Pro Tem, and is the City’s representative on the Hillside Open Space Education Coalition.

Simonian is a law enforcement professional who works in the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office in the Investigations Unit. He joined the Montebello Police Department in 1966 and where he served as Chief of Police. Steve has been the recipient of many awards in his 29-year career in law enforcement including the California Peace Officers Association’s Law Enforcement Professional of the Year.

Steve belongs to 22 professional organizations and serves on the Board of Directors, and is an officer in most them including the Montebello/ELA Family YMCA, Montebello Rotary Service Club, Beverly Hospital Board of Directors and Montebello Golf Players Club. He has been honored for his service by numerous groups including the 1995 William Spurgeon Award and the “Silver Beaver” award, the two highest awards given by the Boy Scouts of America. He also received the 1995 Martin Luther King Human Dignity Award, the highest award given by the YMCA, awarded by the LA Metropolitan Board representing all of Los Angeles County. Beverly Hospital has awarded him their coveted Humanitarian Award.

Chief Simonian has also served as President of the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs’ Association and continues to serve actively on many specialized law enforcement teams and task forces in the war against drugs, gangs and crime.

He was raised and attended schools in Montebello. He attended East Los Angeles College and Rio Hondo College. He has been married to his wife, Mary, since 1965. They have two children, Christopher Stephen and Kelly Ann.

Rose Espinoza is a lifelong resident of La Habra who founded the nationally recognized program, Rosie’s Garage-an after school tutoring program in 1991. She was elected to the La Habra City Council in 2000, and re-elected in 2004.

Espinoza has been very active in numerous community groups including: the League of Women Voters, Jewish/Latino Roundtable, La Habra School District Healthy Start Committee, Board of Directors for Neighborhood Housing Services of Orange County and Board of Directors of Neighborhood Housing Services of America and Founder/Volunteer Executive Director of Rosie’s Garage.

Council Member Espinoza has been honored as one of 50 Outstanding Women in Orange County by the American Red Cross, identified by the Orange County Register as “One of the People to Watch”, one of the most influential Hispanics of the 20 th Century by Latino.com, YMCA Women of Inspiration and Influential Award, Los Angeles Times Volunteer of Distinction Award, 72 nd Assembly District Women of the Year 2002 Award, Orange County Women’s Annual Suffrage Award, American Women Business Association Award, League of Women Voters Susan B. Anthony Award and numerous other awards.

Rose received her Associate of Arts degree in Industrial Drafting from Fullerton College.

She works at Beckman Coulter, Inc., as a Principal Designer. She created an after school-tutoring program, Rosie’s Garage, to address the needs of low-income neighborhood children. Currently, there are two in La Habra, along with programs in Brea and Santa Ana.

Bruce Douglas is a longtime resident of La Habra Heights who has served on the City Council since 2003. He previously served two terms as a member of the La Habra Heights Planning Commission from 1994 to 1997, and from 2001 to 2003. He served as chair of the commission during his later service. Douglas also served on the Public Works Committee.

He was also on the Executive Committee of the La Habra Heights Committee to Protect the General Plan that worked to preserve the 500-acre Powder Canyon region from development. This area is now a part of the wildlife corridor. Douglas also served on the La Habra Heights General Plan Advisory Commission during 2002 and 2003.

Douglas received his bachelor degree in Civil Engineering, and Masters in Geotechnical Engineering at the University of California, Davis. He has been a consultant on applied research and frontier development projects worldwide for all major oil companies and government research and defense departments. He has also been an active contributor to and member of ASCE and ASTM. Douglas is a founding member of the Hillside Open Space Education Coalition Steering Committee, and serves as vice chair of HOSEC.

Bob Henderson was elected to the Whittier City Council in 1976 and served until 1984. He served as Mayor Pro Tem from 1980-82. He was then re-elected in 1990, 1994 and 2002.
Henderson served as Mayor from 1992-94. An Uptown Whittier business owner, Bob owns Hendersons Insurance. He is also an active member in the Joint Powers Authorities relative to the hills.

City Council Appointed Organizations:
Independent Cities Risk Management Authority, Alternate
Puente Hills Landfill/ Native Habitat Preservation Authority, Chairman
Whittier / Puente Hills Conservation Authority, Vice Chairman
Wildlife Corridor Conservation Authority, Delegate
Independent Cities Association, Delegate
Rio Hondo Temporary Home, Alternate
Hillside Open Space Education Coalition, Chairman

City Council Committees
Whittier City School District
Greenway Trail

Jeff Yann is a member of the HOSEC Steering Committee, as the official representative of the Hacienda Heights community. Jeff is a Civil/ Structural Engineer with an active interest in the future of the Puente-Chino Hills. He has lived at the base of the hills in Hacienda Heights since 1971 with his wife Lynn and their two children. He became interested in efforts to save open space in the Puente Hills in 1980.

This activity led him to become a Board member of the Hacienda Heights

Improvement Association. Jeff has served on the Association board for twelve years, holding the offices of President, Vice-President and Treasurer during his terms on the Board. Since retiring from a career in the electric utility business, he has become active in local environmental issues as a member of the Sierra Club's Puente-Chino Hills Task Force and Chair of its San Gabriel River Campaign. In 2003, he formed a nonprofit known as Amigos de los Rios, which is working to create a river green belt along the Rio Hondo and San Gabriel River.

He also serves as Project Manager for the San Gabriel River Discovery Center, a regional exhibit center to be located at Whittier Narrows. The Discovery Center will feature exhibits to explain the remarkable story of the San Gabriel River and its watershed, including the Puente Hills.

1991 to 1994
President of Rowland Heights Community Coordinating Council-a volunteer organization whose mission is to provide a public forum for residents of unincorporated Rowland Heights to voice concerns to Los Angeles County regarding development, land use and quality of life issues.

1986 to 1990
Member and Board member of Rowland Heights Community Coordinating Council

1987 to 1991
Founding president of Rowland Heights Improvement Association- a volunteer organization whose mission is to provide a public forum for residents of unincorporated Rowland Heights to voice concerns to Los Angeles County regarding development, land use and quality of life issues.
This organization was formed to provide an alternative to the RHCCC.

Mike and his wife, Karen, have lived in Rowland Heights since 1978. The couple has two grown children. Mike is a graduate of San Jose State University and has had an extensive career in advertising and food marketing. For the past 17 years he has operated his own company (Micromarkets/West), which specializes in Hispanic marketing. Mike has been active in local politics within the unincorporated community of Rowland Heights and has demonstrated a keen desire to retain the rural atmosphere of the community. He is current president of the Rowland Heights Community Coordinating Council. Mike is also an avid golfer and is a current board member of Hacienda Golf Club.