Events

My name is Scott, and I’m the Founder of Planned Exits. I’m a life-long entrepreneur, and my passion is helping business owners plan their exit strategies. I co-founded my first tech company at 27 and have since exited six different companies in the past 33 years.

I am committed to helping business owners plan for successful exits with the most favorable terms that help them achieve their personal and professional goals. If you are looking for a trusted partner as you plan for the future, I can walk alongside you in service through the process. I look forward to learning more about you and your business.

Lauren Marty joined BMoA in 2020. She is responsible for promoting the museum’s exhibitions , education classes, community events, membership marketing, and facility rentals. She also manages the museum’s social media activity and public relations work. After years of managing marketing departments in other industries, she says “it’s a pleasure to promote a place that encourages creativity, learning, and art appreciation.”  

32^nd District Assemblyman

Stan Ellis is a farmer, local businessman, and community member with deep roots in the Central Valley. Growing up on a hog farm in South Dakota, he worked to put himself through college at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

After graduating with a degree in mathematics, Stan settled down in Kern County, where he began an extensive entrepreneurial career. He started several small businesses across various fields, including oil, agriculture, chemical process, and reclamation. His work in quantum physics includes innovations in quantum communication, quantum networking, and the development of revolutionary medical research and treatment using quantum entanglement.

Stan started his career in the Kern County oil industry in 1975 as a “mud engineer” before forming his first company, West Coast Mud, in 1981. After this company found success, Stan entered the chemical process industry with — Global Environmental — to minimize waste from oil refineries. 

He has since founded a quantum physics lab which leads in the design and manufacturing of entangled photon sources and state measurement systems. Stan’s company, Qubitekk, stands out for its commitment as a US based company to protect critical infrastructure from the danger of hacking threats both foreign and domestic. Qubitekk is working with the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense to advance cybersecurity in the U.S.

As a member of the Cal State University, Bakersfield Engineering Advisory Board, Stan is invested in the education and growth of the next generation. With a family spanning five children and twenty grandchildren, Stan is motivated by a profound sense of duty to future generations.

Along with his work in quantum physics, Stan developed a radiation device for COVID-19 which is expected to enter the market early next year. The device irradiates and mutates RNA, killing any virus with a 99.9% destruction efficiency. Stan believes that integrity and hard work are always the formula for success, and there is an obvious lack of integrity in the political system. Overregulation in California has stressed almost every industry imaginable, especially agriculture.

Kern Medical CEO Scott Thygerson has more than 20 years of experience as an executive and consultant in health care strategic planning, operations, business development, and marketing.

Prior to serving in his current position, Scott was Kern Medical’s President and before that, Chief Strategy Officer. He has fulfilled similar roles at hospitals within Dignity Health System and Trinity Health.

Evette has over 15 years of experience in wastewater and has dedicated 12 years to serving the City of Bakersfield.  A Cornell University graduate with a degree in civil engineering, Evette is a licensed Professional Engineer and a certified Grade V Wastewater Operator.

Having served as the Wastewater Manager for four years, she now brings her expertise to the role of Assistant Water Director, continuing to advance the city’s water and wastewater infrastructure.

Beth Brookhart has been a storyteller since childhood in Colorado, beginning with a book of poems written for her mother. A journalism graduate of Colorado State University, Beth spent two decades reporting on agricultural news, often found tromping through farm fields in pursuit of a story.

Later, her career shifted to communications roles with several agricultural organizations in Bakersfield, CA. In 2010, she embarked on her fiction-writing journey, leading to the completion of The Book Project, a prestigious two-year program at the Lighthouse Writers Workshop in Denver. An avid volunteer, Beth was inspired by her seventeen years of service on the board of her local museum to pen The Four Queens of the Buttonbush Museum.  

Beth lives in Bakersfield, CA with her husband who is a table grape farmer. She has two children and five grandchildren who are the most fun in the entire world. She also has three very large, drooling dogs named Lola, Vinny and Angus.

Born and raised in Kern County, Norma is committed to making a positive difference in her community. A business and community leader whose passion for education and business has earned her a reputation as a high-impact networker. She is a sought-after community leader as she is accomplished at planning and executing strategies that are both effective and efficient; not to mention her proven track record of assisting private, public, and nonprofit organizations with forging successful partnerships.

Prior to taking the role as Program Director for the Women’s Business Center serving Kern County, Norma’s experience at Santa Barbara Business College included teaching college-level business classes, managing the business department as the Business Department Lead and she later became the Career Services Manager. She currently serves as the Workforce Development Director for the Kern County Society of Human Resource Management Board of Directors, is on the American Red Cross Board of Directors for the Kern County and Eastern Sierra Chapter and Chair of the philanthropy committee.

She contributes to the Kern Initiative for Talent and Entrepreneurship Committee and serves on the Better Bakersfield & Boundless Kern steering committee, focusing on business resources for the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Kern County and works with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to educate entrepreneurs about financial fundamentals and access to capital in the Central Valley.

Here are some highlights about our upcoming speaker. 

Economic & Community Development Manager at 

City of Bakersfield-Government

Real Estate Sales Agent at Sage Equities

Former Executive Director at Bike Bakersfield

Former Claims Processor at State Farm

Studied City & Regional Planning at California Polytechnic State University

Went to Bakersfield Christian High School

Lives in Bakersfield, California

A change of leadership is coming to the influential agency responsible for transportation planning across Kern County. Jay Schlosser, the city of Tehachapi’s development services director, will become the eighth executive director of the Kern Council of Governments on June 30. Schlosser will replace Ahron R. Hakimi, who is set to retire this summer. Hakimi, formerly an engineer with Caltrans, became Kern COG’s executive director in 2012. Through a joint powers authority, Kern COG brings together local governments, Golden Empire Transit, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration and other stakeholders.

Kern COG's board of directors, comprised of a mayor or councilmember from each of the county’s 11 incorporated cities plus two county supervisors, voted April 17 to appoint Schlosser to its top position. "We are pleased to have Mr. Schlosser as our next executive director," board Chairman Bob Smith, a Bakersfield city councilman, said in a news release. "His proven experience on the Kern COG Transportation Technical Advisory Committee and with the city of Tehachapi promises a strong future as Kern County faces numerous transportation opportunities and challenges in the next decades."

Second District Supervisor Chris Parlier, whose area includes Tehachapi, and Tehachapi City Councilman Phil Smith are among members of the board.  “I look forward to working with Jay as the executive director,” Phil Smith, the longest-serving member of the Kern COG board, said in a brief interview Thursday morning. “He has demonstrated a superior work ethic. With so many accomplishments, he will be hard to replace.”

Art Chianello will step in as the new Kern River Watermaster at the start of the new water year, which is Oct. 1. Chianello, who retired as head of the  City of Bakersfield’s Water Resources Department in Sept. 2022, is extremely famliar with the inner workings of the Kern River as a large chunk is owned by the city.

In his new role, he will review river records as kept by the city and work as the liaison between the Army Corps of Engineers, which owns and operates Lake Isabella, and the Kern River “interests,” those entities with water rights on the river. Kern River interests include, Bakersfield, the Kern County Water Agency, Kern Delta Water District and the Buena Vista and North Kern water storage Districts.

It’s a diverse group with often competing interests  But Chianello said he’s looking forward to the job and the challenge of being Watermaster.

“It’s certainly one of the best titles I’ve had in my career,” he said “I’m very proud to have been chosen by the Kern River interests and plan on serving as Watermaster with accuracy and lot of hard work.”

Chianello follows Mark Mulkay, who served as Watermaster during two of the most extreme years on the notoriously mercurial Kern River.

In 2022, the river ran at just 15% of normal during one of California’s worst drought years on record. Then an epic 2023 boosted runoff in the river to nearly 400% of normal. “I’ve really enjoyed working with everyone on the Kern River these last two years,” Mulkay said.

He acknowledged this past high-water year included answering questions and meeting with numerous stake holders far more than usual and often after hours and on weekends.

Daniel Maldonado, Assistant Water Resources Manager for Bakersfield, praised Mulkay’s leadership these past two years and said Chianello’s wealth of knowledge about the river made him a stand-out choice to follow Mulkay.

That sentiment was echoed by Dave Hampton, General Manager of the North Kern Water Storage District, and Marty Milobar, on the board of directors of the Kern County Water Agency, which voted Thursday to approve Chianello as Watermaster.

Mulkay came to California from his native Idaho in 1983 after receiving a degree in agricultural engineering from Utah State University. He started work for the J.G. Boswell Farming Company in Kings County during California’s wettest year when floodwater inundated the old Tulare Lake bed.

“So, floods capped both ends of my career,” he said.

Chianello started with Bakersfield in 2002 as an engineer in Public Works. He moved to the Wastewater Division from 2004-2010 and became head of Water Resources from 2010-2022. He has a degree in mechanical engineering from California State University, Fullerton, a master’s in civil engineering from Cal State Los Angeles and holds licenses as both a mechanical and civil engineer.

Chianello will be the Kern River’s fifth Watermaster.

Bill Balch served from 1955 to 1976, followed by Chuck Williams, 1976-2014, Dana Munn 2014-2022 and Mark Mulkay, 2022-2023.

The Watermaster is considered part time, about 20 hours a month. Pay is $2,750 a month and is paid jointly by all the Kern River interests.

"Mr. LaManque brings over 35 years of aviation experience to his role as Kern County Director of Airports, a position he assumed in July 2025. Previously, he served as Senior Planner for the Virginia Department of Aviation, managing projects and budgets for 31 airports statewide, he has also held positions in Airport Operations and Business Development. Earlier in his career, he spent more than 20 years as a flight instructor and commercial pilot, including serving as a project pilot for NASA’s Langley Research Center. He holds a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in finance and real estate, an MBA, a Commercial Pilot’s License, an Advanced Ground Instructor Rating, and is a Certified Member of the American Association of Airport Executives."

It is all about the love of Jesus healing hearts and making the impossible possible.

Having personally experienced the impact of God’s grace and mercy in my life, I have great hope for others! My desire to follow God is fueled each time I witness God do the impossible. Be Finally Free began as a passion for people in prisons, addicts, and their families…’the least of these’ (Matthew 25:45). Today it is so much more than a passion…it’s a mission! BFF brings real hope through discipleship, education, and relationships. The challenges people face get solved through the love of God offered in relationships with people like us: people who love, hurting people. Join us! Pray, give, or volunteer.

Mr. Christian Clegg was selected as the City Manager of the City of Bakersfield in 2020. Under City Manager Clegg’s direction, the City Manager’s Office is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the City, development of the City budget and implementation of City Council goals and priorities.

Mr. Clegg is a passionate, community-oriented local government leader. He is committed to reinventing how local governments connect to and serve communities, as well as redefining what it means for residents to be part of a community.

Mr. Clegg leveraged outstanding mentorship throughout his 5 years in the City Manager’s Office for the City of Tacoma, Wash. during a period in which the City undertook a comprehensive organizational change effort toward becoming a high performance organization.

Mr. Clegg then made a unique commitment to public service in taking on a challenge working in the City Manager’s Office for Stockton, Calif. as part of the new executive team rebuilding and then driving change in Stockton to create a new pathway forward for this community. His initial area of focus in Stockton was to rebuild the core internal organizational capacities, such as internal controls, policies and procedures, agenda management, strategic planning, performance measures and contracting.

Mr. Clegg received the 2016 League of California Cities John H. Nail Award for distinguished community leadership by a Deputy City Manager for maintaining the daily operations of the City while the City Manager focused on guiding the City through the bankruptcy process.

In more recent years, Christian has been more engaged with external partners building a legislative advocacy program, managing regional collective impacts strategies and implementing priority special projects for the City of Stockton. Of particular note is Christian’s pivotal role in establishing a new Office of Violence Prevention for the City of Stockton.

Mr. Clegg has a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in Psychology and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Kansas in Public Administration.  

As Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Services for the County of Kern, I am deeply honored to lead the Kern County Fire Department (KCFD), a professional organization committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our community. 

From its inception in 1927, the KCFD has developed into an efficient force of over 600 dedicated professionals, providing essential services via 47 fire stations. Our footprint spans over eight thousand (8,000) square miles, encompassing nine incorporated cities, underscoring our daunting yet crucial role in public safety.

Our essential duties go beyond firefighting and extend to emergency medical support, technical rescue, hazardous materials response, fire prevention and education, fire investigation, and emergency management. Through these varied services, we aim to secure the citizens and businesses of Kern County, ensuring that our community thrives in a safe environment. Our collaboration with the State also highlights our commitment to broader fire suppression services in the State Response Areas (SRA).

I am fully aware of the task at hand and the expectations we have set for ourselves. But I am equally confident in the capacity and commitment of the men and women of the KCFD who make our mission possible. Every member of this department is a testament to our core values of Leadership, Integrity, and Service. These values guide our operations and ethos, inspiring us to face daily challenges.

I am immensely proud to be at the helm of such a dedicated team, and I promise you that the KCFD will continue to strive for excellence and put the safety of Kern County citizens at the forefront of everything we do.

Gus Mattammal is the Director of Advantage Testing of Silicon Valley. Advantage Testing has been described by the New York Times as “the gold standard of the tutoring industry.” Gus has led the expansion of Advantage Testing’s private and pro bono activity throughout the South, Midwest, and West. As a full-time educator with Advantage Testing for over 22 years, Gus has personally worked with over 1,000 students of every race and socioeconomic background and helped them achieve their academic goals and aspirations.

Gus is an elected member of the Midcoast Community Council, representing the 12,000 people who live between Half Moon Bay and Pacifica, and serves on countywide boards dealing with transportation and with tax oversight. He is also President of SHIFT-Bay Area (www.shift-ba.org), a nonpartisan policy advocacy group focused on regional issues in the Bay Area. SHIFT-Bay Area brings together people from across the entire political spectrum to promote transparent, accountable, sustainable policies in the areas of housing, infrastructure, finance, and transportation.

Gus is a candidate for the California Superintendent of Public Instruction. He hopes to bring the principles and policies discussed in A is for Average to our school system. To find out more or to support Gus’s campaign, visit https://www.gusforca.com/.

When not teaching kids or working on public policy, Gus enjoys reading, taking his border collie Dixie on long walks, and spending time with his amazing wife Jill, whom he hopes to one day deserve.