LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Tuesday, as the end to her second term on the Board of Supervisors drew to a close, Denise Rushing offered her thanks to her colleagues and community, and was lauded by her fellow board members.
Rushing did not seek reelection last year. On Tuesday, her successor, Jim Steele of Clearlake Oaks, was sworn in, along with several new and reelected county officials.
Before handing off the gavel to new Board Chair Anthony Farrington, Rushing offered her heartfelt thanks for the opportunity to serve the community, and also praised county staff – who she said stayed positive even in the face of difficulty – and fellow board members.
“It is no secret – we did not always agree – nor do we always see things in the same way, but the process of working together created better solutions that any one of us could have accomplished alone,” she said.
She told those who crowded into the chambers for the meeting, “Please know that I have given it my very best.”
Rushing received a standing ovation as she left the dais for the final time.
Her full remarks can be seen in the video above and read below. The video also includes the tributes paid to her by fellow supervisors, who thanked her for her service and praised her accomplishments.
Supervisor Denise Rushing's Final Remarks
It is traditional that the outgoing chair – and supervisors leaving office – offer their final remarks. I do not have much to say that has not already been said … except to say congratulations to those who are taking the oath of office today and to say thank you – It has been an honor to serve this community
I’d like to offer special gratitude to a number of people:
First, I want to offer heart-felt thank you to the people of Lake County, particularly those in District 3, who seek to create a better future for our community. I am especially grateful for those who engage – who realize that you do not need permission from (or even help from) government to accomplish something amazing. I honor you who focus on possibility and are willing to put your energy into what you want to create. Your way of engaging has made working with you a joy.
Next, I want to thank county administration, department heads, and county staff who work hard for the public good in some of the most difficult of circumstances. Your dedication to serving the public, especially in an era of diminishing resources, and your ability to stay positive, even in the face of difficulty is to be honored and celebrated. You rarely receive praise for what goes right, but you certainly hear when something goes wrong. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your work, your dedication and your endurance.
Third, I am grateful for my fellow Board members. It is no secret – we did not always agree – nor do we always see things in the same way, but the process of working together created better solutions that any one of us could have accomplished alone. Going forward – you do not have an easy job, and I believe you each want to do what is right for our community.
To you I offer my thanks for caring, for listening, for your willingness to experiment and try new ideas – and I also offer as my observation that the most difficult decisions we faced together were those we inherited – the consequences of poor choices made by those came before us, particularly how our predecessors have treated the land … the watershed.
Nature is resilient – recovery is possible. May your choices keep future generations in mind – leaving this county better than you found it. May you always be open to alternative points of view and willing to find the kernel of truth within them.
Fourth, To my family and friends, particularly those in my farm community – without you, my being in this role would have been much more difficult. You are a source of great support, joy and promise. I love all of you. And a special thanks to my life partner, Loretta, for keeping me on solid ground – giving me the courage to stand alone at times, helping me hold true to the truth within myself, and providing needed perspective time and again. You are a gift.
My final gratitude is for those who shaped my (admittedly different) world view – mostly modern ecospiritual mystics such as Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme.
Albert Einstein once said that you cannot solve problems by the same level of thinking that created them. To create something new, we need a new way of looking at the world. Further… We cannot create what we want by focusing our energies on what we do not want.
I am an organic gardener at heart… and from that view I see that we participate with nature to create the soil from which good things grow. We focus on the soil – specifically nutrients in the soil so that life can thrive. I have often asked – what nutrients must we cultivate to thrive in our Lake County community. As I see it these nutrients include openness, creativity, compassion, and above all – kindness and respect for one another.
So in closing I offer the Dream that has been guiding me from the beginning:
• I dream that our children and our children's children will enjoy fresh raging rivers, crystal clear air, and lake, forests and wetlands teeming with life;
• I dream that species of all kind and all manner, regardless of their value to humankind, have available to them the places they need to thrive and indeed do thrive together with us;
• I dream that humankind lives in right and balanced relationship with each other and with all of nature, giving back what we take, honoring future generations;
• I dream that we see all creation as sacred, that our children know their place in the sacred world and are one with it, that they know what it means to be here in this place – a place we all call “home.”
For those who are curious about what i am doing next… I will be announcing something soon you can follow me on www.deniserushing.net .
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the community in this way. Please know that I have given it my very best.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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