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8 SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | JANUARY 2017 By Alan Siegel, Resident Richard took over for Connie on December 5. On December 6, I interviewed him. It was his 2nd day on the job. He'd met so many people named Bob, Don, Larry, Sharon and Susan that he barely remembered his own name. He'd already been to Recreation and Communication Committee meetings as well as meeting with the Volunteer Group. His office had recently been flooded and the carpet had been pulled up. As we sat in the disheveled office with the bare concrete floor, I asked him if he brought anything with him to decorate his office. He told me he brought a "Dwight" bobblehead doll given to him by his girlfriend, Valerie, when he worked at Sun Lakes as a Compliance Officer. He says everybody hated him. He can relate to the Dwight doll. He also had a picture of him and Valerie and a picture of himself with his three brothers. Richard Booth comes to us from the Sun Lakes community in Banning, a community of more than 3,000 homes, where he started out in 2001 as a dishwasher, then a bus boy, server, banquet supervisor, recreation coordinator and most recently, he worked in code compliance. He has a somewhat calm and laid back demeanor which will serve him well in his new position. He says he is used to people constantly coming into his office berating him when he worked as a code compliance officer, so he's ready for the front-line office of our Lifestyle Department. Richard took a sabbatical from Sun Lakes for a few years and ran his own business called Props Productions, an entertainment company that coordinated weddings, school events and provided karaoke and photo booth entertainment. He is anxious to bring this event planning experience to his new position. Richard grew up and graduated high school in Banning. His mother still lives in Banning. He and his three brothers are only one year apart. One of his brothers is the athletic director right down the street at West Hemet High School. For some reason, as a sophomore in high school, Richard and his friends really got into disco. He watched Saturday Night Fever all the time. He got bell bottoms. Maybe a disco party in our future? First things first, though. I made sure Richard knew where the bathrooms and the candy machine were. Richard is now 35, and is looking for a long career with PCM/Associa. He is taking preparatory courses through PCM/Associa to take the test to become a General Manager. He's not married. No kids. Girlfriend. Wedding bells in the future? Maybe when he becomes more financially stable. Don't give up on him, Valerie. Meet The New Lifestyle Director: Richard Booth

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