Chairman’s Message

FRED ROWBOTHAM
Chairman

Nearly all of us are aware of the great things that the California Peace Officers’ Memorial Foundation does for the entire law enforcement community and the families of fallen officers. However, most are not aware of what goes into making the organization work.

It is certainly an honor for anyone to have the opportunity to volunteer to sit on the board of directors of this great foundation. Many do not know that in addition to volunteering their time, these directors are not reimbursed for travel expenses; their expenses are picked up by either their sponsoring association/organization or themselves personally. This foundation model makes perfect sense, ensuring that the funds raised go further in advancing the core mission.

Not only are our members contributing to CPOMF by volunteering, but so are some of our service providers. I am proud to recognize Russ Richeda, managing partner at Saltzman & Johnson Law Corporation and PORAC Legal Defense Fund trust counsel, for his contribution to the California Peace Officers’ Memorial Foundation. Mr. Richeda has offered his services gratis to become CPOMF’s trust counsel. He has worked as PORAC Legal Defense Fund’s trust counsel for more than 26 years and I have personally worked with him on the PORAC LDF Board of Trustees for eight years, so I can attest to the fact that CPOMF is in excellent hands. Thank you, Russ, for this extremely generous contribution to law enforcement!

As an additional matter, this is the time of the year when local association leaders should take stock of their LDF usage and see if you are where you want to be for next year’s rate-setting. If not, please reach out to your region trustee and have them further evaluate your usage and offer options to achieve your goals for the next year. 

I, the LDF trustees and our professional staff are always happy to speak with you or your members regarding LDF matters. President Durant and Vice President Meyer are also always available to accompany us to speak on PORAC matters. Please reach out to us at any time; we are here for you.