Department Officers & Committees
The current leadership of the Department.
Officers of the Department are elected by the Delegates to the annual Department Encampment, with the Department Commander-elect selecting his appointed staff and committee assignments. Once installed in their respective offices, the Department Officers serve until their successors are duly elected and installed, generally at the following year’s Department Encampment.
Elected Officers
| Office | Name | Residence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commander |  | Stephen E. Doyle, PDC | Highland, CA | commander@suvpac.org |
| Senior Vice Commander |  | Dr. Wayne L. Eder, PCC | Henderson, NV | svc@suvpac.org |
| Junior Vice Commander |  | Owen R. Stiles, PDC Click for bio | Gridley, CA | jvc@suvpac.org |
| Secretary |  | Randy Dhindsa | Clovis, CA |
Camp reports and dues should be sent to Brother Dhindsa at: |
| Treasurer | | Randy Dhindsa | Clovis, CA |
Camp reports and dues should be sent to Brother Dhindsa at: |
| Councilman (Chair) |  | Daniel R. Earl, PCC Click for bio | San Jose, CA | council1@suvpac.org |
| Councilman (Secretary) |  | Gary E. Hormel, PCC | Tracy, CA | council2@suvpac.org |
| Councilman |  | Dean R. Smith, PCC Click for bio | Los Angeles, CA | council3@suvpac.org |
Appointed Officers
| Office | Name | Residence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Patriotic Instructor | Vacant | |||
| Chaplain |  | Stephen S. Magoffin | Hermosa Beach, CA | chaplain@suvpac.org |
Counselor | | Daniel R. Earl, PCC Click for bio | San Jose, CA | |
| Historian |  | David A. Davis, PCC Click for bio | Reno, NV | historian@suvpac.org |
Graves Registration Officer |  | Kenneth G. Felton, PCC | Hayward, CA | graves@suvpac.org |
Camp Organizer | | Owen R. Stiles, PDC Click for bio | Gridley, CA | organizer@suvpac.org |
| Color Bearer |  | Brandon A. Villardi | Torrance, CA | colorbearer@suvpac.org |
| Guard |  | Paul E. Lavrischeff, PCC Click for bio | San Jose, CA | guard@suvpac.org |
| Guide |  | William K. Gallagher | Covina, CA | guide@suvpac.org |
G.A.R. Records Officer | | David A. Davis, PCC Click for bio | Reno, NV | garrecords@suvpac.org |
Civil War Memorials Officer |  | Dean A. Enderlin, PDC Click for bio | Calistoga, CA | memorials@suvpac.org |
Eagle Scout Certificate Coordinator |  | Randall W. Hawkinson, PCC | Salinas, CA | |
Signals Officer/Webmaster |  | Tad D. Campbell, PCinC Click for bio | Gilroy, CA | |
G.A.R. Highway Officer |  | Charles L. Beal, PCC Click for bio | Yorba Linda, CA | |
| Chief of Staff |  | Rudy E. Velasco III, PDC | Cathedral City, CA | cos@suvpac.org |
California Column | | Owen R. Stiles, PDC Click for bio | Gridley, CA | editor@suvpac.org |
Committees
Committees are appointed by the Department Commander, who serves as an ex officio member of all committees.
Click on the “+” symbol for a description and duties of each committee.
| Committee | Members | Description and Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|
| Publicity and Promotion Committee | Dr. Wayne L. Eder, PCC (Chair, ex officio) | The Standing Committee on Publicity and Promotion shall be responsible for general publicity, including matters involving public relations and the promotion of the Department and the Order. The Committee shall advise Department Officers on programs and opportunities for generating increased publicity and public exposure for the Department and Camps, including the development of "white papers" and "talking points" for use by the Department and Camps. Additionally, the Committee shall develop and maintain a training program for Camp Commanders (or their designee) on how to formulate their own publicity and promotion programs. This Committee shall be chaired by the Department Senior Vice Commander. The Publicity and Promotion Committee shall file a written report with the Department Secretary, on no less than an annual basis, to be presented at each annual Department Encampment. The report shall include, but not be limited to, actions, findings, and recommendations of the Committee for the twelve months prior to the Encampment at which the report is being presented. |
| Department Encampments Committee | Dr. Wayne L. Eder, PCC (Chair, ex officio) | The Standing Committee on Department Encampments shall execute any instructions of the Department Encampment as provided for in Article IV of these Bylaws. In the absence of such instructions, or should the Department Encampment waive its rights or fail to designate an Encampment site, as specified in Article IV, the Committee shall have the sole responsibility to put forth proposals and implement programs at the direction of the Department Senior Vice-Commander for purposes of arranging the Annual Department Encampment, including, but not limited to the following: making a site selection and associated logistics, speaker(s) and other activities, notifications, and registration. This Committee shall be chaired by the Department Senior Vice-Commander who shall coordinate all arrangements. He shall appoint all committee members, subject to the approval of the Department Commander. He shall file a written report with the Department Secretary, on no less than an annual basis, to be presented at each annual Department Encampment. The report shall include, but not be limited to, actions, findings, and recommendations of the Committee for the twelve months prior to the Encampment at which the report is being presented. |
| Civil War Memorials Committee | Dean A. Enderlin, PDC (Chair, ex officio) | The Standing Committee on Civil War Memorials shall seek and identify all monuments and memorials dedicated to Civil War veterans and the Grand Army of the Republic within the jurisdiction of the Department. The Committee shall bring to the attention of the Department Commander any disrespect or lack of attention shown to any Civil War monument or memorial. This Committee shall be chaired by the Department Civil War Memorials Officer. The Civil War Memorials Committee shall file a written report with the Department Secretary, on no less than an annual basis, to be presented at each annual Department Encampment. The report shall include, but not be limited to, actions, findings, and recommendations of the Committee for the twelve months prior to the Encampment at which the report is being presented. |
| Legislation Committee | Daniel R. Earl, PCC (Chair) | The Standing Committee on Legislation shall keep the Department informed of legislation that may be introduced, or currently existing, within the jurisdiction of the Department, of such a nature as to affect the interests of this Department, or the patriotic interests of the public, and may recommend to the Department any action that the Committee deems advisable or expedient. The Committee shall also act upon matters referred to it by the Department Commander. The Legislation Committee shall file a written report with the Department Secretary, on no less than an annual basis, to be presented at each annual Department Encampment. The report shall include, but not be limited to, actions, findings, and recommendations of the Committee for the twelve months prior to the Encampment at which the report is being presented. |
| Bylaws Committee | Daniel R. Earl, PCC (Chair, ex officio) | The Standing Committee on Bylaws shall periodically review these Bylaws, bringing necessary revisions to the attention of the Department Commander. This Committee shall be chaired by the Department Counselor. The Bylaws Committee shall file a written report with the Department Secretary, on no less than an annual basis, to be presented at each annual Department Encampment. The report shall include, but not be limited to, actions, findings, and recommendations of the Committee for the twelve months prior to the Encampment at which the report is being presented. |
| History Committee | David A. Davis, PCC (Chair, ex officio) | The purpose of the Standing Committee on History shall be to identify and preserve historical and biographical material pertaining to the Grand Army of the Republic, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and their respective membership. This Committee shall be chaired by the Department Historian. The History Committee shall file a written report with the Department Secretary, on no less than an annual basis, to be presented at each annual Department Encampment. The report shall include, but not be limited to, actions, findings, and recommendations of the Committee for the twelve months prior to the Encampment at which the report is being presented. |
| Communications and Technology Committee | Tad D. Campbell, PCinC (Chair, ex officio) | The Standing Committee on Communications and Technology shall advise officers and committees about the latest computer and related technologies pertinent to the Department. This Committee shall be chaired by the Department Signals Officer. The Communications and Technology Committee shall file a written report with the Department Secretary, on no less than an annual basis, to be presented at each annual Department Encampment. The report shall include, but not be limited to, actions, findings, and recommendations of the Committee for the twelve months prior to the Encampment at which the report is being presented. |
| Special Committee on the Feasibility of Hosting a National Encampment | Wayne Eder PCC (Chair), Linn Malaznik, Scott McKee PCC, John Morris, Stephen Johnson, and Robert Mayer PCC. Voting Aides to the Committee: Rudy Velasco III PDC, Randy Dhindsa, Frank Avila PDC and Brother Tad Campbell PCinC (Camp 4). The Dept. Commander serves as an ex officio member. | This Special Committee shall explore, study, and report on the feasibility of the Department and California and Pacific hosting a National Encampment in the year 2027 or later. This will allow the Department to make an informed decision on whether to move forward with creating a Host Committee and potentially submitting a proposal to the National Site Committee. |
Dept. of California & Pacific, SUVCW | Department Officers
Created: 10 Apr 2003; Modified: 15 Apr 2024