Arto Rinteela, Director
DIVISION 1
Elected in 2022 – Term Expires December 2026

Director Arto Rinteela was born in Finland and raised in the Fairmede Hilltop area of Richmond.  In 1978, he became a naturalized American citizen with the help of Congressman George Miller, who inspired him to become a lifelong Democrat.

Director Rinteela’s mother worked as a Registered Nurse at Doctor’s Hospital in Pinole, and his father was a Union Carpenter before his passing.

After 34 years of service working for the Millwrights Union Local 102, Director Rinteela has recently retired.

As a Union Millwright employee, Rinteela served in supervisory roles on multi-million-dollar projects, from new construction power plants to sewage and water treatment plants and on a multitude of heavy industrial construction projects.

Director Rinteela has been politically active in Richmond politics and is currently the Chair of the Fairmede Hilltop Neighborhood Council, an organization committed to supporting its neighbors.  Most recently, he was elected President of the Richmond Neighborhood Coordinating Council (RNCC), the umbrella organization for all Neighborhood Councils in Richmond.  RNCC’s mission is to build stronger neighborhoods in the city of Richmond.

Public safety, transparency for taxpayers, and organizational accountability are important to Director Rinteela. He is honored to serve as Director of West County’s District 1 and intends to do his best to represent everyone with the utmost integrity and with an eye toward equity.

Cheryl Sudduth, President
DIVISION 5
Board Member Since 2018 – Term Expires December 2026

Director Sudduth is a Senior Negotiator and Government Compliance Officer, currently working in the technology industry. She brings more than 25 years of business and legal experience, serving in a broad array of senior management roles in intellectual property, contracting, legal, compliance, technology, domestic/international trademark and patent registrations and enforcement, government, international contracting, corporate and non-profit governance, personnel management, mergers and acquisitions, business development and strategic management in the commercial, private and public sectors. She regularly designs and presents training and legal updates to senior managers and Human Resources executives and has participated in government consultations and advises multi-national organizations on regulatory compliance. She is a frequent speaker on corporate compliance, intellectual property and diversity matters.

Director Sudduth volunteers with many community organizations, serving on several boards and steering committees, including the Racial Justice Coalition, Immigration Rights Alliance, ACLU, NAACP, Budget Justice Coalition, CAIR, BWOPA, the Sierra Club, Wounded Warriors, AUSD / WCCUSD Policy and Bond Oversight Committees, Girl Scouts, InterFaith Alliance, and several others. She is also very committed to environmental justice and empowering our young people. Director Sudduth regularly mentors youth and young adults and is a frequent speaker on racial and environmental justice, community development, and women and youth empowerment.

Director Sudduth holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Cellular and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

David Alvarado, Vice President
DIVISION 3

Board Member Since 2016 – Term Expires December 2026

Director Alvarado relocated to the West County area in 2011. He has served on numerous boards and commissions, in which he has served as chair and vice chair. Recently, Director Alvarado served as the Chair of the Planning Commission in the City of San Pablo, where he resides, until November 2016. Director Alvarado earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from UC Berkeley in Political Science and was a mentor to students wishing to attend the university. Currently he serves as Vice Chair of the Measure Q Commission in San Pablo.

Harry Wiener, Director
DIVISION 4
Board Member Since 2016 – Term Expires December 2024

Director Wiener has a Master of Science degree in Biology from CSU, Long Beach, and a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Cal Poly, Pomona. He is retired from 30-plus years of consulting and working with Bay Area Fortune 500 Corporations as well as the University of California and the University of Southern California as a Programmer Analyst. He served on the West Berkeley Planning Area Commission and the Berkeley School District Special Tax Advisory Committee. He and his wife live happily in Richmond.

Annie M. King-Meredith, Director
DIVISION 2

Term Expires December 2024

Director King-Meredith is a long-time Richmond resident and brings a wealth of experience in engineering and community service to the Board. In her career, she’s served as Senior Inspector/Quality Control Engineer for Offsite & Manager Equipment Division, Production Assurance Parts Engineer, and Program Manager. Director King-Meredith has been involved with the North Richmond Municipal Advisory Council (NRMAC) and has served as Contra Costa County’s Neighborhood Service Coordinator and Project Manager.

Director King-Meredith was educated locally, attending Richmond High School, then on to Laney College and Contra Costa College. She participated in extension programs at UC Berkeley and New College of California, East Bay. King-Meredith holds a bachelor’s degree in Humanities/Development of Sustainable Communities.

Presently, Director King-Meredith is involved with the Community Housing Development Corp., Community Property Management Company, Shields-Reid Neighborhood Council, North Richmond MAC and N. Richmond Mitigation Commission, and Davis Chapel Trustee Board.