ONTARIO, Calif. - August 31, 2012 -- Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge and Lucy Dunn, President and CEO of Orange County Business Council, are expected to join the newly formed Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA), it was announced today.

Ontario City Manager Chris Hughes said Mayor Loveridge and Ms. Dunn were recommended by City Council Members Alan D. Wapner and Jim Bowman to serve on the five-member authority pending a vote by the Ontario City Council at its next meeting Tuesday (September 4).  Wapner, Bowman and San Bernardino County Supervisor Gary Ovitt were previously appointed to the OIAA.

The OIAA was created earlier this month through a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) between the City of Ontario and San Bernardino County. Under terms of the JPA, two members of the OIAA will come from the Ontario City Council, one member will be the San Bernardino County Supervisor representing the district in which Ontario International Airport (ONT) is located and two will be prominent community members from ONT's air service market that serves approximately 7 million residents in a four-county region.

Creation of the OIAA comes as Los Angeles City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana completes an independent analysis of the feasibility of transferring ONT to local control. His report - expected in September - resulted from a motion by Los Angeles City Council Members Dennis Zine, Bill Rosendahl and Paul Koretz approved by the Council's Trade, Commerce and Tourism Committee on March 20, 2012.

More than 115 governments, organizations and prominent officials from four Southern California counties have endorsed local control of ONT. Nearly two dozen cities in Los Angeles County have joined the coalition. Their endorsements are available for viewing at the official SetONTarioFree.com website. 

About Ron Loveridge

Ron Loveridge, who has served as Riverside's Mayor since 1994, has announced plans to step down from that position later this year. Prior to his term as Mayor, he served on the Riverside City Council from 1979 to 1994. During his 18 years as Mayor of Riverside, he has played a pivotal role in the strategic and political landscape of the region, state and nation, serving in an active leadership capacity on the boards of the League of California Cities, California Air Resources Board, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Southern California Association of Governments, Western Riverside Council of Governments, and National League of Cities.

Dr. Loveridge has a Master's Degree and Ph.D. in Political Science from Stanford University.  Since 1965, he has taught as a professor at the University of California, Riverside. Courses included American Politics, Mass Media, Public Opinion, and Local Leadership in California. He introduces college students to government through field work and internship projects. See the attached biographical profile for more information. 

About Lucy Dunn

As President and CEO of the Orange County Business Council, Lucy Dunn leads a dynamic organization of business members, working with academia and government, to ensure the county's economic prosperity and high quality of life. Before joining the Business Council, she was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and confirmed by the California State Senate in 2004 to serve as Director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development. In June 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger appointed her to the California Transportation Commission.

Ms. Dunn is an attorney admitted to practice before the California State Bar, the federal bar and the U.S. Supreme Court. She is a director of a number of non-profit organizations including the Lennar Charitable Housing Foundation dedicated to ending homelessness, and founder of the Bolsa Chica Conservancy dedicated to advocating for and restoring 1000 acres of wetlands in Huntington Beach. See the attached biographical profile for more information.

About the OIAA

The City of Ontario and San Bernardino County formed the OIAA in August 2012 by enacting a Joint Powers Agreement.  Following the anticipated transfer of ONT from Los Angeles, the OIAA will provide overall direction on the management, operations, development and marketing of ONT for the benefit of the Southern California economy and the residents of the airport's four-county catchment area. 

For more information on Ontario's efforts to regain control of ONT, visit SetONTarioFree.com or Facebook/SetONTarioFree.