Former San Bernardino County Supervisor Dennis Hansberger Dies – San Bernardino Sun
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Former San Bernardino County Supervisor Dennis Hansberger dies – San Bernardino Sun NEWS • News Former San Bernardino County Supervisor Dennis Hansberger dies Hansberger served on the Board of Supervisors for five terms and was a longtime fixture in San Bernardino County politics https://www.sbsun.com/2020/05/06/former-san-bernardino-county-supervisor-dennis-hansberger-dies/[5/7/2020 8:50:40 AM] Former San Bernardino County Supervisor Dennis Hansberger dies – San Bernardino Sun In this file photo, former San Bernardino County Supervisor Dennis Hansberger poses for a portrait outside his office on fifth floor of County Government Center in San Bernardino. Hansberger, 78, died Wednesday, May 6, 2020. (File photo by Greg Vojtko, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) By JOE NELSON | [email protected] | San Bernardino Sun PUBLISHED: May 6, 2020 at 11:55 a.m. | UPDATED: May 6, 2020 at 5:38 p.m. Dennis Hansberger, who served five terms on the Board of Supervisors and was a longtime fixture in San Bernardino County politics, has died. Hansberger, 78, of Redlands, died of pancreatic cancer about 12:45 a.m. Wednesday, May 6, at his home. He was surrounded by his three sons, daughter, son-in-law, and his wife of more than 18 years, Karen Gaio Hansberger, she said. In a telephone interview Wednesday, Karen Gaio Hansberger said that her husband was diagnosed S only three weeks ago, and that the cancer was “very aggressive.” “It caught us totally by surprise,” said Karen Gaio Hansberger, the former Loma Linda mayor and chief https://www.sbsun.com/2020/05/06/former-san-bernardino-county-supervisor-dennis-hansberger-dies/[5/7/2020 8:50:40 AM] Former San Bernardino County Supervisor Dennis Hansberger dies – San Bernardino Sun T medical officer at Inland Empire Health Plan, or IEHP. “He had no risk factors for pancreatic cancer at By all, and he had no family history of it.” TOP ARTICLES 1/5 M .st0{fill:#FFFFFF;}.st1{fill:#0099FF;} SKIP AD 33 million have sought U S unemployment aid since Dennis Hansberger served five terms on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, from 1972 to 1980 and from 1996 to 2008, when he was unseated by former San Bernardino City Councilman Neil Derry. As a young businessman in the late 1960s, Hansberger got his start in politics working as a field representative for then-Supervisor Donald Beckford. When Beckford decided not to run for https://www.sbsun.com/2020/05/06/former-san-bernardino-county-supervisor-dennis-hansberger-dies/[5/7/2020 8:50:40 AM] Former San Bernardino County Supervisor Dennis Hansberger dies – San Bernardino Sun re-election, Hansberger mounted a successful campaign for Beckford’s seat on the board, and was elected Third District supervisor in 1972. Possessing strong leadership skills, Hansberger was appointed chairman of the board in 1974, according to a resolution former Congressman Jerry Lewis presented for the Congressional Record in November 2008, honoring Hansberger for his decades of public service. Former San Bernardino County Supervisor Dennis Hansberger “I could not be more shocked than I am at this represented the Third District. Hansberger died May 6, 2020, at age 78. (File courtesy photo) moment learning of Dennis’ death,” Lewis said in a telephone interview Wednesday. “I gather there were health problems I didn’t know anything about. Suddenly he’s not with us any longer.” Lewis noted Hansberger’s staunch advocacy for clean air and stronger regulations. While serving in the state Assembly in the 1970s, Lewis floated AB 250, the Lewis Air Quality Management Act, which passed in 1976 and gave birth to the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD). Hansberger was a founding member of the AQMD board. https://www.sbsun.com/2020/05/06/former-san-bernardino-county-supervisor-dennis-hansberger-dies/[5/7/2020 8:50:40 AM] Former San Bernardino County Supervisor Dennis Hansberger dies – San Bernardino Sun “A lot of things implemented from that have led to regulations and policy changes that have allowed us to clean the air. No question, Dennis was a very, very strong advocate in connection with that,” Lewis said. During his long and intermittent career as a county supervisor, Hansberger cultivated a reputation as an opinionated political leader who stood firmly by his convictions. “There were times people agreed with him and times people disagreed with him, but Dennis always did what he felt was right for his district and the county,” said former Fourth District Supervisor Fred Aguiar, who served from 1998 to 2003. “Dennis was opinionated, but I felt Dennis would listen to the arguments on both sides and make an informed decision. He stood his ground.” In 1980, Hansberger took a break from politics after serving two terms on the board, focusing on his business, Hansberger and Associates, and working as a consultant on land management and mining issues. In 1996, politics called on Hansberger again, and he was elected to another term on the board, then re-elected twice more before being unseated in 2008. During his 16-year hiatus from county politics, Hansberger remained active in public service, serving three years as chairman of Redlands Community Hospital’s board of directors. He also served on the boards of multiple other organizations and agencies, including Cal State San Bernardino, the San Bernardino County Museum, the Inland Empire Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and the Capital Projects Committee of the Girl Scouts of America, according to the Congressional Record. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Redlands-Riverside on Wednesday issued a statement recognizing Hansberger for his support and the role he played in securing $4 million in federal funding for the Redlands clubhouse, which is named after him. “Dennis stepped up and helped direct some funds to help ensure our dream of a clubhouse wasnot lost,” said club CEO P.T. McEwen. “We at Boys & Girls Clubs are ever in his debt. We are proud to have our clubhouse bear his name and carry on his legacy of caring for the youth in communities.” Hansberger counted among his greatest accomplishments the building of the Seven Oaks Dam, the San Timoteo Creek Project, securing federal funding to combat blight, his efforts to restore the public’s trust in local government, and the expansion of the San Bernardino County Museum, the board of which he served upon until his death. https://www.sbsun.com/2020/05/06/former-san-bernardino-county-supervisor-dennis-hansberger-dies/[5/7/2020 8:50:40 AM] Former San Bernardino County Supervisor Dennis Hansberger dies – San Bernardino Sun As chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Hansberger in RELATED ARTICLES 2003 headed the response to an unprecedented bark beetle infestation in the San Bernardino Mountains, helping San Bernardino leader calls for to obtain funding for the removal of infected and dead trees resignation of public safety appointee over and assisting mountain residents in creating defensive ‘unpermitted’ caravan space around their properties. Ontario councilman causes stir by giving away masks with his name on them “Dennis is a legendary figure in the history of San Bernardino County,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman said in a statement Wednesday. “We will remember him as a fearless and vocal advocate for ethical, open, and intelligent government who guided our county through some of its most challenging times.” Fifth District Supervisor Josie Gonzales said, “Dennis is a San Bernardino County icon who was always steadfast in his convictions and who valued the truth above his own popularity.” Memorial services for Hansberger are pending. His widow said that, due to restrictions on public gatherings in response to the coronavirus outbreak, it is unclear when a service can be held. “This situation would have been difficult under the best of circumstances, but COVID-19 has added another level of complexity that has made this incredibly hard,” Karen Gaio Hansberger said. Staff writer Sandra Emerson contributed to this report. Newsroom Guidelines News Tips Contact Us Report an Error Tags: government, local politics, Top Stories IVDB, Top Stories PE, Top Stories RDF, Top Stories Sun SPONSORED CONTENT "We choose how to best serve our clients" https://www.sbsun.com/2020/05/06/former-san-bernardino-county-supervisor-dennis-hansberger-dies/[5/7/2020 8:50:40 AM] https://www.newsmirror.net/news/former-3rd-district-county-supervisor-dennis-hansberger-dies-after- cancer-battle/article_2c081c9c-8fce-11ea-9169-fb3266e8b7b3.html Former 3rd District County Supervisor, Dennis Hansberger dies after cancer battle By RACHAEL M. GUSTUSON and DINA COLUNGA May 6, 2020 Former San Bernardino County Supervisor Dennis Hansberger died of pancreatic cancer early Wednesday, May 6, with his family by his side. He was 78. Hansberger served as supervisor for 20 years until Neil Derry beat him in 2008. Hansberger was once the youngest chairman of the board in county history. Born on Oct. 1, 1941, he was one of four sons. David, the oldest brother, died in 2006. Doug and Don are still living. His parents Leroy and Helen Hansberger raised the family in the Dunlap area in Yucaipa, and then moved to the Outer Highway and eventually to Redlands. He graduated from Redlands High School in 1960, attended San Bernardino Valley College and the University of California, Riverside, majoring in geology. ___ Hansberger's county government career began in 1968 as an assistant to Supervisor Donald Beckford until 1972. In 1972, Hansberger was elected to represent Redlands and the Third District. He served on the Local Agency Formation Commission and the South Coast Air Quality board. He served from 1972 to 1980 and again from 1996 to 2008. His father, the late Leroy Hansberger, said in a Yucaipa Calimesa News Mirror interview in 2017 that he was proud of all his children.