“When you think of all the people out there and all the good things they’re doing in our communities, it’s an extreme honor to be recognized as Business Community Leader.” —Bruce Okrepkie
“I really think this is less about me and more about the whole town council, the staff and the positive things that are happening in Windsor,” says Bruce Okrepkie, who currently serves as the town’s mayor and was voted this year’s Best Business Community Leader. “[Windsor has] been earning awards lately for its efforts in areas like water conservation and smart development, and we’ve been able to balance growth with financial stability. I just happen to be mayor.”Humility aside, says Windsor Town Manager Linda Kelly, “Bruce brings a business-oriented perspective to issues, respects a diversity of opinions, supports innovation and encourages community partnerships. He’s trusting of staff and interested in what’s best for the community as a whole.”
Okrepkie grew up in “a little town called Newark Valley in upstate New York,” and it wasn’t until after college (University of Akron in Ohio, where he earned a degree in business administration with a major in marketing and a minor in accounting) and meeting and marrying his wife, Diantha, that they decided to follow her brother’s lead and move west. In 1978, they settled in Santa Rosa, where Bruce worked first in finance and later in the insurance industry, Diantha worked for the county, and they raised their three children. In 2000, with the children grown and moved out, the couple relocated to Windsor, seeking “a smaller community, like the ones where we’d grown up.”
After years of volunteering for organizations like the 20/30 Club and Boys & Girls Club, as well as coaching “every sport you can think of,” the move to Windsor prompted even more community involvement. Diantha, retired from the county, had begun volunteering with the Windsor Chamber of Commerce. At the chamber, Bruce was introduced to Steve Allen, who was mayor at the time.
“I told him about myself and that I wanted to be involved,” remembers Bruce. “Next thing I knew, he called to see if I wanted to be on the planning commission.”
Employed in the insurance industry since 1984—he’s currently head of the surety and construction division for George Petersen Insurance Agency (GPI) in Santa Rosa—Okrepkie was well qualified. “It sounded like something I wanted to try,” he says, adding, “[Steve] also said that, with my business acumen, I should look into being on the city council at some point.”
Two years later, with a bit of encouragement, he threw his hat in the ring and, for the last three years, he’s been part of the council. He was recently reinstated as mayor for a second consecutive term, which is an anomaly in Windsor, where councilmembers traditionally hold the seat for only one year before passing it to another member.
The exception was made, Okrepkie says, because “we had two new councilmembers and, in my tenure [as mayor] I’d been dealing with some major issues, including talks with the Lytton tribe, which wants to build 140 single-family, detached homes and a community center just outside of town. [The incoming councilmembers] felt it would be easier to move the conversation forward with the same representative.”
In addition to this project, he continues, “there’s been absolutely no growth in Windsor for five or six years because of the economy, so there’s a pent-up demand. We have a lot of in-fill projects that have been on the books for years, and they’re finally coming forward because of the improving economy. We need to weigh the benefits and detriments of each one.
“Growth is inevitable,” he continues. “But we need to manage it so we don’t overbuild. That’s a real challenge: How do we manage that and still keep the small town Windsor that we have?”
According to his colleagues (both professional and political), finding balance is one of Okrepkie’s strengths. “He approaches issues fairly, listens to all sides and keeps and open mind,” says Kelly.
“Bruce has a very thoughtful and responsive style,” elaborates Doug Dilley, a partner at GPI. “He’s a very good listener and hears what the other party is saying before giving thought to a solution. He’s patient, sincere and thoughtful, yet he’ll exhibit the strength to disagree.”
“What I’m doing is a real balancing act,” agrees Okrepkie, who also serves on the board of Sonoma Clean Power and is Windsor’s representative to ABAG (Association of Bay Area Governments). “I have a full-time job and a political obligation. I take them both very seriously.”
He’s also a member of the Windsor Rotary Club, Windsor Chamber of Commerce, Northern California Engineering Contractors Association, Northern California Surety Association and the National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP). In his free time, he says, “I try to play golf, and we try to go to as many of the grandkids’ events as we can.”
He credits his employer for helping maintain equilibrium: “George Petersen Insurance had the foresight to see it was a benefit for one of its employees to contribute to the betterment of the community and county,” he says. “I couldn’t do it unless I had a great employer.”
Dilley says, “We’re very proud of the community commitment Bruce made to the town council—and of his recognition as a community leader.”
“When you think of all the people out there and all the good things they’re doing in our communities, it’s an extreme honor to be recognized as Business Community Leader,” says Okrepkie, shaking his head in disbelief. “I’m amazed and humbled. Thank you very much. I’m deeply flattered.”
