Rosier appointed to Bonsall Sponsor Group

One of the vacancies on the Bonsall Community Sponsor Group has been filled by Laura Rosier.

The sponsor group unanimously recommended Rosier to fill the area two seat, which had been vacant since Kirk Nelson was transferred from Camp Pendleton to the Pentagon and resigned in 2007.

The sponsor group’s July recommendation was ratified by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors September 17 and Rosier’s first meeting as a sponsor group member occurred October 7.

“It was an honor,” Rosier said of being appointed to the sponsor group.

Rosier has lived and worked in Bonsall since 1980. Her community experience also includes service on the Bonsall Chamber of Commerce board of directors for the past three years.

“Because I’ve been in the Bonsall chamber I understand the business aspects of the community,” she said. “That will be helpful.”

Rosier’s current position with the San Luis Rey Downs Thoroughbred Training Center is as an assistant manager. She has also been a trainer and an exercise rider at San Luis Rey Downs.

Since 1986 Rosier has been on the executive board of the San Luis Rey Downs chapter of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America, and she has been an executive board member of the San Luis Rey Downs Horsemen’s Organization since 1988.

Rosier also serves as the horsemen’s representative for the California Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Foundation and for California Thoroughbred Trainers.

In that capacity she has acquired funding for horsemen’s medical and dental needs, assisted horsemen in obtaining healthcare and financial aid, prepared monthly workers’ compensation updates, translated and mediated for Spanish-speaking horsemen, prepared immigration documents, and prepared manual pension forms.

That work with legal matters may also be of benefit to her while she is on the sponsor group board. “I hope it would help me to better understand some of the documents and presentations that we have to look at,” she said.

Rosier was also certified as a paralegal in 2007.

Her work at San Luis Rey Downs has included implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Administration regulations, the development and piloting of an emergency response team, and the development and chairing of monthly safety committee meetings.

She also handles human resources responsibilities at San Luis Rey Downs, including orientation, open enrollments and other benefits packages, and the handling and researching of workers’ compensation claims.

Rosier had experienced the nomadic lifestyle of traveling between California tracks from 1977 to 1980 before obtaining employment at San Luis Rey Downs and moving to Bonsall. She began her horse racing career as a backstretch worker at Tijuana’s Caliente racetrack in 1973.

After Don Burns retired from the Bonsall Community Sponsor Group in 2007, Nelson was appointed to fill his vacant seat. Shortly after his first sponsor group meeting he was transferred to the Pentagon and resigned.

Sponsor group chair Margarette Morgan has been trying to fill the vacancy created by Larry Sundram’s resignation in 2006 as well as the seat held by Burns and Nelson.

Morgan has been informing the community of the vacancies and urging Bonsall residents to seek the seats.

“I saw that there was an opening and starting going to the meetings and decided that if they could use me I wanted to be involved,” Rosier said.

“I was interested in the future of the community,” Rosier said. “I know the community and am involved in community events. I would like to help preserve this wonderful community.”

While many Bonsall Community Sponsor Group board members knew Rosier from her community activities, her interest in serving on the sponsor group led them to provide guidance about the advisory group’s planning activities and procedures.

“I learned a lot from the board members,” Rosier said.

Her goals while on the group include learning more about what is taking place and what might happen in Bonsall and to represent the community. “I think most of the Bonsall people want to keep Bonsall rural,” she said.

Her goals also include providing input into proposed projects. “Hopefully I’m in tune enough with the community to have some good input,” she said.

Rosier and her husband, Tim, met at San Luis Rey Downs and have been married for 23 years. They have two adult children.

The Bonsall Community Sponsor Group is still seeking a community resident who is interested in filling Sundram’s area three seat. Interested Bonsall residents can call Morgan at (760) 630-7070.