Harold V. Helsley – Board Member
Culminating 47 years as a dedicated educator for the Los Angeles Unified School District, Harold V. Helsley retired in 2006 as one of the District’s top educators. In 1970 he was awarded the Golden Oak Leaf award at Ernest Lawrence Middle School, followed by an Outstanding Teacher Award in 1995 at Hale Middle School, a California distinguished middle school in Woodland Hills. As an educator he was sought to present numerous workshops and papers for LAUSD as well as for the California League of Middle Schools.
During his teaching years he primarily taught technology education, industrial arts, and math and science, the last ten years of which included the setting up and teaching in a computer education lab at Hale Middle School, capped by being
chosen to be part of a specialized team of master educators who instructed teachers
in the use of computers for math and science education.
Concurrent with his teaching, Mr. Helsley served for twenty years as a publicly
elected member of the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District Board of Directors
that provides water, collects and treats wastewater for over 65,000 people covering
117 square miles of western Los Angeles County. He served as Board President
for eight years and was active on state boards in the water community. As a
founding member of Public Officials for Water and Environmental Reform
(POWER) and its President for six years, he is known as a strong advocate for total
water reclamation and reuse.
Other community activities include the Mulholland Scenic Corridor Committee
which resulted in a L.A. County ridgeline guide document, the Calabasas Cityhood
Formation Committee, and chairperson of the North Area Plan, a community plan
for the Santa Monica Mountains /101 Freeway Corridor. In 2001, he and his wife
were co-recipients of ‘Las Virgenes Citizens of the Year,’ from the Las Virgenes
Homeowners Federation.
In 2000, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky appointed Mr. Helsley as a Commissioner to
the prestigious Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission and the Los
Angles County Airport Land Use Commission. The Commission oversees land-
use development in unincorporated LA County with a population of over 10
million people. He has served twice as Commission chair. In 2004 Mr. Helsley was
awarded ‘California Planning Commissioner of the Year’ by the California
County Planning Commissioners Association. He is listed in Who’s Who in
American Professionals.
Mr. Helsley attended Palomar College for his AA Degree and San Diego State
College for his BA and his California Secondary Teaching Credential. He
completed his science major at UCLA and an Administrative Credential and MA at
California State Northridge. While in college, he was active in Circle K as club
President, the Cal-Nev-Ha District Governor, the International Secretary, and
International President.
