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Council Members

G. Dana Hobart, Mayor 

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Dana and his wife, Vicki, have lived in Rancho Mirage since 1993. They have four children and three dogs. After serving in the US Air Force from 1950 to 1954, Dana attended local colleges, graduating from California State University in 1959, and received his Juris Doctorate from USC School of Law in 1963. As an attorney Dana achieved a variety of honors and achievements. He was President of the Consumers Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, he has been identified annually in "Best Lawyers In America" from 1987 to 2007, and was conferred the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell since the mid-1970s. Dana also taught civil trial law at a Los Angeles law school. He has pleaded and won precedent-setting cases, including one before the United States Supreme Court.

Scott Hines, Councilmember

Scott Hines is a senior partner with Mercury Advocates, a Southern California based government affairs firm. Prior to launching his current firm, he founded and was the CEO of A to Z In-Home Tutoring, a national supplemental education company, delivering innovative education services to low-income and foster care youth.
 
Before moving to California, Scott served for ten years on active duty as an Air Force Intelligence Officer, leading clandestine missions throughout Latin America as part of an elite Special Operations team. He ultimately rose to the rank of Major and has served in the Pentagon in the Offices of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Scott holds a Bachelors Degree in Political Science from the United States Air Force Academy, a Masters Degree in Public Management from the University of Maryland and a Masters Degree in Organizational Management from The George Washington University.
 
He is passionate about issues related to our most vulnerable members of society including children and youth, the homeless and senior citizens. Scott is also an ardent supporter of renewable energy and related clean technology development. 
 
Scott Hines was elected to the City Council on April 13, 2010 and lives in Rancho Mirage with his four children: Shiloh, Louis, Eden and Sage.

Richard W. Kite, Councilmember

Richard W. Kite has been a desert resident for over 55 years. He graduated from Palm Springs High School in the early 1960s and then went on to the University of California at Berkley where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. Upon returning to the desert, he entered the investment business and was later the Manager and Vice President of PaineWebber in Palm Desert for 22 years. In 2005, he joined the investment firm of UBS Financial where he is currently a  Senior Vice President and Investment Advisor. 

Richard has served as President of the Board of Directors for both the Cove Communities Joslyn Center and the Family YMCA of the Desert. He was also elected as the Director of the Coachella Valley Parks and Recreation District. Because of his service to the community, the Palm Desert Post selected him as “Citizen of the Year.”

In April of 2000, Richard was elected to the Rancho Mirage City Council where he served as Mayor from April 2001 to April 2002. In April 2004, he was re-elected for another 4-year term on the City Council, running unopposed. He served again as Mayor for the City from April 2006 to April 2007. In April of 2008, he was re-elected again for another 4-year term on the City Council. On May 6, 2010, Richard was selected to be Mayor from May 2010 to April 2011.

In 2008 Richard served as Chairman of the Coachella Valley Association of Govenrments (CVAG) and is currently serving as the Chairman of the Coachella Valley Conservation Commission (CVCC). He serves on the Executive Committee of the League of California Cities Riverside County Division. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Cove Communities/Anita B. Richmond Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert and the Board of Trustees for the McCallum Theatre. He was recently appointed as the City's representative on the Board of Directors for the Coachella Valley Economic partnership (CVEP).

Richard has also served on the Board of Trustees for the Palm Desert Presbyterian Community Church. He has two daughters, Ashley and Kristina. 

Gordon Moller, Councilmember

Gordon R. Moller has been a California resident since the early 1960s.

He relocated to Rancho Mirage in 1996 from Pasadena, California, with his partner of 40 years, Charles Townsend. For many years, Moller has co-owned and operated the Charles Townsend Collection, a retail furniture and accessory store in the heart of Rancho Mirage.

Moller was born in St Paul, Minnesota, and graduated from Stillwater High in 1957. He enlisted in the United States Navy where he served four years active duty and two years inactive duty. For much of his business career, Moller has served in key leadership positions, including 25 years with International Aluminum Corporation.

Moller currently serves on the Board for the Mission Pointe Homeowners Association. Prior to being elected to the City Council, he served on the Board of Directors for the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce where he had been elected Chairman in 2003 for two consecutive terms. In April 2006, he was elected to a "two-year" City Council term and re-elected in April 2008 to a "four-year term". In addition he serves as Chairman of the Cove Community Services Commission, as well as being a member of CVAG Energy & Environment Committee, The Palm Springs Unified School District Committee, and the College of Desert Foundation Board. 

Additional community involvement includes supporting many worthy causes and local charities such as the Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert, Desert Arc, The United Way, American Cancer Society, Braille Institute, Desert Aids Project, H.R.C., Desert Samaritans, Stroke Recovery Center, Rancho Mirage Public Library, Animal Samaritans and others. 

Iris Smotrich, Councilmember

 Iris Smotrich was appointed by the City Council on July 7, 2011.  Prior to her appointment to the City Council, she was active in community service throughout the Coachella Valley.  Council Member Smotrich has served as Commissioner on the Rancho Mirage Cultural Commission, Board Member of the Rancho Mirage Public Library Foundation, College of the Desert Foundation, College of the Desert President's Circle, and Jewish Federation of Palm Springs and Desert Area.

Council member Smotrich was born in Chicago, Illinois and moved to Los Angeles at the age of three. She and her husband Thom have lived in Rancho Mirage since 2001. They have one daughter and two grandchildren.