Candidate for
Member, Board of Directors; Antelope Valley East Kern Water Agency; Division 5

Deborah Shelton moved to the Antelope Valley with her family in August of 1989. A wife of 36 years and a mother of three, she has always taken an active role in her community. Her community activities eventually lead to her leadership role on the Lancaster City Council.

Deborah's community service started with PTA President and La Leche League International as a leader while her children were young. In 1990 she became the Director for PhoneFriend the after school help line a mission outreach project for the Lancaster United Methodist Church. Soon Deborah was representing Rancho Tierra Del Sol Neighborhood Organization where she lived. Her activities with Rancho lead to many leadership roles in the Lancaster Coalition of Neighborhood Organizations, including President. Her persistent representation at City Council meetings lead to a Planning Advisory Committee appointment, which lead to an appointment on the Partners Program for the City of Lancaster. Before Deborah knew it she was a grassroots candidate for Lancaster City Council elected in 94 and served till 98.
Deborah has always remained committed throughout the years to her work with youth. While on the Council Deborah sponsored a Teen Task Force to do a feasibility study on a free standing "Teen Center." Out of this project the Teen Talk line was born in 1997 offering peer helping to teens throughout our valley. In 1999 the board of directors asked Deborah to apply for a separate 501 (C) (3) taking the step to diversify funding opportunities, Youth Support Association, YSA was born. YSA provides help line services through PhoneFriend, Teen Talk, an Adult Friendship Line, a Parent Support line, and The Grad line for college students. In addition YSA offers Parenting and Teen Anger Management classes and special community projects such as, the Violence Prevention Project Education & Survey, Teen's Alive to Drive, Teen Summit and now Teen Pregnancy Prevention. In October Deborah will celebrate 20 years of service to YSA and its programs.