Long before Linda Sullenger became known around Bakersfield for her fun golf cart, her community involvement, and her nonstop social calendar, she was a little girl bundled up in the bitter cold of northern Canada. 

 

We’re not talking about ordinary winter weather either. 

 

The kind of cold where temperatures drop to 50 below zero. The kind of cold where ponds freeze solid enough for children to play hockey on them with brooms instead of hockey sticks. The kind of cold where trips to Grandma’s house meant using an outhouse outside in the snow and pumping water by hand from the kitchen sink. 

 

“I was a very lucky kid to have those experiences,” Linda reflects. But eventually, Linda’s father decided he had enough of the freezing temperatures in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada, a remote northern town directly above North Dakota. 

 

“He was tired of being cold,” Linda laughs. So, when she was 5 years old, the family packed up and headed south to California in search of sunshine and a new venture in life. This bold act of faith wasn’t for the faint of heart. At first, Linda’s father wondered if he had made a mistake. He missed his family back in Canada terribly. But slowly, California began to feel like home. Eventually, Linda’s uncle relocated too, and the family planted roots in Fresno, where Linda grew up and graduated from Fresno High School. 

 

Years later, after college, her husband accepted a job in Bakersfield, and once again Linda found herself adjusting to somewhere new.  And honestly? She did not love it at first. 

 

“I thought, ‘This is going to be terrible. It’s hot,’” she says with a smile. She still remembers standing at Panorama Bluffs looking out over the oil fields, thinking, “Seriously? This is it?” 

 

It’s funny how life works. Because decades later, after traveling all over the world and dreaming about places like Italy or Spain, Linda realized there was nowhere she would rather call home than Bakersfield. Linda remained a Canadian citizen with a green card until she was 30 years old, eventually becoming a U.S. citizen when she needed a passport for a trip to Europe. 

 

“Every time I came home, I realized there’s nothing like Bakersfield,” she says. “The friendships, the connections, the sense of community … I can’t imagine living anywhere else.” 

 

That love for the community? It’s in every aspect of her life. Linda is the go-to person around Bakersfield. If there’s a fundraiser, gala, nonprofit event, parade, or community gathering happening in town, chances are Linda has had something to do with it. Friends jokingly refer to her as “The Susan Lucci of Westchester,” a nickname earned after decades of being deeply involved throughout Bakersfield. 

 

For years, Linda worked with the Kern County Bar Association, helping manage the organized chaos of attorneys and judges. But about 11 years ago, a lunch meeting changed the direction of her career. She was recruited to join the Boys & Girls Club of Kern County, where she now serves as Director of Donor Relations. 

 

“I was asked, ‘Do you want to work with attorneys and judges, or boys and girls?’” Linda laughs. 

The answer became obvious. Today, she spends much of her time helping raise funds and awareness for the organization while continuing to support countless causes throughout the community, including the SPCA, Junior League, CASA, Women & Girls Fund, and East Bakersfield Rotary. 

 

“If there’s a worthy cause, Linda is boots on the ground,” one friend shared. 

 

And somehow, she still manages to make time for family. Between Linda’s children, grandchildren, Tim Yaksich’s children and grandchildren, beach trips, community events, Rotary functions, and dinners with friends, there’s not much free time. 

 

“There’s never downtime,” Linda says with a laugh. Not that she would want it any other way. 

 

She and Tim met five years ago through mutual friends and were shocked they had somehow spent decades attending many of the same events without ever really knowing each other. Now they’re nearly inseparable, spending weekends fishing, traveling, attending events, and enjoying life together in Seven Oaks, after Linda spent almost 30 years living in Westchester.  

 

Linda also spends time brightening people’s days with her trained therapy dog for patients and staff at Memorial Hospital and Adventist Health. 

 

And then there’s that “famous” golf cart. What started as a random stop near the Haggin Oaks Farmers Market turned into one of Linda’s favorite purchases ever.  

 

“I said, ‘Tim, stop the car. I need to see that golf cart,’” she laughs. Tim insisted she did not need it. That argument did not last long. 

 

Today, the surfboard-topped golf cart has become somewhat legendary among friends and neighbors. Decorated with lights, music, and seasonal decorations, it has led Christmas light outings, Fourth of July celebrations, and countless neighborhood adventures. 

 

“It makes quite a statement,” Linda says. 

 

Honestly, so does she. Warm, energetic, welcoming, and endlessly involved, Linda Sullenger has spent decades making Bakersfield feel a little more connected and a lot more fun. Somewhere between the frozen ponds of northern Canada and the sunny streets of Bakersfield, she found exactly where she was meant to be … Bakersfield, and now Seven Oaks.