NEIGHBORS : Making Faces : Sculptor’s masks do for Ross Perot what Mt. Rushmore did for four other guys.

Sculptor Todd Leonard of Meiners Oaks is a Ross Perot fan. He likes what the presidential candidate has to say.

And, of course, it doesn’t hurt that Perot has some distinguishing facial characteristics.

Leonard is paying tribute to the politician by handcrafting ceramic masks in his likeness. The masks come complete with sizable ears and creased foreheads. Perot’s “got great features. I would have liked to have exaggerated them a little more,” said Leonard. “He has a very distinctive face . . . his wry smile, the twinkle in his eyes--which disappeared there for a couple of months.”

Reaction to the masks has been mixed.

“Some die-hard Perot supporters think it’s insulting, and others crack up,” Leonard said. “It’s intended to open up discussion. That’s the primary thing. I do political cartoons, and generally I insult everybody.”

Leonard has completed about 30 masks, has 30 more that are yet to be painted, and plans to continue making them up to election time.

“Originally I was going to get them out for the Republican convention,” he said. “But I put them on the shelf because he dropped out.” Now, said Leonard, he’s putting in long hours to make up for lost time. The masks are for sale at Leonard’s studio in Meiners Oaks and at Massarella Pottery in Ojai. Price: $150.

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The folks at Moorpark College have a “How to Find, Meet and Identify Good Men” class scheduled for Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. They’re also offering a “Ten Super Successful Strategies for Meeting Women” class the same day from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The enrollment fee for each of the classes is $16.

(Hint: If you’re short on money but would like to meet your potential match anyway, we suggest dropping by the school at about 11:15 a.m. The between-class mingling should be pretty interesting.)

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Susan Archuleta is happy to be working for Fred Rudek, her boss in the quality and engineering department at Whittaker Electronic Resources of Simi Valley. He’s nothing like her last supervisor.

“At my prior job I had an employer I worked for who used intimidation tactics, so when I left I had very bad feelings about bosses and giving your all for a job,” she said. Rudek “showed me not all bosses are the same.”

Archuleta felt so strongly about Rudek that she nominated him for the 1993 Boss of the Year honor given out by the county chapter of Professional Secretaries International. And yes, he won.

Rudek, who has been in management for 20 years, said he wasn’t born a super boss.

“It didn’t start out like this, certainly not,” he said. “I think I’ve grown a lot over the last five years. I’ve had a lot of people to deal with. I’ve learned how to listen and not jump to conclusions. I’ve learned how to work with my secretary more as a partner, not as a boss.”

Rudek said he tries to listen to his employees, and to provide support and constructive advice when appropriate. “It wasn’t easy,” he said. “In the old days my perception was that it took too much time. I knew what I wanted and I’d tell you.”