Community Heroes

The Community Hero Lifetime Achievement Award

Paul O’Brien, Community Leader

Paul O’Brien, the recently retired executive Director of Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center (SCCCC), has devoted nearly 30 years to improving the lives of residents of Santa Cruz County.  Paul’s strong commitment and passion for helping others, personal integrity, warmth and humor are hallmarks of his decades of services to the SCCCC and our community. During Paul’s tenure, SCCCC expanded services to low-income individuals enabling thousands to access services to better their lives. He has been very active in providing affordable and permanent housing to low-income people with disabilities. Through Child and Family Development Programs including Head Start, Paul has expanded educational opportunities for children and families throughout the County.  He has supported children, teens, and adults get off, and stay off drugs through residential and outpatient treatment programs.  He has led the creation of innovative and effective mental health services.  Through Paul’s leadership, all of the Counseling Center’s programs have the common theme to engage individuals in activities that strengthen their lives and the community. Paul’s commitment to cultural literacy, employee participation in decision-making, and his overall goal of excellence is evident in his many accomplishments.

Economy

Goal:  By the year 2010, the annual Median Family Income will increase by a higher percentage than the Bay Area Consumer Price index.

Rock Pfotenhauer, Dean of Career Education and Economic Development, Cabrillo College

Rock Pfotenhauer has led numerous successful workforce development initiatives engaging local employers to partner with Cabrillo College in educating our workforce and providing career advancement opportunities. Rock was instrumental in forming the Health Careers Partnership, a collaborative group of health care employers, educators and other community leaders to expand Cabrillo’s nursing and other healthcare technical training programs, of critical importance to meet the healthcare needs of our community. Of particular note is his recent work in developing the Health Information Technology program. Because of Rock’s ability to pull together key stakeholders in the health care community, these partnership efforts are providing the immediate response now to future health care employment demands. Outside of health care, Rock has launched similar efforts in addressing workforce shortages in public safety and industrial technology to assist construction employer needs. Rock is the visionary and architect in making these collaborative partnerships successful.

And another in this category:

Goal:  By the year 2010, housing will be available and affordable to meet the needs of the local work force.

Meg Campbell, Communities Organized for Relational Power and Action (COPA)

As a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Capitola and through her social justice work, Meg was an early leader of COPA.  She has served as head of COPA’s Housing Team for the past four years.  Meg works at broadening relationships that will expand affordable housing for the very poor in our community. Meg has participated in the successful negotiations with developers to include affordable housing in project plans. She watch dogged the development of the Santa Cruz County Housing Element organizing countless meetings with government and community stakeholders regarding housing needs. Meg was an important player in building community support for the recently adopted Housing Element. She is determined to meet affordable housing expansion goals for Santa Cruz County.

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Education

Goal:  By the year 2010, more students will be working at grade level with a curriculum that spirals in rigor throughout the K-14 system.

Yvette Cook, Teacher

Recently retired, Yvette Cook taught at Amesti Elementary School in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District for the past 36 years.  Although she taught at several different grade levels through her career, she is most remembered for her contributions to the kindergarten program. Parents and colleagues enumerate countless examples of Yvette’s dedication to her students’ success and love of teaching. She routinely counseled parents about ways they can reinforce classroom instruction. Because many families did not have books in English at home, she organized a classroom lending library. She introduced the arts by having every student featured at graduation performing a song, dance, or reciting a poem. She is a role model for the teaching profession.

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And another in this category:

Goal:  By the year 2010, more students will be ready for college and transfer ready from the community college into four-year colleges and universities.

Manuel Osorio, Education Community Leader

Manuel Osorio, recently retired Vice President of Student Services, served for more than three decades at Cabrillo College in a number of roles with increasing responsibilities as he dedicated his career to the improvement of education. Following service in the Air Force including a tour in Vietnam, Manuel pursued higher education with an AA from Cabrillo College continuing with a Bachelor’s from UCSC and a Master’s in Counseling Education from San Jose State University. His life long commitment to education has been evident over the years not only in his considerable contributions to Cabrillo but through his involvement in a variety of local and statewide professional organizations. He is the recipient of numerous awards for his work in the field of education and community service. Active in the Monterey Bay community, Manuel is currently running for the Board of Hartnell College. He is an active Rotarian and board member of Women’s crisis Support – Defensa du Mujeres. He is an expert in understanding community colleges, ranging from board policy to fiscal management to most importantly student success.

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And another in this category:

Goal:  By the year 2010, more schools will have a pre-kindergarten program available for all children.

David Brown, Community Volunteer

David Brown has worked tirelessly as a volunteer in the development of the new Coastal Community preschool, an independent, solvent, diverse non-profit preschool.  His demonstrated leadership is evident in the school’s long-range plan and successful fundraising endeavors.  His efforts, spirit, enthusiasm, and motivation of volunteers to preserve this much needed community resource for preschoolers are truly commendable. 

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Health

By the year 2010, Santa Cruz County residents will have improved access to primary, specialty and emergency medical services.  Appropriate planning and training will have been accomplished for medical response to disasters.

Christina Cuevas, Program Officer, Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County

Christina Cuevas has been instrumental in efforts to improve access to health care services for low-income children in Santa Cruz County. As Program Officer of the Community Foundation, she was a leader in the launching of the countywide Summit on the Uninsured. This event, which attracted broad participation from health care leaders in the community, led to the creation of Healthy Kids of Santa Cruz County. Healthy Kids, a collaboration of many community partners, is an innovative and comprehensive program that was developed to expand health insurance coverage to low income children that reside in Santa Cruz County. Healthy Kids provides easier access to the existing state sponsored programs and offers an additional locally funded program called the Healthy Kids Health Plan.
 
From its inception, Christina has guided the development of Healthy Kids serving as staff to numerous committees and effectively advocating for financial support of Healthy Kids by public and private foundations, private donors, and other community funders. 

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And another for this goal:

Jennifer Hastings, MD, Medical Director, Planned Parenthood/
Westside Health Center

Jennifer Hastings is a family practice physician and Medical Director of Planned Parenthood’s Westside Health Center. She has provided thousands of under-served patients with high quality medical care. Recently, she developed a local healthcare program for the transgendered men and women of Santa Cruz County.  Dr. Hastings has led a community planning team, which has developed standards of care for transgender hormonal reassignment, adopted by clinics across the country. Her dedication, compassion, and tireless work on behalf of the poor and under-served and misunderstood men and women of our community is truly commendable.

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And another in this category:

By the year 2010, 80% of healthcare providers will use Health Information Technology to improve patient safety, enhance healthcare systems efficiency, and provide community-wide secure health data to improve population health for Santa Cruz County residents.

Rama Khalsa, PhD., Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency Administrator

Shortly after becoming the Health Services Agency Administrator in 1999, Dr. Khalsa began a number of community efforts involving other health services providers to improve the overall health system of the County.  Among her many initiatives was improving the flow of patient/client information among the various provider groups and the community clinics where so many indigent and low-income patients receive their primary care. She recognized that the quality and cost of health care were adversely impacted by the lack of shared data systems among providers both in the private and the public sectors.  One of her first efforts was to bring the Elysium/Axolotl clinical messaging system to all the safety net clinic providers allowing shared access to patient information. Another technology challenge was to bring a practice management system and an electronic medical record system to the safety net clinics.  Under her leadership, these state-of-the-art systems known as “EPIC/EPICARE” were installed recently in the county clinics. Dr. Khalsa has driven the advancement of Health Information Technology to improve patient safety and the overall quality of health care throughout Santa Cruz County.

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And another in this category:

By the year 2010, 50% of Santa Cruz County residents age 19 and older will report having their end-of-life wishes for medical treatment in a written document.

Ginny Clark, Hospice Caring Project and Friends of Hospice Volunteer

Every once in a while a volunteer comes along that puts more than their hands, heart, and time into their volunteer work – they seem to put their whole being into advancing the mission of an organization.  At Hospice Caring Project, Ginny Clark is that volunteer. Ginny has served in leadership roles for Hospice Caring Project and Friends of Hospice as Board President. She is a highly effective fundraiser, strategic planner, and staff developer. Through her volunteer work, she serves as a teacher of end of life issues and end of life planning. She teaches others to know how to talk about end of life issues, services, and planning. With a smile and her mantra of ‘Will you join us?”, Ginny makes people feel good about committing their time, services, expertise, and resources to support Hospice. She truly embraces the role of ambassador for end of life care in our community.

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And another in this category:

By the year 2010, the prevalence of childhood obesity in Santa Cruz County will be reduced by 5%.

Katie LeBaron, Senior Health Educator, Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency

As a Senior Health Educator, Katie has been a pivotal member of the Santa Cruz County Breastfeeding Coalition, a broad based collaborative focused on increasing Santa Cruz County’s breastfeeding rate.  Breastfeeding is an evidence-based practice that contributes to the prevention of childhood obesity and diabetes.  Katie’s commitment to breastfeeding and improving the overall health of children has been demonstrated in numerous accomplishments: she published a Breastfeeding Resource Guide; she orchestrated a survey of breastfeeding practices in the County, the results of which were used to target educational and support programming; she organized educational events for healthcare providers; and collaborated with the United Way to reinforce breastfeeding support as a category in Family Friendly Workplace recognition activities. Finally, she is an active member of the Go For Health! Collaborative dedicated to preventing and curbing childhood obesity.

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Natural Environment

By the year 2010, the health of rivers and the ocean is improved by reducing erosion, reducing pollution and increasing summer stream flows.

Cleaner Beaches Coalition

In 2006, representatives from Ecology Action, Save Our Shores, Surfrider Foundation, and Pack Your Trash came together to coordinate beach cleanup activities in Santa Cruz County – The launching of the Cleaner Beaches Coalition. The goal of the Coalition is to serve as a one-stop shop for beach clean up, making it easy for volunteers to participate and organizers to coordinate and identify beaches that needed support. Currently, the Coalition engages students, civic organizations, corporate groups, and individuals and families to remove marine debris from our beaches before it becomes a problem for marine life and our way of life. The Cleaner Beaches Coalition organizes at least one beach clean up a month. The Coalition’s activities demonstrate how we can make a difference in protecting our local marine environment.

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And also for this goal:

Bob Culbertson, Retired California State Parks Ranger

Over many years, Bob Culbertson, has made environmental stewardship one of his highest priorities, both personally and professionally. Through his work as a California state park ranger for many years, and his extensive volunteer activities he has remained committed to protect and preserve the land. He currently serves as board president of the nonprofit group Watsonville Wetland Watch, a nonprofit grass roots organization committed to the protection, preservation, and restoration of the wetlands of the Pajaro Valley. Bob has led efforts to challenge wetland development and promote planning and resource protection through study and advocacy. Bob regularly leads field trips for elementary and middle school students in plant propagation and planting native wetland and upland plants in the Watsonville Slough System.  He serves as a member of the Advisory Board of Action Pajaro Valley and the Monterey Bird Festival Committee. Bob exemplifies the necessary leadership to advance the natural environment goals of stewardship and environmental protection.

Another winner in this category:

By the hear 2010, single-passenger auto use is reduced by improving cyclist safety, increasing miles of bike lanes and increasing use of public transportation.

UCSC Transportation and Parking Services Department

UCSC’s Transportation and Parking Services Department, known as TAPS, is recognized for its efforts in launching an aggressive Transportation Demand Management Program. This Program provides a creative combination of incentives and regulations that encourage the use of transit, car and vanpools as well as biking to the campus for staff, faculty, and students. They are piloting a “car share” program that will be a first in the County. The TAPS staff give their time and share their expertise with municipal staff, Cabrillo College, and local non-profits in efforts to drastically reduce single occupied vehicle trips in our community. They are to be congratulated for their hard work in providing one of the most comprehensive and successful alternative transportation programs in the County and for their community spirit in sharing their knowledge.    

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Public Safety

By the year 2010, crime with in Santa Cruz County will continue to decrease and residents will have increased confidence in their personal safety at home and in the community.

Santa Cruz Neighbors

Santa Cruz Neighbors is a grassroots collaborative group dedicated to continued improvements in the safety of the Santa Cruz community. Through their efforts, the members of Santa Cruz Neighbors work as a resource for, and intermediary of citizens and the public agencies that serve them. Through monthly community meetings and outreach they work to diligently provide a voice for neighbors in the public safety arena. Examples have included the hosting of an annual forum on emergency preparedness; bringing together neighbors to create a new “Loud/Unruly Gathering Ordinance”; partnering with Graffiti Free Santa Cruz to rid graffiti in the city; and co-hosting community forums with the Santa Cruz Police Department on public safety topics to name a few. Without question, they are working to decrease crime for residents and improve the quality of live for all neighborhoods.

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And also for this goal:

David True, Community Restoration Project Program Director, Community Action Board

Over the last 20 years, David True has tirelessly advocated for the least advantaged members of our community.As the Program Director of the Community Restoration Project, David had developed programs that provide job development services for incarcerated and at risk youth and adults. Components include weekend work crews for youth and adults as an alternative to detention, follow-up job/mentoring program for selected graduates, and after school and weekend supervised work preparedness and job readiness workshops. Under his leadership, a collaboration between the Community Restoration Project, the Volunteer Center, and the Santa Cruz County Alcohol and Drug Program, was recently awarded a grant to develop a plan for state prison parolees returning to Santa Cruz County. This parolee planning collaboration is assessing parolee needs and providing housing, healthcare, food, clothing, childcare, and transportation services for this extremely marginalized segment of our community. David’s enthusiasm, leadership, and encouragement have sparked innovation in public safety in our community.
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Another winner in this category:

By the year 2010, children in Santa Cruz County will live in safer families and community.

Michael Chavez, County Children’s Mental Health

Mike Chavez is dedicated to improving his community and making it a safe place for youth and their families. Through mike’s own journey in life, he maintains values of recovery from substance abuse and gangs. Mike’s full time employment is working with high risk youth, who are criminally involved, conducting groups teaching values of honesty, personal responsibility, and repairing the harm to the community. Additionally, Mike volunteers at local schools in Watsonville meeting with youth to help combat the strong gang influences and instill change through encouraging higher education and positive social relationships and activities. Young adults come looking for Mike at the Luna Evening Center, a collaboration between the Probation Department and the departments of Children’s Mental Health and Substance Abuse that offers minors an alternative to traditional juvenile hall facilities. They look for Mike because they see him as someone who may have the ‘keys” to help them get back on the right path to success. They seek Mike’s wisdom and know that he is always willing to help them out.

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And also for this goal:

Georgette Dufresne, Women’s Crisis Support – Defensa de Mujeres Board Member

One in four women will be sexually assaulted during her lifetime, usually by someone she knows and somewhere she believed she was safe – In her own home or in the home of a friend, relative, or neighbor. Georgette Dufresne has been working with Rape Crisis Centers for over 30 years. Georgette has been instrumental in bringing about awareness and improved rape crisis response. She has served on the Women’s Crisis Support – Defensa de Mujeres board since 1998. She has been an important force in the agency’s fund raising activities for crisis response and prevention activities.  She actively worked on the agency’s Spring Reception and Auction to launch the Art Danner Memorial Fund, benefiting the Sexual Assault Program. Georgette’s enthusiastic work over the years for sensitive rape crisis response and sexual assault prevention in Santa Cruz County auction is exemplary.

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Social Environment

By the year 2010, more people will be educated and engaged in activities that strengthen our community.

Kim Clary, Capitola Junior Guard Instructor and Founder of The Core

Kim, after over nine years of swimming and teaching lifesaving skills to others in Central Coast waters as a Capitola Junior Lifeguard Instructor, is continuing her career on the beach and working with kids gaining some of their first experiences in the ocean. She is also helping teens get involved in positive experiences outside the classroom through The CORE, a new nonprofit organization designed to help those same kids she taught water skills and others to succeed on land. According to its website, The CORE is all about "stoking the youth of Santa Cruz." In other words, The CORE inspires, motivates, empowers, educates and involves Santa Cruz youth. And Kim dedicates herself wholeheartedly to those goals.  Similar to Jr. Guards, Kim says, at its heart "The CORE is about making it cool to be athletic and ambitious, making it cool to have goals and dreams and to actually try to fulfill them."

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And also for this goal:

Jorge Savala, Community Volunteer

Jorge is making life better for the immigrants who live in Santa Cruz County.  Following the immigration raids last Fall, he played a significant role in organizing two forums that gave immigrants the chance to learn about their rights and to connect with other community members. Currently, he is leading a group in the development of a Day Labor Center. Jorge is active in COPA and the Stop the Raids Coalition. Through his efforts, he is contributing to the reshaping of the debate surrounding immigration from one of nationalism, fear, and hatred to a more empathetic understanding that is full of compassion for all human beings regardless of national origins or other differences.

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Another winner in this category:

By the year 2010, families and children will have access to the
information, resources and support they need to succeed.

Ruth Leon, Maria Carmen Hernandez, Doris Downs

These three women have worked over 10 years service with PVUSD as Healthy Start Registration Specialists. Each works the front desk in a busy Resource Center located at a PVUSD school site.  Families come to them for help at all ages, from babes in arms to grandparents. These women sign up families for health insurance and trouble shoot for them when enrollment doesn’t go smoothly. They schedule health appointments and make sure the kids get needed follow-up. They help parents fill out free and reduced lunch forms and help them find food banks. When families are hard to reach because of long workdays, they make phone calls from home in the evenings.
 
Ruth works with teens, so she helps students get to counseling visits and family planning appointments, plus arranging sports physicals on short notice.

Maria Carmen’s specialty area is car seats: she distributes them to families and makes sure they are correctly installed, and she tackles the special health access challenges of our Monterey County families.

Doris is a consistent presence in the busy Children’s Resource Center, where Salud Para la Gente does both dental care and health exams. They all do a lot of handholding and relentless advocacy to get underserved students and families connected with health and social services. 

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And also for this goal:

Stuart Rosenstein, Community Volunteer

Stuart has worked since 1998 to make Santa Cruz County a better place for youth. Although occasionally paid, the vast majority of his contribution has been as a volunteer. He has acted as an advocate for queer youth in schools by chairing the Queer Youth Task Force of Santa Cruz County overseeing community networking meetings, the Safe Schools Project of Santa Cruz County, and the Queer Youth Leadership Awards and Event. He advocates for youth in schools coordinating Gay/Straight Alliances and lobbying high schools that don’t have them to start them. He has coordinated positive activities for youth including the Queer Youth Camp, social activities including trips and dances, and leadership and advocacy training.  Because of Stuart’s work, our community is a safer place for queer youth. It is a place where they are not just tolerated and accepted but have the opportunity to be celebrated and embraced.

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Another winner in this category:

By the year 2010, all people in Santa Cruz County will have a way to meet their basic needs for food, housing, healthcare, childcare and transportation.

Robert Montague, Board President of Loaves and Fishes

Bob has volunteered at Loaves and Fishes of Watsonville since 2000. Every week, Bob goes to Second Harvest Food Bank to select, load, and haul thousands of pounds of food to Loaves and Fishes for use in the pantry and hot lunch programs which operate five days a week throughout the year. Bob serves on the Loaves and Fishes Board, currently as President, bring a variety of professional skills from his career as a farmer, banker, and appraiser, as well as tremendous energy and dedication. Bob is highly effective in educating others in our community about the issue of local hunger and engages many to become involved in hunger relief efforts. Through these efforts and numerous other volunteer activities, Bob has a long record of service that exemplifies his commitment to social justice. He is a caring and compassionate human being.

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And also for this goal:

Mary Boyd, Community Volunteer

Mary is honored for her volunteer service to improve health care.  As a volunteer for the American Caner Society, Mary has lobbied Congress on supporting numerous cancer research and cancer prevention initiatives. As a fundraiser, she brought the American Cancer Society’s signature fundraising event Relay for Life to Watsonville raising over $250,000 over the last three years. She is currently working with the American Cancer Society to increase the diversity of its volunteers and does outreach to diverse communities.  Additionally, her volunteer efforts have assisted Jacob’s Heart, the Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust, and local schools to name a few. Mary is committed to improve the health and well being of the people of our community. 

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Another winner in this category:

By the year 2010, Santa Cruz County residents with physical, psychiatric and development disabilities will have access to community services needed to ensure integration and inclusion in all facets of community life.

Cece Pinheiro, Executive Director of SPIN – Special Parents Information Network

Cece is the Executive Director of SPIN, a non-profit parent-to-parent support and information network serving parents, guardians and families in Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties who have a child or children with special needs of any age.  Prior to joining SPIN, Cece worked for over 15 years in special education then decided she wanted to contribute in leadership by serving on the Santa Cruz School Board.  Her commitment to local public education runs deep – she was born in Santa Cruz and her father was a custodian for Mission Hill Jr. High for over 27 years.  Recognizing the challenges in funding special education programming, she took action by joining SPIN.  Her considerable experience is now put to work in assisting parents of special needs children access resources and lobbying on behalf of special need children.

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Community Heroes 1996-2006