Gilroy Chamber announces Spice of Life Award winners for 2022

Winners give back to the South Valley community in many and various ways

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Editor’s note: these are the announced Spice of Life Award winners as of Jan. 24, 2022. Other recipients will be announced in the near future.

By Staff Reports

As they have done for years, the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce is announcing its annual Spice of Life Award winners. They are:

CordeValle — Large Business of the Year

CordeValle is a hidden gem that combines the extraordinary beauty of an awe-inspiring natural landscape with the convenience and hospitality of a luxury resort. Sprawling across almost 1,700 acres in the San Martin countryside, the resort is a sanctuary of gently undulating meadows, tree-dotted hills, seasonal creeks and waterfalls.

Employing a workforce of more than 200, they see themselves as ambassadors committed to create an authentic and exclusive experience for their members and guests by offering the finest golf, recreation, culinary and luxury accommodations. They also consider themselves stewards of the open space protecting the endangered species that habitat in their surroundings.

CordeValle has been consistently recognized as one of the top resorts in California by the world’s leading publications, travel magazines and consumer organizations.

CordeValle’s leadership is committed to the surrounding communities and supports local charities, such as Rebekah’s Children’s Services, Gilroy Chamber of Commerce, Gilroy Garlic Festival, veterans, police and fire, as well as others, oftentimes hosting golf tournaments for fundraising purposes. They also have the CordeValle Youth Golf Foundation which supports all local high school golf teams.

When reflecting on why it’s so important to give back to the community, General Manager Luca Rutigliano said, “We are only as strong as the community is and we can only be successful if the community succeeds.”

The Neon Exchange — Small Business of the Year

Toni Bowles said that her inspiration to create The Neon Exchange came from a personal need to achieve a more balanced work life.

“This environment blends my need for community engagement as well as physical and mental well-being,” she said. Once known as the Louis Hotel, Bowles purchased the old, abandoned building at the end of 2018 to create one of the brightest more active spots in downtown Gilroy.

Her goals for the Neon Exchange include delivering a solid, high-quality list of annual community events setting the stage for downtown Gilroy as a destination spot for creative activities and community/cultural events. She also sees The Neon Exchange acting as a catalyst for larger citywide events bringing together other nonprofits, business, and government entities.

Some of Toni’s major accomplishments include: Producing a local YouTube cooking show with Chef Segovia hosting local community members, helping launch PitStop Outreach out of The Neon Exchange’s kitchen during the pandemic which feeds the homeless, fully leased out the second floor private offices during the pandemic, completed a 900-square-foot community healing mural with more than 40 community artists of all skill levels, produced what will be annual events (Bridal Show and Holiday Bazaar) attracting 300-plus guests including locals and out-of-towners, and writing a successfully funded Lowe’s grant for the Gilroy Center for the Arts/Gilroy Arts Alliance.

When asked about why it’s important to give back to the community, Bowles said, “By taking care of our community at all levels, we are in effect sending the message that they are important. They become a pro-social, contributing member of society that feels included and accepted. This makes for an ideal place to live and work when we can all come together for a common good.”

Leo Khooshabeh — Young Professional of the Year

When asked what inspires him, Khooshabeh said, “For me it all starts with helping others. I have a passion for helping people.” He enjoys being a resource for people in their pursuit of their goals. He gets a lot of satisfaction out of motivating and inspiring people in the area of problem solving, Leo went on to say, “while I enjoy finding and solving my own problems, it is even more gratifying to me to help others solve their problems.

His passion is to lead a good life, find the best in himself and become the best version of himself that he can possibly be. He is family-oriented and finds one of his greatest accomplishments the fact that his parents are proud of the person he has become today.

In giving advice to other emerging leaders, he said, “Learn how to value people as individuals. Leadership is a business of people, not money or things. Begin to serve others and treat them fairly and equally.”

Leo believes spending time enriching your community is a great way to broaden your perceptions of the area you live in. He went on to say, “By immersing yourself in a community and surrounding yourself with people who are dedicated to bettering themselves and community, you can learn so much about how the world works. You gain a unique sense of purpose by serving those around you, one which often manifests in other areas of your life.”

Andrew Briggs – Young Professional of the Year

Briggs is inspired to lead because of the opportunities he has been given in his life. He believes that every person should have the ability to pursue their dreams with the same resources and opportunities that he had growing up. His goal as a leader is to help those in the community overcome challenges so they can continue to move forward. Equity, compassion, and respect are some of the core ideals that motivate Andrew’s leadership style. He likes to lead by example with a focus on honesty, transparency, and empathy.

His passion in life is education. He said education allows people to open doors for themselves and helps create equity for all. He supports this view by helping to teach others job skills, culinary skills, and life skills, continuing his education by pursuing a business degree at Gavilan College, and participating in a volunteer education work in his free time. He has also tutored and mentored high school students, and supported club activities at Gilroy High, GECA, and Christopher High School.

Briggs also serves on the Leadership Gilroy Board of Directors, helping to provide the best leadership education possible for the Gilroy community. He oversees the Leadership Gilroy Youth program that matches his love for education and leadership and allows him to have an impact on the lives of young people.

He gives back to the community because the community has given so much to him. He said giving back to the community is a social responsibility that contributes to the greater good.

“A good leader gets results without compromising integrity or quality,” he said. “There is always a need for good leadership and that if you hold true to your values, there will always be another opportunity to lead.”

One of the most satisfying experiences he has had as a young leader and mentor is watching students go on to advocate for themselves and improve their own lives. He strives to continue giving back to his community so that he can see more students pursue their dreams.