Business: Gilroy Chamber of Commerce announces the 2022 Spice of Life Awards

Honorees contribute to community’s quality of life

---

By Staff Reports

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

Man of the Year – Tom Cline

The past president (2020-2021) of the Gilroy Garlic Festival, Cline has a history of unselfish service to the community, contributing to Gilroy’s welfare and betterment.

“I was surprised because I like doing things under the radar and I don’t need the recognition,” he said when told of the honor. “I don’t do it to be recognized, I do it because I want to help.”

Cline has volunteered for the festival for the past eight years, four of those on the board of directors. He was named president in 2019 and expected to serve his one-year term in 2020 until the pandemic hit. He actually worked with other board members on planning and organizing elements of the festival in 2020 and served his “official” term in 2021, so he likes to think of it as a two-year term.

Cline, owner of Cline Glass Contractors since 2011, said the award actually reflects not so much on him, but the work of the festival board and volunteers as a whole.

“This award is an affirmation, a recognition that says a lot about our work as an association,” he said, especially for a trying past two years. “I’m proud of the work everyone has done the past two years, it’s a total team effort.”

With a lost 2020 and a scaled-back 2021, Cline said the festival has a lot of work to do and challenging times ahead for 2022, a task that nobody in the association is going to shy away from.

“We started something and we really want to see it through,” he said about the festival’s sense of resolve to continue. “We’re seeking to be relevant again and to meet the needs of all of our volunteers and charities.”

Born in San Jose, Cline was raised in Morgan Hill but moved to Gilroy 32 years ago to raise his two children with his wife, Cindy. She and their son have also volunteered for the festival.

Woman of the Year – Dr. Kathleen A. Rose

Rose applied to Gavilan College in 2008 for the position of vice president of instruction, due to a career progression in higher education that spanned 25 years and included positions in administration and as a faculty member. The thought of becoming the superintendent/president was not at the forefront until the opportunity to apply presented itself.  Rose was proud to become the seventh superintendent/president and the second woman.

Rose loves the community spirit that is a natural element of Gilroy. She believes it is a community that commits to important initiatives, prioritizes support services for those in need, and demonstrates an ethos of care that impacts all who work and live in the community.

There have been numerous accomplishments during her tenure. She was instrumental in supporting many instructional programs and several state and federal grants to support major initiatives. She supported several facility projects, including the solar canopies and the modernization of the athletic complex. Business and industry partnerships were strengthened throughout the district during Rose’s presidency. Most notably, she led the process that resulted in the $248 million bond that will result in the new San Benito County Campus and several projects on the Gilroy Campus. Finally, Rose has led the college through the many challenges of the pandemic, providing basic needs to students with the help of dedicated staff and faculty.

Rose will be retiring in June 2022 but looks forward to witnessing these changes as the district moves forward in the next 10-20 years.

“Community service is a core value of community colleges, and Gavilan College is no exception,” she said.

Educator of the Year – Nicky Austin

Austin began her teaching career as a student teacher at Watsonville High School in 1990, learning from a master teacher there, Kirby Reed, in a freshman biology class. From there, she student-taught with John Licursi at Brownell Middle School in Gilroy. Her first job was a long-term subbing position at Martin Murphy Middle School in San Jose. She took over a seventh grade life science class where she had Jackie Horsch’s daughter in the class. Not long after, she was contacted by Horsch, the former DO Assistant Superintendent, and asked Austin to apply to teach science at Gilroy High School where she was hired in the fall of 1992. She now teaches at Christopher High School.

“The students and their families,” she said, explaining why she enjoys most about her involvement in Gilroy. “Over the years, I have been fortunate to have had so many awesome students, and their cousins, neighbors and siblings, and even now … their children.”

Susan Valenta Youth Leadership Award – Alyssa Gonzalez

Gilroy Early College Academy student Gonzalez believes student voices and youth representation matters in every facet of life.

She has served as the Area 9 Director for Rotary’s Interact District 5170, which has given her the opportunity to serve her community across the Bay Area. She is also an active member of GECA’s Honors Tribunal, which has allowed her to strengthen her empathetic skills and connect with students on campus.

Her advice to others is to find their passion and use that to elevate their own voices within their community. She also advises students to take every opportunity as a learning experience and go out of their comfort zone.

After graduating from GECA in May, Gonzalez plans to attend a university with an interest in pursuing a double major in ethnic studies/sociology and biology. Staying true to her roots in activism, she also hopes to continue participating in culturally enriching programs that advocate for human rights, focus on decreasing mental health stigmatization, and partake in Folkloric dance.

Volunteer of the Year – Andrea Nicolette

Nicolette has been working at the YMCA for nearly 20 years. She first started as a volunteer and eventually became the executive director serving South County, an area where she grew up.

She was involved in the beginning stages of PowerSchool, an after-school program that supports children in the Gilroy Unified School District. In 2006, she was a part of the leadership team that opened the Centennial Recreation Center with the city of Morgan Hill.

In the past six years, Nicolette has increased the annual giving campaign for financial assistance for families in South County and secured the meal delivery program to homebound seniors. She has also been an active ally to the LGBTQ+ community in South County.

Her philosophy is that anyone can be on the receiving end at any time, so it is imperative to give back while on the serving side.

“A family member, a friend, or even oneself may need help at one or many points in their lives,” Nicolette said. “Serving the community and giving back ensures good things will come one’s way when they put their efforts into helping people in the community.”

Nonprofit of the Year- One Giving Tree

In the winter of 2014, One Giving Tree started with 10 trees, ornaments and tree stands. In 2016, it delivered more than 100.

This past year, One Giving Tree delivered 377 tree kits and gift cards and surpassed 1,500 tree kits delivered-to-date.

Gilroy natives and One Giving Tree founders Mike and Debbi Sanchez have been volunteering side-by-side since their teenage years on numerous local fundraisers, events and causes.

To them, One Giving Tree’s mission, “Making the holidays brighter,” is about more than just a tree. It’s providing hope and positive memories for families. The organization currently serves families in San Benito County, Gilroy, Morgan Hill and South San Jose, and hopes to expand its reach by sharing their success with other communities and the agencies that serve them.

One Giving Tree’s future plans also include the possibility of establishing its own local tree farm to provide a dependable, renewable source for trees.

---