PV Chamber Annual Awards

Frank and Loretta Estrada earn Lifetime Achievement

The honorees, including Man of the Year, Woman of the Year, Organization of the Year and Event of the Year, exemplify the outstanding character of the Pajaro Valley.

The Annual Awards Dinner and Auction will be held on Saturday, January 28, 2017, at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Crosetti Hall. Tickets are $75.00 and are available by calling the Chamber office at 724-3900 or email info@pajarovalleychamber.com.

Lifetime Achievement
Frank and Loretta Estrada

For Frank and Loretta Estrada, volunteering in their hometown has been a lifetime adventure they have shared together. Together with friends helped to form the California High School Rodeo Association where Frank served as Director and Loretta as secretary of the District. For decades they served side-by-side helping the Agricultural History Project with Frank serving several times as Director and Loretta as secretary.

They were the first members of the Santa Cruz County Fair Heritage Foundation helping put on many events, dinners, fundraisers and donating countless hours every year to the organization. They have each served on the Board of Directors for the Santa Cruz County Cattlemen’s Association. Frank served a term as President and Loretta as Secretary. Frank has been a director for the California Cattlemen’s Association. Together, they have been active in the Farm Bureau for over 30 years with Frank serving on the Board of Directors. They have helped raise funds by giving tours of the ranch and helping organize the Progressive Dinner and Testicle Festival. In 1994, Frank was named the Farm Bureau’s Farmer of the Year.

Loretta has been doing Community involvement virtually her entire life. “As a young girl, I would bake homemade bread for my parents’ church; it was something I was very proud of since I was only 8 years old! This was my first volunteer work.” The first organization she belonged to was the Salsipuedes Foot Hill Firefighters Association where she was director and secretary. In 1965, she began volunteering at the Santa Cruz County Fair. In 1986, Loretta was appointed by the Governor of California to serve as a Director for the Fair Board and has remained in this position for 30 years.

Loretta was the Secretary for the Food Service Union for the PVUSD donating many union and food service hours within the District. While working at Salsipuedes School, and with the Home and School Club, she said, “We enjoyed volunteering our time to have a Fall Festival and raised a lot of money for the school. I would put on enchilada dinners, spaghetti dinners, cake walks and even planned ski trips for the students.”

In 1999 when the Rodger’s House was donated to the Fairgrounds, Loretta took on the task as Chairman to raise funds to renovate the house and grounds. She was also involved with the Watsonville Woman’s Club. Loretta was named Woman of the Year in 2003, and received the Paul Harris Award in 2004. Loretta also served on the Community Foundation for two years.

As a young man, Frank was active in the Future Farmers of America and loved volunteering his time at cattle round ups and roping. As a member of the Santa Cruz Cattlemen’s Association, he used to judge bulls at the Stockton Bull Sale and at Hartnell College.

One of Frank’s passions is teaching others about ranching in our area and during the Fair you will find him working at the Farm Bureau booth. Also during the Fair, he serves as weigh master for the cattle. Frank’s pride and joy is his ranch and he volunteers most of his life to sharing it with so many people, driving them around and being their guide.

Frank served as Director for the Salsipuedes Foot Hill Firefighters Association for many years and was involved in raising money to support the Salsipuedes Fire Department, now known as the Pajaro Valley Fire Protection District. The Fireman’s Ball at the Estrada’s Deer Camp were no-miss events. Frank served as Fire Commissioner for the Salsipuedes Fire District, served for many years on the Fish and Game committee for Santa Cruz County and in 2009, he was chosen as an honorary member of the Santa Cruz County Deputy Sheriff’s Association.

It is an honor to have selected Frank and Loretta Estrada to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award!

Man of the Year
Dick Peixoto

Man of the Year, Dick Peixoto was raised on the family ranch on Green Valley Road. As a child, he helped his Dad in the apple orchards and fields throughout the Pajaro Valley. At the age of 13, Dick hired local kids to pick tomatoes on their farm so he could market them, which proved to be the beginning of a life-long career in agriculture. Dick and his brother, Jim began growing string beans commercially in 1976, while he was still attending Watsonville High School.

He shifted his conventional farming to organic farming and in 1996 when Dick founded Lakeside Organic Gardens. Dick has become the spokesperson for hedgerows, integrated pest management and a variety of organic farming methods.

The young man growing string beans in high school is now the largest family-owned, solely organic grower, packer-shipper in the U.S.

Peixoto has made it a habit of giving back to the local community. In 2015, he donated a total of $375,000 to over 17 local organizations including The Salvation Army, Pajaro Valley Shelter Services and CASA of Santa Cruz County. Lakeside Organics is also investing $2 million to a state-of-the-art learning center to help get young people back on the farm and see agriculture as a successful career.

The Peixoto family has called the Pajaro Valley their home beginning with grandfather, Joseph Peixoto who immigrated from the Azores Islands in the early 1900’s. Family is the most important part of Dick’s life as he and wife Marisela have raised daughters, Ashley and Amanda, along with son, Ricky and are the proud grandparents of granddaughter, Melia.

Woman of the Year
Kathleen King

Founder and CEO of the Pajaro Valley Health Trust, Kathleen King has given almost 30 years to the Watsonville community. Fundraising toward improving the health of people and raising awareness of health needs for our community has been her passion and she lives that passion each day.

Kathleen started her career as a reporter on KOMY when Phil Rather introduced her to the importance of the Watsonville Community Hospital. She soon went to work for the Watsonville Community Relations Office to write the hospital’s publications.

Kathleen was the founding CEO of the Pajaro Valley Community Hospital Foundation, which she ran for 13 years. She helped start up a new Health Trust to receive the proceeds from the sale of the former nonprofit hospital and has served as CEO of the Pajaro Valley Health Trust since that time.

The Trust has provided over 9 million dollars to local nonprofits that address the Trust’s priority areas, including diabetes, oral health treatment and prevention, access to healthcare and advancement in healthcare careers.

Kathleen has been an active participant with numerous community and collaborative organizations including the Regional Diabetes Collaborative, the Healthy Kids Collaborative of Santa Cruz County, the Health Improvement Partnership of Santa Cruz County, the Central Coast Oral Health Collaborative and the Agricultural History Project. She has also served as Vice Chair of the Community Chronic Care Network of Santa Cruz County in 2007 and is the Rotary Club of Watsonville President Elect 2017. Kathleen also received a United Way Community Hero Award in 2015.

She has raised funds for over 100 organizations and ensures bilingual and bicultural services. As she retires from PV Health Trust, Kathleen is looking forward to spending time with family including husband, Steve Ponzio, son Joey Ponzio, along with Annie Puckett, her husband Josh and their beautiful daughter Sonny Rose.

Organization of the Year
Watsonville Aptos Santa Cruz Adult Education

Founded in 1928 as an evening school, the Watsonville Aptos Adult Education has grown to serve over 4,000 students throughout north Monterey County and Santa Cruz County. Courses offered range from career and technical courses to community education (driver’s training, woodworking, First Aid/CPR) and lifelong learning.

On July 1, of this year, Watsonville Aptos Adult Education merged with the Santa Cruz Adult School, bringing an additional 500 students, seven full-time teachers, 20 temporary teachers and most of the state funding controlled under the Adult Education Block Grant. This program now boasts 31 locations and is supported by 28 community partnerships. Rhea DeHart states, “They have been serving the entire community from the ‘cradle to the grave’ for 88 years!”

Through the outstanding leadership of Dr. Nancy Bilicich and her team, this organization continues to grow and encourage education in adults throughout Santa Cruz County. Bilicich said about receiving this honor, “This is a humbling experience for the staff to receive this recognition. …They love what they do.”

Event of the Year
Down to Earth Women Luncheon

With over 300 women, most wearing beautiful hats, the 9th Annual Down to Earth Women (DEW) Luncheon was held in May at Driscoll’s Rancho Corralitos. Attendees include women who are involved in or support agriculture in Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley.

This event raises funds for Agri-Culture’s Focus Agriculture program, the Jimmie Cox Memorial Scholarships fund and the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau’s school programs.

Agri-Culture’s Focus Agriculture is a national award-winning intensive nine-month program learning the broad spectrum of agriculture in Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley. The Jimmie Cox Memorial Scholarship for local college students majoring in agriculture has grown to a $4,000 annual award. Students throughout the county can learn about local agriculture from educational programs offered by the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau.

Luncheon Guests enjoy an elegant outdoor garden party lunch and a dynamic program of guest speakers, an award for the “Best Hat” along with a variety of auction items and raffle prizes. The Down to Earth Women’s Luncheon has grown over the years and has raised nearly $300,000 for agricultural education and scholarship programs.