Ten to Watch

Our top 10 people picks for Morgan Hill as it transitions into a
new century are those who have served the community with hours of
intense labor and love to make it a better place to live. We tip
our hats to them and give them a hearty salute for their
contributions.
ANTHONY GOULARTE

Anthony Goularte, the manager of Associated Concrete Company, is one of the leading citizens of Morgan Hill. Goularte has lived in the Mushroom City for 38 years. He married his high school sweetheart, Jane Reed and they have a daughter, Tricia. His parents, Tony and Eva Goularte, started the company in 1958 at its present location on Main Avenue. At the city’s request, the Goularte family plans to relocate to another site in Morgan Hill opening the way for high density residential units for the downtown area.

Goularte is the type of person who performs generous acts of service behind the scenes. His contributions are visible throughout Morgan Hill.

Goularte, 55, has donated his time and resources to to improve Morgan Hill. The city’s athletic programs, playgrounds, women’s shelter and senior center, are a few of the programs that have benefitted from his efforts.

Goularte serves on the Machado Heritage Society board as treasurer. The organization helped the Morgan Hill Unified School District with in-kind contributions of more than $75,000 to make sure Machado School would survive as a school site.

His volunteerism started 27 years ago when he joined the Morgan Hill Kiwanis Club. “I was asked to join Kiwanis by friends, Bill Link Sr. and Tom Costello, who were already doing things in the community. Two men that I admire and want to emulate are Joe Rezendes, a fellow Kiwanian and Roger Knopf, a Rotarian. Their leadership and compassion for others set a good example for me. I consider them to be my mentors.”

Over the years he has received distinguished service awards from Kiwanis International and Rotary Club. Goularte was named Morgan Hill’s Man of the Year in 1996 and Associated Concrete Company was named Business of the Year in 2000. In 2005 Gavilan College gave the company its Community Spirit Award, saluting its dedication and contributions to the community. Goularte is quick to add that his network of family, friends, employees and associates are always there to support his endeavors.

As for the future of Morgan Hill, Goularte thinks volunteerism will always be a large component of what makes Morgan Hill a great place to live. The city, the non-profits and the Morgan Hill Unified School District don’t have all the resources to provide for all their needs, he said. “I think the voters, the residents and the elected officials have combined to make Morgan Hill a vibrant and safe place to live and work. I hope we’ll continue to move in the direction to keep Morgan Hill a city we can be proud of,” he said.

GENE GUGLIELMO

The family winery founded in 1925 by Emilio Guglielmo of Italy turned over its business to second generation George W. Guglielmo and his wife Madeline when the elder Guglielmo died in 1961. George and Madeline have three sons, George E., Gene and Gary. Together with their parents they operate the business located on East Main Street across from Live Oak High High School. In 2005, Guglielmo Winery celebrated its 80th anniversary with a grand celebration and incorporating local artists and businesses to commemorate the special occasion. It’s not unusual for George E. and his brothers to involve the South Valley community in their shindigs or giving a helping hand to those in need. The Guglielmo brothers were taught the value of working hard from their grandparents and parents. They also learned the importance of serving the community, having family members support, take part and provide wine for an exhaustible list of public events and organizations. Above all, the Guglielmos were encouraged by their elders to pursue the things they love. The good fruit bore from their never-ending charitable deeds are: George E. was named Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year in 1992 for his support of the Live Oak Emerald Regime Band and Color Guard, Spirit Softball, the Farm Bureau and the Wine Growers’ Association.

His wife, Janice, formerly Miss Morgan Hill 1965, served for more than a year on the city’s Urban Limit Line Committee.

Gene was a founding director of the South Valley National Bank and was past president of the Santa Clara County Winegrowers Association. He was also involved in the formation of the Morgan Hill Community Foundation. The families are members of the Morgan Hill Sister City organizations. They’re also members of the sister County Commission, of which George serves as chairman. The winery usually hosts delegations from the Italian sister city San Casciano and Sister County Province of Florence, Italy.

In 2004, the Guglielmo family received the Leadership Morgan Hill Excellence Award, chosen for outstanding community leadership.

“The business has changed over the years and we’re striving to produce the best wines and facilities for the community,” Gene said.

JON HATAKEYAMA

Another one of Morgan Hill’s important figures is civic-minded dentist Jon Hatakeyama. He is passionate about local education, parks and recreation and fitness. To these ends, every year he is busy in his capacity as advisor and founder of Teachers Aid Coalition. TAC has annually raised funds and gathered donations to provide our beleaguered public school teachers much needed classroom supplies. This year’s TAC fundraiser at Clos La Chance Winery raised enough funds for a second teachers giveaway.

Hatakeyama has received recognition for his work with TAC from the Morgan Hill Unified School District as well as from the City of Morgan Hill. His main involvement with outdoor recreation takes the form of serving on the board of the San Pedro Ponds Nature Trail Volunteers, an another organization he founded. The volunteers headed by Stu Nuttal are the guardians of the 28-acre park, which through their efforts with the Santa Clara Valley Water District and the City of Morgan Hill, provide a better experience for those who enjoy the quietude and freedom of this natural surrounding. Hatakeyama, through the Volunteers, was instrumental in organizing the dedication of the Morgan Hill Centennial Tree in recognition of Morgan Hill’s Centennial year to take place at 10am Nov. 18 at the San Pedro Nature Trail Park off San Pedro Avenue. His donation to the creation of the initial statue made by Evelyn Davis for the newly christened bicycle trails adjacent the Centennial Recreation Center dedicated the start for a nature sculpture trail to accompany these bicycle trails. He can often be seen walking with his wife Shelly up the Anderson Dam trail. His energies towards youth fitness is witnessed annually with the South Valley Wine Auction featuring local restaurants and premium wineries. Everyone seems to look forward to this event which had its beginnings eight years ago at Guglielmo Winery where he joined forces with Gene Guglielmo to foster this event which is now a major cultural happening benefiting youth fitness. His own passion for fitness was witnessed recently by his award for second place in the 7K run among male dental professionals at the recent Bridge to Bridge Run. Gavilan College, in recognition of Hatakeyama’s “complete package” of local activism and community involvement, has bestowed him with its Community Spirit Award this year. He will be receiving the Outstanding Philanthropist award at CordeValle Country Club on Nov. 15 for similar reasons. However, next year he will get his biggest satisfaction when the new Morgan Hill Library opens.

Hatakeyama along with Marby Lee, Marie Lamb, and Nancy Barker will see the fruition of their efforts under their leadership of the Citizens for a Civic Center Library in bringing the construction of the library to fruition in its beloved location.

BRAD JONES AND CINDA MEISTER

Morgan Hill wouldn’t be the same without Brad Jones and Cinda Meister, owners of BookSmart downtown.

Jones attended school at the University of Colorado. He was in the restaurant business for 20 years. His love of books started at a young age with Dr. Seuss, when his parents joined the Dr. Seuss book club, receiving the books at home where his two brothers and sister would fight over who would be first to read the new arrival.

Meister, who grew up in Michigan and attended school at Michigan State, graduated with honors and received degrees in psychology and social work. She has been a lifelong avid reader and an advocate for education. Jones and Meister met while working together in a restaurant in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Before setting foot here in 1991, the kind-hearted couple lived in Colorado Springs. Friends from San Jose talked them into moving to South County to open a restaurant with them because of their experience in the industry. Jumping at the opportunity, they started Mushrooms Grille and Bar on Main Street. Three years later, Jones and Meister left the restaurant and their friends moved out of the area shortly thereafter.

Jones, a young 50, and Meister (younger yet) saw the “gone out of business” sign on Town Books’ door. They negotiated with the landlord to lease the space, bought the fixtures from the previous owners and reopened the bookstore in the fall of 1995.

This August, BookSmart moved to a temporary location on Third Street. Jones and Meister hope to open a new and improved BookSmart on 80 East Second Street as soon as permits allow. Jones and Meister are ubiquitous fixtures in Morgan Hill; you may have run into them at Safeway or at a local restaurant, at city council meetings, at the Fourth of July Parade near the Grange Hall, or just taking a stroll on Monterey Road. 

Jones and Meister earned two honors in 2003 for their service to Morgan Hill – the Gavilan College Community Spirit Award and the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year Award.

The dynamic duo has helped put together the successful “Friday Night Music Series” in downtown Morgan Hill. Although the couple doesn’t have children of their own, they believe in education and Meister has served as a board member of the Charter School of Morgan Hill for five years. Jones has also served as a board member of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce and he currently serves as a board member for the Morgan Hill Downtown Association. Jones also served on the steering committee for the centennial celebration. Throughout the years, Jones and Meister have blessed countless people and organizations with their endearing bookstore, toy store and cafe. Jones also served on the steering committee for the Morgan Hill Centennial celebration.

DENNIS KENNEDY

“Mr. Morgan Hill” is stepping down as mayor of the Mushroom City on Dec. 6. Replacing him will be Steve Tate, a former city councilman who’s admitted he’ll have big shoes to fill once he takes the city’s helm.

Kennedy, 68, is a Midwesterner with a gentle voice who worked at the helm along with his fellow civil servants in the City Hall chambers for five two-year terms and a appointed year-and-a-half term totaling nearly 12 years as mayor. When Kennedy wasn’t dealing with tough issues at city council meetings, he was out in the open mingling with the local artists at fine art exhibitions, supporting the athletic community by attending and serving at the South Valley Wine Auction hosted by Jon Hatakeyama and his team, being present at the premier Poppy Jasper Film Festival and subsequent ones thereafter, shopping at the local stores and feasting on the variety of culinary delights from the city’s plethora of restaurants. He made sure he put his money right back into Morgan Hill’s economy. This mechanical engineer originally hailed from Nebraska loves the outdoors playing volleyball, skiing in water or snow, and hitting a few links out on the golf course whenever he can escape the pressures from his job.

Kennedy and his family moved to Morgan Hill in 1976 whereupon he dove into politics a year later. He did three stints with the city planning commission, two terms with the General Plan Update Committee, and was elected to the City Council in 1990. He was the past chairman of South County Regional Wastewater Authority and additionally served four years on the Board of Directors for the Valley Transportation Authority. He was president of the Santa Clara Cities Association too. In 1992, he served his first term as mayor and didn’t return to sit on that seat again until 1996. Kennedy’s aspirations for higher political began in 1994 when he ran for state assembly and then again in 2002 when he ran for the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. After these unsuccessful attempts for higher office, he once again ran for re-election in Morgan Hill and voters re-elected him two more times even against the well-liked City Councilman Greg Sellers in 2004.

ROGER KNOPF

Part of what makes Roger Knopf, 65, a tenacious hard working leader and volunteer is his upbringing. He grew up on a 13-acre family property in the Los Gatos hills along with his brother and sister. The Knopf children were taught the priceless model of work ethics even at an early age. The Knopf family owned horses, and livestock, Knopf helped raise lambs and steer for show at the Santa Clara County Fair. Outside of work, he and his siblings hiked, hunted and camped in the pristine South Bay land. Fast forward to 1964 when Knopf and his new bride Janie moved to Morgan Hill to farm prunes on family property off Watsonville Road. The town was bursting with 4,000 people by then. 

Knopf is one of five people responsible for fashioning the Morgan Hill Community Foundation, an umbrella organization that enriches the South Valley area through granting financial assistance to non-profits. The foundation links people and resources to create a much better Morgan Hill. Knopf is the president of Knopf Construction, Inc., located in Mushroom City Morgan Hill since 1976. He’s been a general building contractor in the community since 1970. He is one of the founding directors of South Valley National Bank. He served as president of the Santa Clara County Landowners Association and Rotary Club of Morgan Hill. He has served on several ad-hoc county planning committees. He also served as a member of the Morgan Hill Unified School District Personnel Commission, which oversees management of classified employees. He chairs the city’s Corporation Yard Commission and is also presently the chairman of the board of trustees of Regional Medical Center of San Jose.

Knopf volunteers to help maintain the 1886 Hiram Morgan Hill House. Back in 2003 when Knopf received the Morgan Hill Leadership Excellence Award from the Leadership Morgan Hill, someone asked him why he spent the last 30 years serving as a committed volunteer for the community. His reply was:  “It’s fun. Everyone is different. In my case, I developed an interest in my community from growing up in a small town community; myself in Los Gatos and Janie (his wife of 42 years) in Saratoga. If you get involved in one thing there is more involvement by the whole community and it’s stronger. Otherwise it’s just a place where people live.” 

He earned the prestigious Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year Award in 1989. Another amazing thing Knopf did between work, volunteering and family is finishing a 26.2-mile race, the Las Vegas Marathon in 2002 in 4:24, and he was 62 years at the time. With Councilman Steve Take, Knopf co-chairs the Centennial Project Committee, appointed by their wives who are spearheading the Centennial Committee overseeing the Centennial Celebration today.

Their children, David & Carrie and their families live in Morgan Hill.

GREG SELLERS

The dark haired youthful Morgan Hill resident is an active figure in local politics serving two terms as a Morgan Hill councilman. In 2004, he struck out in the mayoral race against incumbent Dennis Kennedy. Undaunted, Sellers kept on going serving the people. He was just elected to his third term. His wife Suzi is a physically energetic extension of the pair, She is often seen at 24-Hour Fitness teaching fun hip hop and salsa aerobic step classes. Suzi is a dance instructor in various movements and style; she isn’t the dainty motherly type either. She can easily be mistaken for a high school senior with her zesty personality and urban fashion sensibilities. Sellers quietly takes the city by storm with his staunchness in preserving the integrity of Morgan Hill and being an aficionado of the local arts because of his creative family background. Dave Sellers, his brother, is a full-time visual artist, Sellers’ dad Boykin ran the Goose Pond Gallery in downtown a few years ago.

Sellers grew up in Morgan Hill and isn’t a stranger to the happenings here. He graduated from Live Oak in 1979, went to UC-Santa Cruz and earned a bachelor’s degree in american studies. He began his career in the San Francisco Bay Area, but returned to Mushroom City to serve as executive director of the Morgan Hill Downtown Revitalization Program, where he helped to restore its historic downtown. He served on the following boards: Independence Day, Inc. (IDI), the Morgan Hill Historical Society, the Community Law Enforcement Foundation, and Mushroom Mardi Gras.

When not busily helping Suzi with the four kids or serving the public at the council chambers, he is spending time at his office managing Seller Associates–a firm that provides public policy consulting services. Occasionally, he chisels in a few of his hobbies in his compacted schedule such as baseball, sailing, or fixing his family’s historic Craftsman home. If you happen to see a mighty fine classic 1962 Thunderbird cruising down Monterey Road in a future Fourth of July parade in town then Sellers accomplished yet another difficult task.

Freelance writer Angie Young contributed to these profiles.

JENNIFER TATE

The indomitable public servant who is the president of the Morgan Hill Centennial Committee is also the wife of Morgan Hill City Councilman, now Mayor-elect Steve Tate. The 61-year-old mother of two has lived in this city for 29 years. She has always doing something for someone through countless historical or civic-minded events.

Tate won the Gavilan College Spirit Award in 2005 for her volunteer work including but not limited to the Morgan Hill Rotary Club and the Morgan Hill Historical Society of which she is co-president. In addition to these activities, Tate has coordinated in the past the annual Founders’ Day dinner, a swanky and fun affair that venerates founders who have lived in Morgan Hill for more than 50 years.

This year, the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce named her Woman of the Year. An admirer who nominated Tate wrote: “She is an active member and officer in many organizations and also volunteers her time for some for whom she is not a member. If she accepts a job you can count on Jennifer to get it done. She leads by example and has fun doing it.”

A partial list of Tate’s affiliations and accomplishments include being chairperson of the Founders’ Day Dinner for several years, co-chair of the first all-night Grad Party for Live Oak High School, Nordstrom Elementary School Site Committee chairperson, Morgan Hill Community Foundation Logistics Chairwoman for the mayor’s ball, St. Catherine Church Reach Out Program, two-year terms as chairperson of Leadership Morgan Hill’s Leadership Excellence awards dinner, past trustee of the Morgan Hill Unified School District board of education and former president of the Morgan Hill Chapter of Children’s Home Society. Tate owned a downtown business for 11 years – the Morgan Hill Seed Company. She’s now a personal trainer at Fitness Formula.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from University of California-Davis.

STEVE TATE

This lanky, physically fit council member with the ceaseless sunny disposition is the new elected mayor of Morgan Hill. He is someone to watch as we enter a new century. He served has served two four-year terms as a member of the Morgan Hill City Council. Both he and his wife, Jennifer, are an integral part of the Morgan Hill Centennial celebration. Tate is always leading fundraising events, attending a local art show or listening to the heartfelt pleas of fellow citizens. Tate has lived in Mushroom City since 1977 fulfilling his role in the managerial facet of IBM dealing with marketing and planning. Since then he left the computer giant and devoted more of his time to the city he loves. His adult children live in Gilroy and San Francisco and have families of their own. Daughter Stacy was educator of the year in Gilroy in 2005 and, coincidentally, his daughter in law, who is married to his son Greg, is named Jennifer Tate. 

He is a member and past-president of the Morgan Hill Rotary Club, fierce supporter of youth leadership in the Rotary Club, member of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce (via ambassador program) and the South County Democratic Club. Tate just completed his second year as the president of the Leadership Morgan Hill board of directors and was appointed in 2006 to another board of directors of the Housing Trust of Santa Clara County. 

Adding to his credits is his faithful service to the County Library Joint Powers Authority (JPA) board, the city and Morgan Hill Unified School District Liaison Committee and the Santa Clara County Emergency Preparedness Council. If that isn’t enough, Tate also works closely with the Youth Advisory Committee and the Library, Culture and Arts Commission as a liaison from the council. 

Outside the political arena, Tate loves running and completed 15 marathons plus a 50-miler commemorating him reaching the half-century mark in 1994. He loves sports and is a Giant baseball fan; he watches the games at AT&T Park in San Francisco. He and Jennifer travelled to Scottsdale, Ariz., every March to watch the Giants play at spring training camp. Tate manages to sneak in a few precious moments now and then reading fiction while he and his wife are away from the demands of public life.