Roger Knopf, the AAUW and GVA Cafe are Morgan Hill Spirit Award winners
Published in the October 26 – November 8, 2016 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
Renee Carrillo, owner of Grinds, Vines and Automobilia Cafe in downtown Morgan Hill, shows off the Gavilan College Spirit award for local business. Resident Roger Knopf won for individual and the American Association of University of Women won for organization.
Photo courtesy Renee Carrillo
The Gavilan College Board of Trustees announced at its September meeting the winners of the Community Spirit Awards for 2016 for Morgan Hill. The awards were presented at the Oct. 6 Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce Breakfast to honor the people and institutions that contribute to improving the quality of life in the Morgan Hill community. Each of the three sets of awards includes an individual, a business, and an organization.
This year’s awards were presented to Roger Knopf as an individual who made a difference in the Morgan Hill/San Martin area, Morgan Hill branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) as an organization, and GVA Cafe as a business.
The following are the descriptions given by Gavilan for the awards:
Roger Knopf: Roger’s Morgan Hill roots reach back for decades. He has been very active in local and regional community service: For Morgan Hill Unified School District he served on the Personnel Commission for 18 years and chaired two successful bond election campaigns (the last built Barrett Elementary School and Sobrato High school). For Santa Clara County he served on Advisory Committee for Channelization of Llagas Creek on 566 project, served on several ad hoc planning committees for the Planning Department and served on the General Plan up-date committee from 1993 to 1996.
He served the city of Morgan Hill on the Architectural Review Board (which he also chaired) for six years; served on the ad hoc committee that developed and wrote the city’s present ethics policy; served on and chaired the Corporation Yard Commission from 1990 to the present. For community organizations he has served on the board of directors of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce, served on the Centennial Committee, volunteered for the Morgan Hill Historical Society; been a 34-year member and past president of Rotary Club of Morgan Hill, was a founding director of the Morgan Hill Community Law Enforcement Foundation and a founding director of the Community Foundation of Morgan Hill.
Knopf currently serves on the board of Leadership Morgan Hill, and served as president for two years. He was also a founding director of South Valley National Bank, a director of Pacific Capital Bancorp and on the boards of South Valley Hospital, Health Dimensions/Good Samaritan Health System, and San Jose Hospital/Regional Medical Center of San Jose, where he is currently serving as chairman of the board of trustees.
AAUW Morgan Hill: This year the Morgan Hill AAUW is celebrating its 35th anniversary in this community. AAUW’s vision is to empower women and girls to reach their highest potential and is primarily accomplished through educational scholarships and community grants.
As a nonprofit organization, AAUW-MH exemplifies the ideals of community support. AAUW-MH is best known for the annual Wildflower Run. The first 5K Run was held in 1982 and raised $1,000. In 2016, the Wildflower Run has grown to 1,000 participants and includes a 10K run, 5K run/walk/stroll, a 2K run for kids and 2K run for seniors, raising approximately $40,000 to send eight middle school girls to Tech Trek, an AAUW-sponsored science and math camp held on the Stanford campus; support Girls Engaged in Math and Science (GEMS), a STEM program for local junior and high school girls; provide eight scholarships to our local high school girls and Gavilan Community College women; provide follow-up grants to previous scholarship winners to help them complete their college education; provide a nursing or health care scholarship to a Gavilan College student; provide community grants for projects that are in alignment with AAUW’s mission; send a local college student to AAUW’s National Conference of College Women Student Leaders, for a week of leadership training; send an AAUW member to Leadership Morgan Hill, sustaining a strong connection to community; conduct a speech contest, Speech Trek, for local high school students. Additionally, AAUW Morgan Hill co-sponsors a community candidates forums during election years and presents educational programs open to the public at the Morgan Hill Library.
GVA Cafe: Possibly the only corner coffee shop that also serves wine, gelato and food. GVA provides a venue for bands, musicians, and live comedy shows. GVA Café is definitely a community gathering place and an important part fo the Morgan Hill downtown. In an interview, owner Renee Carrillo said “I’ve always said, this it not just for me, it is for my community, for my employees, an experience for anyone who enters.”
Other recipients of the Gavilan Spirit Awards are for Gilroy: Individual — Alice Sousa; Organization — Gilroy Community for A Better Downtown; and Business — Articulate Solutions. In San Benito County: Individual —Sandy Gabe; Organization — Hollister Youth Alliance; Business — Paine’s Restaurant.
