Gonzales built several Silicon Valley businesses, enjoys living in MH

Published in the Aug. 5-18, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life

By Robert Airoldi

Senior-Profile---Art-Gonzales-webTo this day, whenever Art Gonzales, 66, meets another veteran he makes a point of thanking him or her and shaking hands. The Morgan Hill resident loves helping veterans so much that in 2003 he founded the nonprofit Vietnam Veterans and Friends that fundraises for the Medal of Honor Society and the Veteran’s Supportive Services Agency.

“To me it’s about awareness,” he said of staying involved with veterans’ issues. “I want people to understand what our veterans who served and died did and to educate people about what they did for our country.”

Gonzales was instrumental in getting veteran Jim Taylor – head of the Western Region of the Medal of Honor Society – to appear as this year’s Fourth of July Parade Grand Marshal. Taylor later told Gonzales how impressed he was with Morgan Hill and the July Fourth festivities. He watched the children perform the Patriotic Sing and line the streets waving American flags during the parade and told Gonzales: “That’s what we like to see. That’s what it’s all about… our freedom.”

Born and raised in south San Jose, Gonzales was drafted in 1969 and served eight months in Vietnam as an armor crewman delivering fuel, ammunition and supplies. He was honorably discharged early to attend college.

He was diagnosed with PTSD and to this day sleeps just four to five hours a night, can’t watch the July 4 fireworks show (but does enjoy the parade) and finds it difficult to sit with his back to a door.

“I’m always moving, always have to be multitasking,” he said.

Soon after he was discharged he bought a night club in San Jose called The Warehouse. After eight years he sold that business, then spent 15 years in the retail business working as a buyer for Nordstrom. Then as his young daughter was preschool age he started a company that built and owned day care centers.

“I saw where she’d go and I thought I could do a better job,” he said. The company built two, one in the Vallco Shopping Mall and one in the Bayfair Mall in San Leandro. After five years he sold that company, but made a deal that when his first grandchild was of age, he or she would get free tuition at the center.

Continuing his entrepreneurial spirit, Gonzales started AJ’s Special Events that put on weddings, corporate events and other celebrations at the Coyote Grange Hall that he remodeled.

Then he went to work for Calpine Metcalf Energy Center as a facility manager in 1999 and stayed until 2005.

After leaving he started Coyote Land Management and now oversees all three Calpine plants, Agnews, Los Esteros Critical Energy Facility and Metcalf Energy Center, all in San Jose, and 800 acres of land in Coyote Valley.

About four years ago he and his girlfriend of 17 years, Jeanne, decided to move and thought about Morgan Hill, the town he drove through many times as a child visiting family in Salinas and where the couple would often come to dine rather than heading into downtown San Jose. They found a home on Main Avenue right on the parade route where they annual watch the parade with about 20 family members and friends.
Gonzales comes from a large family. His mother had 21 siblings and his father had 10 siblings and when the family gathers for reunions about 350 show up, he said.

“Now the younger generation more into social media has taken over the planning and cooking,” he said with a smile.

He enjoys all Morgan Hill has to offer and said he has put down his roots permanently here.

“I love the small town feel,” he said. “I like the downtown restaurants, the Friday night music and the Fourth of July celebrations. I’m here to stay.”