Our very own, GARY MANFRE, voted Man of the Year by Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce!
Gary has been a great supporter of many local organizations and has provided year-round support for the children, elderly and service men and women in our community. He has a constant compassion for the youth of the Pajaro Valley and their welfare. Gary is one of those people who you can’t help but admire because of his leadership.
Erica Manfre says of Gary, “He’s knowledgeable, strong, caring and above all, humble. He doesn’t need to be in the limelight to prove any of his accomplishments; actually, he prefers not to be. He is never too busy for his staff and always makes himself available to offer words of wisdom or to offer perspective. I feel very fortunate that he has allowed me the opportunity to work so closely with him and learn as much as I can. He is extremely deserving to be recognized for his personal and professional achievements and it makes me even more proud to work at Watsonville Coast Produce, Inc.”
Gary has made sure that Watsonville Coast Produce has taken leaps with sustainability including going solar and using local banks (Santa Cruz County Bank) for funding. He has also transitioned the entire WCPI fleet to bio-fuel with local producer, North Star Biodiesel. Gary is creative when it comes to recycling anything and everything they can at WCPI. He makes donations on a regular basis to Second Harvest Food Bank and Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes.
If there’s a cause that is important to one or more of his staff, Gary supports it. Some of these include Relay for Life, Watsonville PAL, Diabetic Youth, DARE, YMCA sports, Future Farmers of America, Jacob’s Heart, PVUSD, Toys for Tots, the Rod and Gun Club, Santa Cruz County Fair, Little League and Pop Warner football teams and all Cabrillo College sports. Gary’s kindness and generosity have been far-reaching in our community.
Diane Severin states, “Through the years that I have known Gary, he has always adopted one or more families at Christmas time and saw that the families had all the things that would make their holiday wonderful with food and gifts for all.” It is people like Gary who make the Pajaro Valley a better place.
- Register Pajaronian
