Local officials join Dennis Kennedy at presentation of Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan.
Morgan Hill at the time, and shared the
community’s concern that a solution be
found. He met with a group of us and threw
his support behind the formation of the
South Valley Dayworkers Committee, and
we started matching workers with jobs.”
Dennis was also instrumental in
founding the Morgan Hill Community
Foundation, along with Gene Guglielmo,
Greg Sellers and others,” Banuelos said.
“Over the years he has brought a lot of
integrity to community leadership in
Morgan Hill. He really has the heart of a
public servant.
“I can remember working alongside him
on City Beautification Day one year. One of
the volunteers said ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if the
city politicians were here helping out?’ when
someone pointed out that the guy pulling
weeds right next to her was Mayor Kennedy.”
Kennedy’s love of swimming inspires
his ongoing involvement with the Morgan
Hill Aquatics Foundation and their support
of the City’s Aquatics Center – a first-class
facility that he helped get off the ground
before retiring as mayor.
“Whenever I go there on a hot summer
day and see folks enjoying a cool swim
in the pool, I smile all over again because
the people of Morgan Hill threw their
support behind it, and it will be enjoyed for
generations to come.”
Kennedy is also a big believer in
supporting the arts. In recent years, the
South Valley Symphony was looking to
build community awareness and they
turned to Kennedy for help.
According to Claudia Rossi, “We have
a very accomplished symphony orchestra,
so it was frustrating for supporters to see
empty seats at the performances due to lack
of awareness. Dennis lent a helping hand
with everything from planning a fundraiser
and securing sponsorships to handing out
flyers. He’s a big picture guy who doesn’t
mind rolling up his shirtsleeves for a good
cause. He always talks up the merits of
the work of others, often recognizing their
talent even before they see it in themselves.”
Kennedy’s long-time friend Bert Berson
told of a trip they took to Africa in 2012.
“We were on a safari in the Serengeti,
spending a day with a tribe of Bushmen.
Our guide spotted wild game and set off
on a run, gesturing for us to follow. Dennis
was the only one who could keep up! But
Dennis’s eyes really lit up when we visited
the local schools. He wanted to know how
the students were doing and what they
needed to succeed. He’s a very kind man
who sees a worthwhile cause, rallies people
behind it, and gets the ball rolling.”
“The public needs to know the hard facts about our limited water resources and the vulnerabilities of our existing
water infrastructure. I want people to know the many ways that they can be part of the solution.”
Dennis Kennedy
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MARCH / APRIL 2015
gmhtoday.com
and past President of the Downtown
Association, and was a founding member/
past President of the Morgan Hill chapter
of Sister Cities International. He was a
past president of the Santa Clara County
Cities Association, a member of the Silicon
Valley American Leadership Forum, and
a member of Morgan Hill Rotary Club.
Leadership Morgan Hill presented him with
its Leadership Excellence Award in 2007
in honor of his distinguished record of
community service.
“Sister Cities was a pet project of mine,”
Kennedy said. “It takes strong advocates
in both cities to get things going. Gene
Guglielmo had a connection with the
Mayor of San Casciano, Italy, and helped
established our first official sister city
relationship. Jess Ambriz introduced us
to the Mayor of San Martin de Hidalgo,
Mexico, which became our second sister
city. When Judy and Murv Little joined,
they helped us establish Mizuho, Japan as
a sister city. And it was Bernie Mulligan,
another dedicated goodwill ambassador,
who facilitated our adoption of Headford,
Ireland, as well as Seferihizar, Turkey.”
Kennedy has also helped to elevate
cultural diversity in the local community.
When Claudia Rossi ran for and won a seat
on the Morgan Hill Unified School District
board in 2010, she said Kennedy was a
great encouragement.
“He was on the Morgan Hill Times
editorial board at the time, and the paper
was looking for a candidate to endorse,”
Rossi said. “While the board grilled us on
some contentious issues, Dennis listened,
acknowledged and engaged each candidate
in a dialogue. He wanted to understand
what was behind the views of others and to
get people collaborating.
“Dennis is not uncomfortable with
people’s differences and always promotes
open dialogue to find common ground.”
Morgan Hill Community Foundation
board member Mario Banuelos described
Dennis Kennedy as a man with a strong
sense of social justice. “In the late 1990s,
local day laborers were having trouble
finding work. Dennis was Mayor of