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“Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.” ~ Anonymous Lisa Blagof Realtor® Sales Associate Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage L isa Blagof, 55, is a native of Oregon but her Gilroy roots go back 30 years. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Allied Health from the Oregon Institute of Technology, she dedicated 14 years as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist at local area hospitals and medical clinics. In 2001, she shifted gea rs to become a Realtor® Sales Associate with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. In this role, she focuses on all aspects of sales and marketing for residential, new construction and vacant land in the South Valley region stretching from Morgan Hill south to Hollister. She is the producer and host of Lisa Knows South Valley, a weekly video promoting South Valley events, and her own YouTube channel. Lisa is an active member of Gilroy Sunrise Rotary Club and the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce, a charter member and Sergeant-at-Arms with Gilroy Toastmasters, and 32 GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN a graduate of Leadership Gilroy (2019). She has a rich history of volunteerism and leadership with organizations such as San Jose Flying Medical Volunteers, Community Solutions, Coldwell Banker Community Foundation, Gilroy Garlic Festival, South County Realtors Alliance, South County Tail Waggers. Lisa established a bi-annual American Red Cross Blood Drive for the Gilroy Sunrise Rotary Club. She was named by the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce as Spice of Life Volunteer of the Year (2019) and Ambassador of the Year (2017) and has served as its Holiday Parade Committee Chair as well as Paws in the Park Chair and Emcee. Lisa’s husband Ray, a retired tennis pro and teacher, coaches the boys’ and girls’ tennis teams at Gilroy High School. Their family includes two stepdaughters, Kristine, an attorney; and Kelly, whose four boys are aged 3 to 12. WINTER 2020 gmhtoday.com