“ I feel a responsibility to follow those who have come before us and given so much to make Gilroy a unique place ...”

Owner - GB Landscape Services , Inc ., Member - Gilroy HNRC , Member - Pinnacle Bank Advisory Board , Director - Gilroy Garlic Festival Association . greg @ gblandscapes . net / gblandscapes . net

In 1975 , Greg ’ s parents , Sam and Judy , moved to Gilroy to operate their renowned local restaurant , Digger Dan ’ s . Since then , the family has whole-heartedly invested in the community . In 1979 at the age of 12 , Greg worked alongside his parents and his older brother Dave at the first Gilroy Garlic Festival , serving hot Minestrone soup to folks in the heat and dust . It was a bust . “ We ate a lot of soup that summer .” he quips .

Greg attended local schools and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo , where he earned a degree in horticulture before returning to Gilroy .

His first official Festival role was Information Chair in 1993 . Since then he has served as Gourmet Alley Chair ( 2004 ), Garlic Festival President ( 2010 ), and is a current board member . He is an appointed member of the Housing , Neighborhood and Revitalization Committee , where he helps review applications and oversee the efficacy of the community block grant process . A Pinnacle Bank Advisory Board member , he is past-president of Brownell Parent Club , former Adams 4-H and Gilroy High FFA volunteer , former youth sports coach and past-president of the Gilroy Sister Cities Committee . He spent nearly three years , on

two separate trips , in sister-city , Takko-Machi , Japan . His second trip was with wife Lora .

Greg and Lora live on Dowdy St . near his childhood home on 5th where his parents still reside . Their daughters Olivia , 19 , and Gianna , 17 , share the family ’ s love for community and service . Olivia was 2020 GHS senior Class President . Gianna is currently GHS senior class Vice-President .

When not working or volunteering , he enjoys mountain biking , dirt bikes , snowboarding , hunting , and fishing . A writer at heart , he self-published a children ’ s book , “ Captain Charlie Talks About Conservation ” about recycling , just after college . He has penned articles for local publications and plans to one day write a novel on Japanese culture , stemming from his adventures there .

Greg envisions a community of empowered citizens and city staff solving problems together to make Gilroy a better place for all . “ Expect excellence with the understanding that staff cannot solve every problem .” With 30 years of self-employed , private-sector , contracting experience and his vast local knowledge , Greg ’ s future plans include public service . His motivation is simply to help Gilroy reach its potential . “ I feel a responsibility to follow those who have come before us and given so much to make Gilroy a unique place . We need to create a culture of yes .”

These are not mere words . It ’ s Greg in action . gmhtoday . com gmhTODAY Magazine WINTER 2022 27