I was born in Gilroy 70 years ago and raised my family here, so I’ve seen lots of changes to our small town. I’ve always cared about what happens in Gilroy and dedicated many years of service to the community. I served on the Chamber of Commerce board for nine years and as president in 2000. I was a member of the South Valley Hospital board, Gilroy Downtown Development Corp. and the Chamber Governmental Review Board and served eight years on the Planning Commission. I owned a downtown business and worked at Costco for many years. In 2001, I was honored to be named Woman of the Year.
I still attend many City Council meetings and am impressed with Mayor Roland Velasco and several council members, especially Dan Harney. This is a transparent council that listens to the people. Watching Councilmember Harney and listening to the pertinent questions he asks of staff, engineers and representatives from various organization and committees, it is apparent he is well-versed with the packet that details agendized items.
I competed with Dan Harney for that council seat in 2016 and I am pleased he was selected by his peers. I am supporting him in his quest for the the two-year City Council term because I’m confident he will make informed decisions that will keep Gilroy a safe, thriving community for new families and those of us who have been here a long time.
Joanie Lewis
