Events

Eddie García is an East San José native. He had a successful career in government, business, education, and community development. After a massive heart attack in 2010, Eddie embarked on a fight for his life. He used the power of hope to overcome a decade of living with heart failure. A successful heart transplant in 2020 inspired him to publish his memoir, Summer in the Waiting Room: Faith • Hope • Love.

He is also the author of Mexican Heritage Plaza: A Symbol of Resilience and Perseverance. His professional career included positions as Vice President of Local Government Affairs at Comcast in California and Chief of Staff to the President of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. In 2014, he established García Strategies, a leadership development firm that provides skill development and mentorship for community leaders. He works primarily with non-profit organizations, education institutions, and individual executives. Eddie served the education community on the East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD) Board of Trustees from 2006-2010, including a term as Board President in 2010.

During his tenure at the ESUHSD, he spearheaded the “A-G Initiative” – a policy that made college entrance requirements the district’s default curriculum – and led the effort to save after-school sports programs during the 2006-2009 recession. He is also Co-Founder of the Latino Leadership Alliance, a leadership academy established in collaboration with Stanford University’s Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity. Eddie continues to work on several passion projects since his 2020 heart transplant. He volunteers with the Honor the Gift Coalition (a transplant advocacy organization), serves as Board Vice President of the Transplant Recipients International Organization, and shares his story as a national keynote speaker at corporate, nonprofit, and book events.

He is an avid reader, especially of history and biography, and a lifelong fan of the San Francisco Giants and 49ers, Golden State Warriors, and college basketball. In 2011, Eddie was inducted into the East Side Union High School District Hall of Fame. He is the recipient of the Californians for Justice “Justice Award” and the NAACP “Freedom Fighter Award.” Eddie lives in San Jose, California, with his wife Sandra. They have two adult daughters.  

Wade Nomura is an international speaker having beens involved in both local and international humanitarian causes, having worked on more than 200 charitable projects benefiting over 2 million people, including an NID to India, where he has a special passion, having had polio as a child.

He is a Charter member of the Rotary Club of Carpinteria Morning and served as District Governor in 2011-2012. He is the Multidistrict PETS Alliance Executive Director, a Rotary Rose Parade Float Director and past 2 times chair and has represented the Rotary International Presidents’ 13 times.

Wade is the Regions Coordinator for the Rotary Foundation Cadres of Technical Advisors globally and served on the Future Vision planning committee for the Rotary Foundation. He was the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Rotary Action Group’s (WASHRAG) Operations Chair and is the Projects Support Committee Chair for HANWASH (Haiti) which was awarded the $4 million Programs of Scale grant for next year.

Wade has received Rotary International’s highest individual award, the Service Above Self award and Rotary Foundation’s highest individual award, the Distinguished Service award. 

Wade is the former two-time Mayor and current City Council member for the City of Carpinteria with over 30 years with the City.

He and his wife Debbie produced and hosted the TV shows Rotary, Serving Our Community (www.WeAreRotary.TV) for 6 seasons and the award winning Carpinteria Living TV show.

Wade was a multiple BMX National Champion, World Champion, Hall of Famer and designer of the Nomura Racing bike, an icon among the avid BMX collectors.

Recently Wade coauthored his biography Creating Destiny, with his wife Debbie Nomura, who is also a Rotarian.

WILLIAM FREDLUND obtained his BA and his MA from UCLA where he specialized in European history and Art history. After independent study in Europe, Dr. Fredlund came to Stanford University to pursue graduate study in history and humanities where he specialized in Renaissance Italy and completed a Ph.D. in both history and humanities. Dr. Fredlund studied in Italy on a Fulbright Fellowship where he began work on his book about Renaissance Italy.

While living in Italy, he lectured extensively in Florence for American university programs such as those of UCLA and University of Michigan, as well as for University of Florence. In the United States, Dr. Fredlund has taught for UCLA, Stanford, and UCSC-Extension. Dr. Fredlund is currently writing a book entitled 1494: The Year the French Discovered Italy in which he explores the extraordinary changes that occurred in Italy during the crisis of 1494.

In the photo above, Prof. Fredlund is seen sitting under the two hundred-year old oak tree at his home in Los Altos.