Blackhawk Bloomers Garden Club

As a third generation Californian, I spent my youth moving around the western US, and I spent a number of those years in Montana, the place where I developed my love for wildflowers and wild spaces. I studied at The University of Montana, as well as CSU East Bay and received degrees in education. I used those as a classroom teacher in both elementary school, community college and also working with teachers. My husband, James, and I are currently in the transitional empty nest phase as our oldest daughter just graduated from college and our youngest daughter is a junior in college. Giving back to the community is extremely important to me, and one way I do that is by giving my time to CASA, a group that helps foster youth. I look forward to this year at Bloomers, as I love that we have an organization that gathers women together to enjoy each others company, learn about the world around us, and foster a better community for ourselves and others.

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 I’m a relatively new member of Bloomers having joined in 2021.  I dove headfirst last year when I was appointed to lead Day Away/Workshops/Events.  I also reintroduced the Bloomers hikes and was joined by a regular group of hiking enthusiasts.  I will continue the hikes this year and look forward to having more members of Bloomers join us.

I was born in El Salvador and emigrated to the United States with my parents and my brother when I was 9 years old and settled in San Francisco.  Years later, my late husband and I raised our kids, Kelsey and Erik in our Fremont home of 28 years.  I loved my career in Human Resources as a physician and executive recruiter but made the decision to retire from Stanford Health Care at the end of 2019, just in time for a global pandemic.

I’m an urban city girl but since moving to Blackhawk, I’ve come to appreciate the nature that abounds in this beautiful place that I now call home.  I moved to Blackhawk in 2020, the year I married my husband, David Newhouse.  When my schedule permits, I enjoy volunteering with Dig in the Dirt and Bounty Garden, two Bloomers community projects because it’s a great way to learn about gardening and a way to help our community.  I look forward to my new position as VP of Membership.

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I was born in Georgia, raised in Sterling, Kansas, graduated from Kansas State University and moved to Northern California in 1975 to begin my banking career.  My husband Jay Silva and I were married in 1984, moved to Danville and quickly decided we had found our “home” for life!  We joined Blackhawk in 2000 and moved inside the gates in 2012.  Our son Jason graduated from USC, lives in Oakland and is the Stadium Operations Director of Security and Systems for the Oakland A’s.  After 42 years of working, I retired in May 2017. 

I joined Bloomers in May of 2013 just in time for the Garden Tour and then in 2016 had the honor of chairing the event.  In 2017 I was Treasurer and Co-Chair of the Garden Tour and then was President from 2017 to 2019.  During the last several years I have held the positions of VP of Programs, Day Away, Workshops and Events and Treasurer.  My position on the Board this year is Parliamentarian.

For my family golf has become a new passion for all three of us!  We always enjoy spending time together, very special to do so on the golf course.  We also love traveling with family and friends!

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I was raised in the historic towns of Lexington and Concord about 25 miles outside of Boston. I slowly made my way west with a stop in Ohio to attend Denison University and then on to St. Louis for my first job in advertising.  Work moved me to Danville 20+ years ago and I have never looked back.  My husband Kent and I joined Blackhawk 11 years ago and I retired when Covid hit. That is when the fun began.  I have written the monthly Bloomers articles for the past two years, and at about the same time started taking golf more seriously! I feel so lucky for all the opportunities and friends that Blackhawk and the Bloomers have provided.  I am looking forward to a year of wonderful education and fun with our program offerings.

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Hello! I am still learning about all that Bloomers has to offer. In 2022, I was a new homeowner and Blackhawk Club member who loved gardens and gardening. Bloomers was a natural fit.
My husband Don Gray and I moved from the Peninsula near the Stanford campus.  We raised six children collectively, and when they moved away and started their own families, we were ready for new digs.  Don and I like to travel, grandparent, garden and golf together, however he doesn’t join me in pickleball.

I was raised in Santa Barbara, and attended high school in Houston and Chicago. At Stanford University, I was a Human Biology major, with an emphasis on man in his environment. That major still works with the garden theme here. My career started in pediatric physical therapy,  however I was pulled into a whole new path through volunteer work serving children, youth and families.  I ran nonprofits seeking funds, and I led charitable foundations distributing funds. I was never a treasurer, however I oversaw many a charitable budget, and I plan to master this responsibility too.

My favorite career memories include starting a shelter for homeless youth, launching the Center for Venture Philanthropy at Peninsula Community Foundation, and developing Raising A Reader, a book bag program that develops a shared-book experience between parents and children in poverty.  This effort was close to my heart, as three of my children were dyslexic, and our shared book experience was central to their love of books that carried them through hard education moments, to good careers today. Only one child is a gardener, so that transfer didn’t work as well.

In my role as treasurer, I hope to know my fellow Bloomers better!   
 

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I am a new member of the Bloomers as of Fall 2023. I was born in Pennsylvania, attended Oregon State University, and have lived in Danville for 30 years, 19 of those years here in Blackhawk. My husband Scott and I are new “empty nesters” We have two daughters; Delaney who is a graduate student at Lipscomp University in Nashville, and Abigail who is a rising junior at Cal Poly. I love the Blackhawk community and have participated on several boards in the school community as well as the Blackhawk Country Club. I am looking forward to working on the Bloomers Board as your Secretary.

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HI! I have been a member of Blackhawk Country Club since 2012 and I joined Bloomers that same year. I was President of Bloomers for 2 years, 2021-2023 and I have held various other Bloomers Board position in the past: VP of Programs, Day Away, Workshops and Bloomers Garden Tour many times. I think Bloomer’s Garden Club is a wonderful Club and I have met many lovely people…many lifelong friends with this group. My husband Brad and I have been married 39 years and we have a son, Tyler, who is married and gave us 2 amazing grandkids, Arielle, and Jonathan. We also have a daughter, Sabrina, she is married and lives in Colorado. Sabrina is expecting her first child in Dec, and we are excited for the arrival of our 3 grandchildren.  I am a California native but have moved many times in my life. I have lived in Sacramento, Idaho, Walnut Creek, Concord, Denver, Camarillo, Clayton, Hawaii, Dublin and now Danville-our final home! While living in Hawaii, I fell in love with gardening and all the beautiful tropical flowers. I also love succulents, and some would say I’m a bit obsessed with them. Recently, I have been taking Flower Design Classes and love using the flowers/succulents from my yard to make flower arrangements.

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