Our Students & Your Generosity Create a Better Community

As we step into August, we warmly welcome a month filled with opportunities for reflection and planning. August is recognized as “Make a Will Month,” a time to consider the importance of estate planning and ensuring our loved ones are cared for. This observance encourages us to approach the task with care and foresight, providing peace of mind for ourselves and our families.

Amidst the summer’s warmth, let us embrace this month as a chance to safeguard our legacies and honor our responsibilities. Whether revisiting existing plans or initiating new ones, August invites us to prioritize the future with diligence and consideration.

With appreciation,

Jackie and Kristine

The Hartnell College Foundation and the Council for the Arts are honored to present the 2024 Gala for the Arts on Saturday, August 17, 2024. This year, eight will be recognized and honored for their ongoing support and promotion of the arts.

Two of those honorees are Linda Gin and Pat Horsley, who will receive the Distinguished Service to the Arts Award. They are both Hartnell College alumni and have been involved in exalting the arts at Hartnell College for many years as donors, volunteers, and advocates.

“Although there are other more deserving individuals, I’m truly honored to be selected,” Linda said. “The arts have always been part of life and are a source of beauty, peace, and joy.”

Linda was born and raised in Salinas. She graduated from Hartnell College and became an accountant. She soon entered banking and became a Trust Officer for Bank of America and Wells Fargo for 43 years. She retired as the Vice President-Trust Officer for Wells Fargo in December 2011. Linda has served the public in many ways, including on the Salinas Chapter of the League of Women Voters boards and the Hartnell College Foundation.

She stays busy in community service. She has served on the Hartnell College Foundation’s Council for the Arts for nearly 21 years and has also been involved with the Women’s Leadership Council at CSUMB for 20 years, raising funds for re-entry students and emergency funds. She served on California’s mandated Ombudsman Board under the Alliance on Aging and helped raise funds for volunteers’ expenses in visiting long-term care facilities in Monterey County. She was also the Principal of the Chinese Mandarin School, which was under the umbrella of the Chinese Association of Salinas, where she continues to serve as Financial Secretary.

Linda married Allen Gin in 1962. They have two sons and four grandchildren. In retirement, the Gins travel as much as possible.

Pat was born in Iowa and raised in San Francisco. She pursued her passion for opera at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music while attending Capuchino High School and San Francisco State University. She has taught music and theater arts in various institutions, including the Evergreen and Salinas City School Districts, the Salinas Conservatory, and Shanghai, China. Currently, she manages a family business.

She has performed at The Western Stage since its first season. Pat played Dulcinea in “Man of La Mancha” (1974-75) and continues to perform throughout the Monterey area. Her lifelong goals include achieving excellence in theater arts, becoming bilingual in Spanish, and traveling the world.

Pat is a dedicated volunteer, contributing her time to organizations such as The Western Stage and the Hartnell College Foundation’s Council for the Arts. She has also served as a board member for S.P.C.A. and the S.T.A.R. Foundation.

In her personal life, Pat married Gary, and they have three daughters – Trish, Kris, and Beth – who have given her six grandchildren and one great-grandson, Hudson.

These are two wonderful honorees for this year to be recognized and applauded for their service to community and the arts.

Below is a list of all 2024 honorees:

Jose G. Ortiz, Distinguished Alumnus in the Arts

Gail Higginbotham, Community Arts Hero

Linda Gin, Distinguished Service to the Arts

Pat Horsley, Distinguished Service to the Arts

Jeanne and Rollie Dick, The Western Stage Distinguished Honorees

Mimi and George Niesen, The Western Stage Distinguished Honorees

Shirley and Tom Kiatta, The Western Stage Distinguished Honorees

Burrell Leonard, Arts Legacy Award

Congratulations to all of the honorees! For more information about the Gala for the Arts or to buy your tickets, click here.

If you are thinking about giving the Hartnell College Foundation an estate gift from your will or trust, please contact us or learn more on our website.

If you want a free estate planning guide, please click here.

Our very best!