Acting Superintendent/President Romero Jalomo shared this message in honor of the passing of Salinas Mayor Joe Gunter:
“Hartnell College lost a true and dear friend Monday with the passing of Salinas Mayor Joe Gunter.
“We share in the loss felt by the entire city of Salinas, the communities of the Salinas Valley and beyond. Our hearts go out to Joe’s wife, Lisa, and their entire family, as well as his colleagues in City Hall and the Salinas Police Department, where he was an officer and detective for 32 years until his retirement in 2002. A key advocate of our Measure T bonds for new construction, he joined us in February for a public forum to help envision the community dividends of our expanded offerings.
“Likewise, in December, Joe was among speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony for our new Center for Nursing and Health Sciences (pictured). He also was an active participant in the Salinas Valley Five Cities network and a regular speaker at the Hartnell Athletics Hall of Fame.
“Joe supported Hartnell College and our students in countless ways that we will undoubtedly continue to recall and discover for years to come. We will be forever grateful to him.”