The dedication and extraordinary commitment to helping others has been recognized recently for one amazing Ventura County volunteer. Gary Nasalroad, a retired Southern California Edison Accounts Manager, has been supporting local non-profits and community organizations and was honored with the highest President of the United States Volunteer Award at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Board Leadership Conference last week.

The President’s Volunteer Service Award is issued by the president’s Council on Service and Civic Participation on behalf of the President of the United States to recognize the best in American spirit and to encourage all Americans to improve their communities through volunteer service and civic participation.

There are 3 levels and 4 categories of the awards varying by age and hours of service. But in addition, individuals who complete more than 4000 hours or more of service will be recognized with the President’s Call to Service Award.

Presenting the highest President’s Volunteer Award to Gary Nasalroad was Boys & Girls Clubs of America President Roxanne Spillett for his extraordinary commitment to the Boys & Girls Club of Ventura and the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley, which serves the communities of Fillmore, Rancho Sespe and Santa Paula.

In recognizing his years of service to be eligible for the Call to Service Award, President Spillett highlighted many of the volunteer services Gary had performed over the years. Gary started volunteering with the Boys & Girls Club of Ventura in 1973 and is now one of only 3 Board members who are considered Life Members. Gary has served in many capacities on the Board having served 3 terms as President, Vice President, Auction Co-Chair for 10 years, Golf Chair of 2 golf tournaments a year for more than 23 years, active in Resource Development and 2 capital campaigns.

One of his proudest accomplishments as president was merging the Ventura Boys Club with the Ventura Girls Club into one unified more cost effective and operationally efficient service provider for our youth. This merger into a Boys & Girls Club organization preceded the National organization’s name change by 10 years.

In 1995, Gary moved to Santa Paula and joined the Santa Paula Boys & Girls Club Board of Directors (now the Santa Clara Valley Boys & Girls Club) a year later in 1996. Since joining that board Gary has served twice as President and has been involved in all of the Santa Clara Valley’s major fundraising events including their golf tournament and Taste of the Valley food & wine tasting event held annually in Fillmore.
Over the past 36 years of Boys & Girls Clubs participation, Gary has raised more than a million dollars for the two Club organizations. He has received the Service to Youth Award as well as the Medallion for Exceptional Service from Boys & Girls Clubs of America for his commitment to the local Clubs he holds so close to his heart.

Gary has also been very active with additional community service activities including serving as a Ventura City Planning Commissioner for 9 years, where he twice served as chairman. Currently, Gary is close to completing 12 years on the Santa Paula Planning Commission with 3 years as its chairman.

Gary spent 27 years as a member of the Lions Club including four terms as president and twice as zone chairman. He is currently a member of the Santa Paula Rotary Club and has been for the past 9 years. Gary received the Paul Harris Fellowship, one of Rotary’s highest awards and was chosen Rotarian of the Year in 2006. For three years he chaired or co-chaired the Rotary Christmas basket program which serves over 400 needy families in Santa Paula annually.

Gary is a 10-year member of the board and VP of the Santa Paula Theater Company and has been a docent and gives school’s tours for the California Oil Museum. Gary is also a member of the Santa Clara Valley Hospice Board of Directors, and a Charter member of the Santa Paula Police & Fire Foundation Board of Directors.

Gary has been married to his lovely wife Nancy for 44 years, who is also a long-time volunteer for the Boys & Girls Clubs. They have two daughters and 5 grandsons.