Known as a top college recruiter and defensive specialist, Paso Robles native Bob Cantu spent 12 seasons at USC as an assistant coach, associate head coach and interim head coach. He recruited and/or coached 14 NBA players, including five who were selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. He was a part of five NCAA Tournament teams (including a berth in the Sweet 16 in 2007), the 2009 Pac-10 Tournament champions and a school record three consecutive 20-win squads from 2007-09. USC set a school record with 25 wins during the 2006-07 season.

Before becoming a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Jimmy Panetta volunteered for active duty in 2007 and was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He worked with Special Forces units and was awarded the Bronze Star. Upon returning home to the Central Coast, he served as a board member of the Veterans Transition Center where he focused on ending veterans’ homelessness and improving resources for his fellow veterans and their families.

A graduate of Cornell University who holds a Masters in teaching from Emory University, Jon Gordon is an American author and speaker on the topics of leadership, culture, sales and teamwork. Through his training/consulting company, Gordon’s principles have been widely used by numerous Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sports teams, school districts, hospitals and nonprofits.

A wide receiver and track star at Arroyo Grande High School in the 1980s, Will Henry broke records for most receiving yards (1,136) and touchdowns (9) during the team’s 1987 state championship season. Named to the prestigious all-America team, Henry went on to play football and run track at Fresno State University. Working with the homeless for more than 15 years, Henry previously served as the director for Homeless Vets in Las Vegas. He is currently the program manager for Project RoomKey, providing hotel rooms for individuals and couples in San Francisco during the time of Sheltering in Place to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Over a 20-year-plus career as a pro-bono attorney, Alma Silva has worked with La Raza and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, served as an associate with the law firm Connerton, Ray, and Simon, and has served two terms as an alumni representative to Stanford’s El Centro Chicano Guiding Concilio.

The youngest of seven children, Francisco was born in Sonora, Mexico, with the family migrating to Salinas when he was 4 years old. Like his siblings, Francisco was expected to work in the agricultural fields alongside his parents, who taught their children the value of hard work and education. Francisco graduated from Santa Clara University and UCLA School of Law in the inaugural class of the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy. He has spent a distinguished career speaking up for the underserved.

A graduate of King City High School and Hartnell College in Salinas, John Devine has built a stellar career as a sports journalist in his own backyard. A local icon when it comes to sports information, with more than 12,000 followers on Twitter, Devine keeps generations of local sports fans informed on a daily basis.

Named Coach of the Year nine times and Monterey County Coach of the Year six times, Jim Rear compiled a combined 394 wins at Alisal and Alvarez high schools. He was selected to the Gatorade Coaches Care National Honor Roll in 1995 and was inducted into both the Alisal High Hall of Fame and Salinas Valley Sports Hall of Fame.

Called “a big-time shooter with length,” Stanford’s 7-foot center Keenan Fitzmorris sets big-time goals both on and off the court.

A product of East Salinas, Julio Gil used his creative talents to build a thriving small business in his hometown. A model of entrepreneurship, Central Coast Sign and Design specializes in graphic design, logos, vehicle wraps and signs.