Cypress College will host its 40th Annual Americana Awards to recognize several local citizens for contributions to their communities on Saturday, Feb. 28 at the Disneyland Hotel Grand Ballroom.
Among them are Los Alamitos recipient Tom Barclay, La Palma’s William Meil and Cypress couple Pat and Roberta O’Toole. The event will also recognize Sheriff Sanda Hutchens as Woman of the Year.
Los Alamitos/Rossmoor recipient Tom Barclay
One civic leader who is someone described as being involved in everything and always willing to help exemplifies General Manager Tom Barclay of Ganahl Lumber in Los Alamitos.”
Among the many service organizations in which he is actively involved in are the Los Alamitos Youth Center (as a board member for years), Casa Youth Shelter, St. Isidore Historical Plaza, and Precious Life Shelter. Barclay said his active participation in the community is possible because of his employer, Ganahl Lumber, which also serves as a model of “giving back” to Los Alamitos.
His connection to the community of Los Alamitos began 16 years ago in 1998 when he joined Ganahl Lumber’s operations in the city. He has worked a total of 35 years with the company.
Ganahl’s leadership, and particularly Peter Ganahl, whom he considers a mentor and role model in both his personal and professional life, inspires Barclay’s service. Ganahl has had a greater vision of community involvement, a “giving attitude,” that encouraged volunteerism. Barclay credits his mentor and the unique company culture that he established as fuel for his increasingly greater civic role.
Two other community leaders, Tom Stretz and Dave Appling, invited his activity in Los Alamitos. “They asked,” Stretz said. “And Ganahl gave me permission to get involved.” Barclay has a natural desire to provide, whether that be in traditional ways such as taking care of his family or more gentlemanly airs such as holding the door for a stranger, writing a check for a charitable cause or doing a task for someone who needs help.
“I feel fortunate to be in the position where I can assist,” said Barclay, “I have been helped in my life and I like opportunities to do the same for others.”
He enjoys being involved in the community because of the people he gets a chance to work along side with.
“The people in Los Alamitos are special,” said Barclay. “I know this because I have managed many lumberyards prior to my time in this city and none of the people reached out and offered opportunities as they have here.”
Barclay has many interests. His hobbies include surfing, flying, sailing, reading and hiking. He plans to sail his boat from Long Beach to Hawaii. His presence is youthful, uplifting and marked by a “can-do” attitude. “I love to learn,” he said. “I’ve never gotten great at any one thing. I’ve liked adventure since I was a kid.”
Barclay was raised in Alhambra, one of 11 children. He is a licensed pilot, an activity that builds off his background at Cypress College where he studied aviation. He also studied construction management at Fullerton College before he went into the lumber business in 1977.
In 1980, Barclay was hired by Ganahl Lumber, which he said has been “a great ride for 35 years.” He is a member of the Lumber Association of Southern California, the West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau and the RI Flying Club. Barclay has two grown children, three grandchildren and one on the way.
His giving spirit, sense of adventure and exemplary business charity serve as an inspiration to others and are deeply valued throughout the city of Los Alamitos.
Pat and Roberta O’Toole are Cypress recipients
Pat and Roberta O’Toole will be recognized as the Cypress 2015 Citizens of the Year, an award of the highest merit for these two extraordinary Cypress residents.
Long-time Cypress residents, Pat and Roberta O’Toole are well known throughout the community. Pat served as commissioner on the city’s Recreation & Community Services commission from 2009 to 2013. Roberta is the on-site manager of the Tanglewood North Homeowners Association. Serving as a member of the Cypress Woman’s Club, each year she coordinates a project called the Buddy Boxes that are provided to the veterans at the Long Beach Veterans Hospital.
For several years Pat and Roberta were known as the PR team for the Cypress Community Festival Association. They took hundreds of pictures and wrote many articles that appeared in the Event News and the News Enterprise papers, in addition to coordinating the Festival‘s printed programs. As a result of their public relations talents, the event became more popular and increased in attendance.
Both Pat and Roberta are Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members and have assisted with various county disasters such as seasonal fires. Membership in CERT requires members to attend informative training sessions and to pass the required exams.
‘Bill’ Meil receives La Palma award
William “Bill” Meil is deeply involved in many organizations across the city of La Palma. His role in La Palma Police Department’s Volunteers in Policing (VIP) Program is one of his many recognized and valued efforts.
Since 2005, he has helped keep the community stay safe in his regular four-hour patrols, going above and beyond the call of duty to exercise leadership throughout the program. Meil is the liaison between VIP and the police department, and chairs monthly meetings, serves as treasurer, creates and distributes monthly duty schedules, maintains and updates contact lists, and calls members to fill-in for patrol absences. He also reminds them of upcoming events where VIP’s are needed.
Moreover, Meil frequently helps the department by driving police vehicles to be washed, fueled or repaired. He schedules VIP’s for Police and Fire Department and City Hall visits by school groups, for which he is always one of the guides. He also provides assistance to the La Palma Police Explorers.
For the Kiwanis Club of La Palma, he prepares the meeting room at La Palma Hospital and restores it following the meeting. He serves in a variety of administrative functions as the liaison with the hospital. Meil maintains and updates member contact information, is the club lead on fundraising, and prepares volunteer sign-up sheets. He is involved in the club’s service and community-building projects serving food to schools and other groups that ask the club to support them.
During the yearly Christmas Food Basket project, Meil stores, distributes, collects and moves canned goods. He also has helped expand business support by visiting all store front businesses in La Palma. He knows the managers of most of La Palma’s larger businesses and maintains contact with them, which helps community support efforts.
Meil is often the first to step up when assistance is required. When the local Chamber of Commerce needed help, he made himself available and served the Chamber for about three years until it ceased operations. He also worked at the La Palma Community Hospital for more than three years until the hospital no longer needed the assistance. Despite his busy schedule, he delivers meals to the elderly for La Palma Meals on Wheels.
Meil credits his parents for instilling him with the value of service. His father always found time to help by keeping the church clean, serving as an elder, and counseling people regarding spiritual values, financial problems and emotional difficulties. Meil and his wife Marie, have been married 60 years and have five children.
His service started young at the age of 17 when Meil and four others created a missionary program in Greater Detroit. This was the beginning of life-long activity in the church where he serves as a deacon, treasurer, school and camp leader. For eight years (1991-1999) he was the treasurer of a church in South Central LA that worked specifically with the poor, providing shelter and food. Since 1986, he has also been very involved with a prison ministry, which grades and returns prisoner’s bible lessons from across the country.
Meil’s service throughout his life has been an inspiration to those he’s served.