Natividad Nurse Nora Dowd Remembered with $1 Million Gift • Input Sought on Highway 1 Auxiliary Lanes Aesthetics • Paul Happach Joins Santa Cruz County Bank

COMMUNITY BRIEFS

Natividad Nurse Nora Dowd Remembered with $1 Million Gift

Natividad Foundation announces a $1 million gift from Edward M. Dowd in memory of his mother, Nora W. Dowd.

Nora was a registered nurse at Natividad from 1966 to 1996, caring for patients at the Mental Health Unit.

In 1927, at age 8, Nora immigrated to the United States from Ireland. In 1939, the World’s Fair was in New York, and Nora met her future husband, Thomas P. Dowd. They were married in 1940 before moving to San Francisco, where they raised three sons, Edward, Thomas and James. In 1952, Nora and Tom moved the family to Salinas.

“I have great memories of going to Sacred Heart and Palma in Salinas, and I made lifelong friends,” Ed Dowd said. “I am delighted to have the opportunity to give back to Salinas with this gift that celebrates the life of my mother.”

After growing up in Salinas, four years of service in the Air Force and earning a bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University, Ed Dowd established a successful investment real estate career. He was a founder of San Jose National Bank and Commerce Savings and Loan in Sacramento. In 1981, he founded EMD Properties, which today owns and operates about 1,000 residential rental units in the San Francisco Bay area.

“I am privileged to be able to make philanthropic investments in organizations where an infusion of capital can create change that otherwise would not be possible,” Dowd said.

Natividad is that place, according to Natividad Foundation’s President & CEO Jennifer Williams. “This gift from Mr. Dowd is historic for Natividad. We are thrilled to be able to partner with him to create special places of healing at our public hospital.”

Owned and operated by the County of Monterey, Natividad is a hospital and trauma center that provides health care services to residents and visitors throughout Monterey County, including the vulnerable.

Nora graduated as a registered nurse from the nursing program at Hartnell College. She shared her kind heart and healing touch with thousands of patients during a 30-year nursing career at Natividad. She was a faithful member of Sacred Heart Church and a volunteer in many organizations that benefited children and families who needed it most.

The gift will fund a complete overhaul of the existing main lobby courtyard at the hospital and improve two outdoor spaces for patients at Natividad’s Mental Health Unit. The hospital’s Mental Health Unit will be called the Nora Dowd Mental Health Unit / Nora Dowd Unidad de Salud Mental.

“This gift and the naming of the Mental Health Unit after Mrs. Dowd demonstrates that there is a new standard for giving to Natividad and new ways to memorialize people through major gifts,” said John D’Arrigo, president, CEO and chairman of the board of D’Arrigo California, founder of The Agricultural Leadership Council that has raised $4 million for Natividad, and Natividad Foundation board member.

The Agricultural Leadership Council set out to achieve a new model for giving more than a decade ago. First came a $500,000 gift from the Matsui family and now this $1 million gift from Mr. Dowd.

Dr. Jeff Bass, chair of the board of Natividad Foundation and emergency physician at Natividad, said, “We are deeply grateful.”

Ed Dowd said, “This gift in memory of my mother allows me to make sure that her legacy of love and caring is continued at Natividad. Philanthropy lets me bring healing for every patient at Natividad through beauty and the kind of gentle care and concern that my mother had.”

Interim CEO at Natividad Dr. Chad Harris called the gift. “transformational.” n

Nora Dowd

Input Sought on Highway 1 Auxiliary Lanes Aesthetics

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is seeking community input on aesthetic features to be incorporated into the Highway 1 Auxiliary Lanes and Bus-on-Shoulder Project (Bay Avenue/Porter Street in Soquel to State Park Drive in Aptos) that is under development.

The deadline is Feb. 25.

The project, which is in the final design phase, will include: northbound and southbound auxiliary lanes between the Bay Avenue/Porter Street and Park Avenue interchanges and between the Park Avenue and State Park Drive interchanges; bus-on-Shoulder facilities; a bicycle/ pedestrian overcrossing at Mar Vista; and a replacement of the existing Capitola Avenue bridge that will include improved sidewalks and bike lanes.

Community members are asked to watch a video and then take a survey to provide their input on aesthetic features, including: • Fonts for the lettering on the two overcrossings, • Fence designs for the Capitola overcrossing, • Color tones for retaining walls, • Bridge barrier decorations, • Art on the bridge columns.

The video and survey are on the project webpage: https://sccrtc.org/ projects/streets-highways/hwy1corridor/ bayporter-statepark/ •••

Paul Happach Joins Santa Cruz County Bank

Paul Happach has joined Santa Cruz County Bank as senior vice president and product and digital transformation manager. He is based at bank headquarters, 75 River St., Santa Cruz, responsible for program and project management, product development and vendor management.

He relocated from Southern California.

He comes from Pacific Mercantile Bank in Costa Mesa, where he was senior vice president and program management director, expanding the adoption of e- and online banking services and managing the Paycheck Protection Program and project portfolio.

He spent nine years with Rabobank, specializing in online banking, e-channel products, and systems management.

He’s been in banking for 24 years.

“His extensive background, expertise and knowledge in product, project and systems management bring exciting opportunities to the bank and for our clients,” said Shamara van der Voort, executive vice president and chief operations officer.

Happach earned a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from CSU Los Angeles, and certifications from Project Management Institute, EXIN, and SPOCE Project Management. n