Bill Smittcamp knew that Valley Children’s Hospital was an important part of the community. But he never felt that he would make use of one of his philanthropic pursuits.
During a speech accepting the Leon S. Peters Award, Smittcamp recalls having to take his son to Valley Children’s after they were hit by a DUI driver. He was thankful they were able to keep his family together.
For 30 years, Smittcamp has served as President and CEO of Wawona Frozen Foods in Clovis. He also serves on many charity boards, including Children’s.
Talking for about 10 minutes, Smittcamp recalled that story, as well as the influence of former Peters winner and educational leader Pete Mehas. He spent much of his acceptance speech thanking his family.
The Peters Award was part of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce’s Valley Awards Luncheon. Hundreds attended the annual event. Other award winners included Jake Soberal of Bitwsie as the Rising Star Award; Helen Hansen of La Tapatia Tortilleria for Entrepreneur of the Year; Natalie Fugere of The Painted Press for College Entrepreneur of the Year; and Danhya Jimenez of Alleviate for High School Entrepreneur of the Year.
Before the honor, Smittcamp talked with GV Wire. We discussed the difficulty of running a business in California, water, immigration, President Trump and whether Fresno should be a sanctuary city. Watch the video above.
Curiosity drives David Taub.
The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices.
Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read.
Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man).
Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl.
When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games.
Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue!
You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email
