Marina High School to name gymnasium and library after prominent community leaders
NEWS ADVISORY
August 17, 2022
Contact:
Marci McFadden, Chief of Communications & Engagement
831.706.6971
Marina High School to name gymnasium and library after prominent community leaders
Marina, CA - Marina High School will host a dedication ceremony at the high school located at 298 Patton Parkway in Marina on Saturday, August 27, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. to name its gymnasium and library after prominent community leaders. The gymnasium will be dedicated the Gordon and Jeanne Nakagawa Gymnasium and the library will be named the Don Livermore Library.
The community and media are invited to attend.
10:30 - 11:00 a.m. Community Gathering
- Coffee and Pastries
11:00 a.m. Library Dedication
- Welcome | Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh
- Drumline Performance | Marina High School Drumline
- Remarks | Board of Education Member Tom Jennings and Board of Education Member Jeff Uchida
- Unveiling of Don Livermore Library Plaque
11:20 a.m. Gymnasium Dedication
- Welcome | Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh
- Cheerleader Performance | Marina High School Cheerleaders
- Remarks | Board of Education Member Tom Jennings and Board of Education Member Jeff Uchida
- Family Remarks | Greg Nakagawa
- Unveiling of Gordon and Jeanne Nakagawa Gymnasium Plaque
- Viewing of Gordon and Jeanne Nakagawa Gymnasium
About Gordon and Jeanne Nakagawa
Jeanne Nakagawa epitomizes the meaning of service and volunteerism. For several decades, she has exemplified extraordinary dedication and commitment through her time and talents to benefit the Marina community. As a founding benefactor of The Marina Foundation, she has served as a volunteer board member since its inception in 2009. Jeanne’s “can do” spirit is exemplified by her willingness to lend a hand with the many Foundation projects and programs, whether it is participating in the marketing and events planning committees, setting up for fundraisers, baking items for special events or volunteering when and where needed. Her commitment to community has earned her some noteworthy honors including the Marina Chamber of Commerce 2006 Marina Woman of the Year, the 2013 United Way Community Service Award, and the 2014 American Legion Auxiliary Unit Member of the Year Award.
Every school day between 6:00 and 8:30 a.m. Jeanne can be found at the Marina Teen Center, preparing and serving breakfast to as many as 225 middle and high school students. Thanks to her dedication (along with two other prominent community women leaders) this program has been credited for reducing the truancy rate by 90%, for drastically improving tardiness, absenteeism, and poor attendance numbers, and for reducing serious incidents of student behavior on the way to school to a non-existent level.
Captain Gordon Ross Nakagawa, USN (ret), was a career naval officer. Captain Nakagawa’s distinguished career as a naval officer included flying 185 combat missions during four combat deployments to Vietnam. He became a Commanding Officer of the Naval Air Station Pt. Mugu, and ended his career as Chair for Tactical Analysis at Naval Postgraduate School Monterey.
He was elected to the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District Board serving eight and a half years and is a board member emeritus of leadership Monterey Peninsula. He was granted a Leadership Recognition Award from the California Association of Leadership Programs. He is a 2000 California State University Monterey Bay Distinguished Fellow, a 2004 Monterey County Veteran of the Year, and 2006 Marina Citizen of the Year.
Through all his endeavors, he always strived for greater understanding and excellence. Two $5,000 scholarships are awarded with regard to his dedication to his country, community and higher education. The Marina Foundation takes great pride in awarding The Gordon R. Nakagawa Scholarships.
About Don Livermore
Don Livermore spent his entire career with the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District. He started as an elementary teacher at Olson Elementary School and ended his career as the principal at Marina High School. The Marina Community helped him launch his lifelong dedication to the students of the Monterey Peninsula. He began his career as a librarian at Manzanita where he set up a weather station, became a tech mentor and an Apple educator. He soon transitioned to Los Arboles Middle School and brought the library into the 21st century creating one of the first computer labs in the district.
When the district initiated the conversation on opening a high school for the students of Marina, who had been traveling to Seaside High School prior, he was instrumental in not only bringing the high school to life but was key to enrolling the first class at Marina High in 2006. Under Don’s 24/7 diligence and dedication the school was transformed from a middle school to a high school within four months. The grand opening was a tribute to the spirit of the Marina community and the newly hired staff, brought together by Don, to give this community their dream of their much-deserved own high school campus. Upon his retirement several years later, the Marina community set up a scholarship in his name for graduating students from Marina High School.