Wines and Valentines 2026
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2026 History Makers Award Winners!
Brad Hirst and
Nancy and Gary Harrington
Brad Hirst:
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Brad Hirst is a well-known, respected member of the community arriving in Pleasanton in 1967 with his wife, Sandra, and family. Within the first year, he was invited to a political coffee for George Spiliotopoulos as George was running for city council. This led to Brad getting involved in Pleasanton's city development and its land use. Sandra joined Junior Women shortly after arriving in Pleasanton and Brad joined the Jaycees and later, the Rotary Club. In 1969, he was appointed to the Planning Commission. He continued to work with Pleasanton and the movers and shakers that created the Pleasanton that we know today. Brad was working for Shell Oil when he arrived in Pleasanton and turned down a promotion that would have entailed a move to Southern California in 1970. Brad and Sandra were embedded in the Pleasanton community and did not want to move. Brad quit his job with Shell and entered the commercial real estate world eventually forming his own company.
Brad grew up as the only child of a single parent. At an early age he learned that he had to reach out and meet people to have company. He was very involved in activities in high school and college due to his philosophy. Brad has two mottos. He believes that everybody has a responsibility to make their community a better place than they found it and in helping to make it a better place, have fun. Brad credits his wife with sharing his belief and is proud of the dual effort they put into making their community a better place. In the 1970's-1990's, Pleasanton experienced a huge growth spurt which included building Hacienda Business Park and Stoneridge Mall. Many housing developments went up during this period. Brad was involved with a central core of people who shared his vision and motto for making their community better with their actions. They were all on board in their goal to make Pleasanton a city of Planned Progress that all residents could be proud of. Brad served as finance chair of the Pleasanton Fiesta in 1975 followed by serving as Chairperson of the American Bicentennial Celebration from 1974-1976. He became President of the city's Centennial committee in 1994. Brad joined the board of directors of the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce in 1990 and founded the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce Foundation in 1997. He became President of the Chamber in 1997. Brad was a founding member of the Balloon Platoon and entertained with that group for 41 years. Brad served on GASIT (the George A Spiliotopoulos Invitational Golf Tournament) for over 20 years. The golf tournament raised monies for scholarships for the seniors in Pleasanton schools. The committee gave away 1.2 million dollars in its time, often as much as $70,000 a year. Brad has received numerous awards over the years. In 2019, he received a Leadership Pleasanton Award from the Chamber. In 1995, he received the key to the city of Pleasanton with the Mayor's Award. In 1999, Brad received the Sam Walton Business Leader Award. The Ed Kinney Community Patriot Award was bestowed on Brad in 2010. In 2014, he received the honor of the Community of Character Award. Brad and Sandra have been avid supporters of the Museum on Main for many years and strongly believe in preserving and keeping the history of Pleasanton alive. |
Nancy and Gary Harrington
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Nancy & Gary Harrington first became widely known in Pleasanton when they began providing public art works for the city. They had retired from their careers in public education and decided it was time for them to “give back” to the community that had been home from 1972-2025. They have been married for 56 years.
Their first art gift to Pleasanton, in 2007, was “Poppies,” the figure of a military veteran holding one of the poppies that commemorates World War II. This often-photographed statue sits on a bench outside the Veterans’ Memorial Building on Main Street. After that, the Harringtons made annual investments in local public art, establishing H.A.P.P.Y. — Harrington Art Partnership Piece for You — which allowed them to collaborate with other individuals and organizations to add to the sculptures and murals that still can be found in downtown Pleasanton. For many years, the Harrington’s offered free guided tours of the public art, and they spent three years creating a pictorial book telling the stories of artists and their artwork found throughout the community. Another project that the Harringtons helped bring to reality is the veterans’ memorial at the Pioneer Cemetery. They had taken photographs of similar monuments throughout their travels. The Harringtons offered a matching fund to launch the project, working with local veterans’ groups. Many more donors came forward, and the result is a striking monument at the cemetery's hilltop, paying tribute to each branch of the armed forces. Working with the East Bay Regional Parks District, the Harringtons created an interpretive center for shadow Cliffs Regional Park, one of their favorite destinations for walks. Now visitors of all ages can learn about the site’s history (as a gravel quarry and a brick-making plant) as well as about the kinds of birds, fish, and other wildlife that now live there. Nancy and Gary made multiple trips to South America with their fellow Rotary Club members to deliver donated wheelchairs, transforming the lives of those who lacked means of mobility. With their fellow Rotarians, they distributed 750 wheelchairs in Panama, Peru, and Chile. Another Rotary project they helped was “Stop Polio NOW!” Rotarians around the world have been working on this since 1988, with major success. Nancy took the lead in the local effort to raise funds to eradicate the crippling disease. Nancy also was involved with the Livermore-Amador Valley Garden Club, helping weed and plant public gardens in both Pleasanton and Livermore. Gary served on the board for Open Heart Kitchen, providing meals for thousands of neighbors in need. Nancy retired as principal of an elementary school that served many families who had no expectation that their children could go on to college. To change that culture, the Harringtons established a scholarship fund for graduates of either Fremont or San Leandro High School (where Gary had been a math teacher). The Harringtons provided 8-10 scholarships each year. From artwork to wheelchairs, floors to food, park facilities to scholarships, Nancy and Gary Harrington have been History Makers in many, many ways! |
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