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Granite Rock Co. leader was an in-the-trenches philanthropist

Jul, 17 2012

Granite Rock Co. leader was an in-the-trenches philanthropist

The news was stunning - Bruce Woolpert had died in a boating accident in Lake Tahoe.

And just like that, Santa Cruz County had lost one of its champions. The construction materials industry had lost an innovator. A family had lost its father, a wife her husband. And the Pajaro Valley had lost perhaps its biggest booster, a tireless supporter of public schools and those less fortunate.

Santa Cruz County is blessed with many people who fully embrace the idea of community. Perhaps none more so than Woolpert, 61, president and CEO of the family-owned Granite Rock Co. for the past 25 years.

Mary Lou Goeke, director of United Way of Santa Cruz County, called Woolpert the type of leader who "truly walked his talk." We certainly found that to be the case. He was an in-the-trenches philanthropist, someone who gave not only money, but time and effort.

Community leader after leader paid tribute Monday, all of them having dealt with Woolpert in one of his many hats: businessman, community booster, advocate for public schools.

"He felt that every person was responsible for the well-being of all," Goeke added.

Willie Yahiro, a longtime board member of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, called Woolpert -- a product of Watsonville public schools before graduating from UCLA and Stanford -- an innovator who brought new programs to the table he thought might aid students. He helped implement a math program for Pajaro Valley middle-schoolers in conjunction with Cal State Monterey Bay. He was an early supporter of using data to analyze academic performance.

Woolpert was a true believer in public education. His comments last May at an event paying tribute to Ann Soldo, Watsonville's first female mayor and a Pajaro Valley educator for nearly four decades, suggested Woolpert knew first-hand the value of a good education system. It was Soldo, he said, who helped him overcome a learning disability and set him on the proper path.

Engagement was the key, he said at the time, and he appeared to adopt that lesson in all things. Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Dorma Baker called Woolpert one of the most intelligent, creative people she had ever met.

"He was a fabulous person to sit down and brainstorm with," Baker said. "I would value his opinion about any subject."

Goeke noted that the family-owned Graniterock matched the charitable giving of its employees, making it the local United Way's largest donor company.

Watsonville City Manager Carlos Palacios pointed to Woolpert as a great civic supporter who took the time to mentor him early in his career, offering feedback and insight to the city.

Dr. Larry deGhetaldi, who heads Palo Alto Medical Foundation Santa Cruz, called Woolpert's death a great loss. Woolpert started a program with Palo Alto Medical Foundation three years ago to improve his employees' health, and began a walking regimen himself to set a good example. The company, with more than 500 workers, regularly lands on national lists as one of the best corporate workplaces.

"We have never worked with someone so genuinely devoted to his employees -- striving to maximize their full potential as human beings," deGhetaldi told the Sentinel. "His company looked and felt and succeeded like a family."

Woolpert, by all accounts, led by example.

He worked seven days a week because he loved to do it. He worked in a cubicle like other members of his team. He returned calls. He was accountable.

And the man had pull.

The longtime Republican hosted President George H.W. Bush at the company's Watsonville headquarters for a 100th anniversary celebration in 2000.

Woolpert leaves a legacy of community involvement that will be hard to match. His loss is immense, but fortunately so was his impact.


SOURCE:  www.santacruzsentinel.com

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