Volunteer Spotlight:
Peter and Sue LaTourrette
by Kathy Switky

Quiet, steadfast and exceedingly generous, Committee Board members Peter and Sue LaTourrette are well known for their many years of volunteer service, vision, leadership and just plain hard work.

As anyone who knows them can attest, neither Peter nor Sue is prone to stand in the spotlight. But they are always there, dedicated to giving their support wherever it is needed. These stellar CGF volunteers recently received a bit of recognition: last December, the Los Altos - Los Altos Hills Joint Community Volunteer Awards Committee presented Peter and Sue with a Community Volunteer Service Award.

Individually and together, Peter and Sue have made significant contributions to both their local community and to the greater Bay Area and environmental communities. Nature lovers and hikers, both Pete and Sue have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to public service on behalf of the environment, education and community-building.

Longtime CGF members, the LaTourrettes joined the Committee Board of Directors in 2001, and Sue was nominated as CGF's Secretary soon after. Similarly, Peter became Treasurer, a role he still plays. Both have served this organization in numerous ways; most recently, Peter stepped up to work closely with the staff during the Committee's search for a new Executive Director, and has spearheaded our reorganization (as he's described in his letter in this issue).

A talented professional photographer, Peter generously donates his work to local environmental causes. He's led numerous hikes and bird watching trips throughout the Peninsula. Peter also regularly volunteers at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, where he spent years creating a comprehensive set of slides for use in environmental education programs. He's been a mainstay in the Preserve's bird monitoring program, part of a long-term scientific study designed to detect environmental change. And when he can be coaxed inside, he maintains websites for several local organizations, among them Peninsula Open Space Trust and Santa Clara Valley Audubon.

Sue is similarly busy with a range of community causes. For the last six years, she has served on the Los Altos Community Foundation Board, where she oversees the distribution of some $170,000 each year. And among other things, she also volunteers with the Santa Clara Valley Water District on the Permanente Creek project, designed to improve flood protection, erosion control and habitat restoration.

Clearly, this duo is not only dynamic, but also enthusiastic, hard-working, generous, modest, caring and deserving of recognition. Congratulations -- and thank you -- Peter and Sue!