5170 District Governor visit

     Susan Valenta is a member of the Rotary Club of Gilroy and joined the club in 1995. Her career in business management spans over 40 years – most recently being the President/CEO of the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce where she retired after 24 years. During her tenure, the business organization was rated as one of the top chambers in the Western States by the Western Association of Chamber Executives.  

     In 2013 Susan was selected as one of the 100 most influential women in Silicon Valley by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. She also received the 2013 Hearts of Gilroy award from Community Solutions and was a recipient of the Rotary District 5170 Sidney R. Mitchell Award. In 2014 she was named Gilroy’s 2014 Woman of the Year.  

     Involvement in Rotary on the District level includes serving on the Club Visioning Team, the Youth Protections/Abuse Prevention Task Force, the Advanced Leadership Program Seminar, the Finance Committee where she helped author the District’s Finance Guidelines, and is a past Community Service Chair, Assistant Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and District Conference Chair.  

     Susan is on the Board of a family-owned corporation, Haig Precision Mfg. Corporation. She holds a B.S. Degree in Business Administration.  Susan and her husband, Tom, have three grown children and six grandchildren. Susan and Tom are members of the Bequest Society and Susan is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow.