What I Enjoy – Kathy Garcia
What I Enjoy – July 2025 – Kathy Garcia
Occupation: Executive Director, Expect More Tehama
Family: Three best kids in the world, plus a few bonus ones.
How Long in the North State: I was born in Santa Barbara while my dad was in the California Highway Patrol Academy. He was first stationed in Jacumba near the border, then transferred to Red Bluff when I was a year old. After high school, I left for college and lived in Davis, Sacramento, Long Beach and Portland before moving back to Red Bluff in my mid-20s.
What do you enjoy most about living in the North State? I love the connections rural areas foster. I enjoy walking into a store or restaurant and seeing familiar faces. In urban places, those connections were fewer. Here, knowing people and their stories builds trust—and that helps us get things done.
What was your very first job? Did it teach you anything you still use today? When I was 11, we moved to five acres in Dairyville. I worked in our almond orchard with my dad and took odd jobs cleaning for elderly tenants at a nearby mobile home park. I learned that I value variety, the satisfaction of a good project, and being trusted to do a job well.
What’s a talent you have that not many people know about? I ask questions. I used to be nervous about it, but realized if I’m wondering something, others probably are too. The more you ask, the easier it gets—and better questions follow.
If you could invent a holiday, what would people celebrate? Today, I’d go with a Hometown Clean-Up Day—where families help refresh parks, sidewalks, and parking lots with weeding, planting, and fresh paint. There’d be music everywhere and a big community BBQ to celebrate.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Two come to mind: 1) Leave things better than you found them, and 2) Everyone is going through something you know nothing about, so be kind always.
If you had a time machine, would you visit the past or the future? I’d visit the past to spend time with my grandparents and great-grandparents in their younger years. We miss out on really knowing our extended family—I’d love to see my grandpa as a young man.
If you could swap lives with any cartoon character for a day, who would it be? Phineas from Phineas and Ferb (who came back in June!). I love summer, and he takes full advantage of his vacation—he’s creative, fearless, sings great songs, and enjoys his friends. I think he’d enjoy tackling one of my July projects!
If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be? I’d love to have dinner with Jesus. And I’d hope for many courses as I have some questions, and this might take a while.
What’s something simple that always makes you smile? Dry humor, the first glimpse of the lake, a favorite song, creme brulee, my kids when they’re loud and all together, unexpected free time, arriving at Disneyland.
