Summer 2025

66 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 5 Photo: Kelli Uldall C laudia Pizarro Villalobos’ mother, the busy owner of a Salinas restaurant, made time to serve on various nonprofit boards. “I accompanied my mom to meetings and realized the impor- tance of giving back to my community at a young age,” she says. Villalobos followed her mother’s footsteps. She volunteered while in col- lege at UC Berkeley and Harvard and continued that commitment upon returning to her hometown. The long list of organizations that this energetic executive volun- teers for includes serving on the boards of YMCA Central Coast, CSUMB Women’s Leadership Council, Key for a Cure Foundation, California International Airshow and Hartnell College Foundation, to name just a few. “It’s not all giving,” she says, “there’s a lot you receive as a volunteer. I’ve made some great friendships and connections. Volunteering is a lifelong gift. As I mature, I realize it’s not something you do at a specific age.” Now director of marketing and communications for Salinas Valley Health after a stint in the produce industry, she and her husband Matt are the parents of Dylan, a 7th grader at Palma, and Alessandra, a Sacred Heart 4th grader.The Christmas season sees Villalobos and her children bell ringing for the Salvation Army at Star Market. “We’re building mem- ories just like I did with my mom.” — Michael Chatfield VOLUNTE ER PROF I L E Claudia Pizarro Villalobos