Watch the latest Board of Directors meeting online
Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System has a 5-member, publicly elected Board of Directors.
Harry Wardwell, President
Harry Wardwell, a life-long resident of Salinas, graduated from North Salinas High School and Hartnell College. Wardwell is Regional President for Rabobank, N.A.. Prior to banking, he spent over 25 years managing the family business. Wardwell is active in the community having served as President of the Salinas Chamber of Commerce, the Salinas Rotary Club, the Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital Foundation Board of Governors and Executive Director for the California International Airshow. Wardwell has been a member of the Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System Board since 2000.
Deborah Nelson, MS, RN, Vice President
Deborah Nelson received a Master of Science Degree from Boston University. Nelson speaks Spanish and has practiced in Salinas over 20 years as a nurse practitioner in women's health care and primary care at Doctors on Duty and Salinas Valley Prime Care. Nelson has been an educator of student nurses for Hartnell College at Natividad Medical Center and on the critical care staff at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital. The Association of Hospitals and Health Systems named her Trustee of the Year in 1999. A Captain in the United States Naval Reserve she represents all reserve navy nurse corps officers in California, Arizona and Nevada to the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Washington, DC. Nelson has been a member of the Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System Board since 1988.
Jim Gattis, Treasurer
Known for his leadership in the Salinas business community, Jim Gattis opened and operated two retail men's wear stores for 17 years. Currently working in the field of real estate investments, he is involved in the renovation of commerical real estate in downtown Salinas and is the past chairman of the Central City Authority. With first-hand experience as a Hartnell College graduate, Jim is the Past Vice Chairman of the Hartnell Foundation. He is a Founding Director and Past President of the California International Airshow and is the Past Secretary of the International Council of Airshows. He is also a Member and Past Director of the Salinas Rotary Club and a Director of First National Bank of the Central Coast. Gattis has been a member of the Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System Board since 2005.
Rafael Garcia, Secretary
Rafael Garcia was born and raised in Salinas and graduated from Alisal High School. He first
attendedHartnell College before going on to earn a BA degree in Social Work from San Jose State
University. Garcia is a 2005 graduate of Leadership Salinas Valley and is currently on the Board of
Directors as the Vice President of the Alisal Eagles Youth Football League. He is the founder of the
Salinas Music andArts Summit and is currently President of the Baktun 12, a collection of performance
artists based in East Salinas. Garcia works as a mortgage loan officer and has represented Salinas
Valley Memorial Healthcare System's District 3 since 2012.
Victor Rey, Assistant Treasurer
Born and raised in East Salinas, Victor Rey graduated as Salutatorian from Alisal High School in
1998. Upon graduation, he enrolled at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where he received a Bachelor of
Science (Cum Laude) in Crop Science with minors in AgriBusiness and Ethnic Studies. Victor has
worked more than ten years in Food Production Management, most of that in food safety in the
Salinas Valley produce industry. Victor is a Certified Professional of Food Safety via the National
Environmental Health Association. In 2011, Victor received a Masters of Business Administation
(Suma Cum Laude) from the University of Phoenix. Victor has been active in Community Service since high school and college, and has represented Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System's District 2 since 2012.