10:15am | Long Beach City College and the Long Beach City College Foundation will induct four alumni into its Hall of Fame at a ceremony this Friday, October 28, at 11:30am, at the Liberal Arts Campus Community Room, T1200. This is the highest honor that can be awarded to a Long Beach City College (LBCC) alumni.
The 2011 Inductees – John Barnes, Joanne Davis, Frank Gaspar, and Mark Guadagnini- are distinguished in a wide range of fields which span education, business, writing and military honors. Detailed biographies of each honorary are below.
“These inductees are living examples of the difference Long Beach City College makes in people’s lives and in this community. I thank each of them for their contributions – they make this institution proud,” said LBCC President Eloy Ortiz Oakley.
Frank X. Gaspar is a Portuguese-American born and raised in Provincetown, Massachusetts. After graduating from Provincetown High School, he worked for a couple of years before joining the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. After his discharge, he received his AA degree from Long Beach City College and a BA in English/Creative Writing, Magna Cum Laude from California State University, Long Beach. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Graduate Writing Program at the University of California, Irvine.
Frank spent 31 years working as a professor of English at Long Beach City College before his retirement in 2009. In the fall semester, 2010, he was the Endowed Chair Professor in Portuguese Studies in the Department of English at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth and often teaches in the Graduate Writing Program at Antioch University, Los Angeles, California.
Frank has written a number of books with Luso-American themes or settings, particularly the Portuguese community in Provincetown, with an insider’s view of the rich ethnic base of this famously diverse Cape Cod town. His poetry and fiction have received numerous awards and honors, and serious critical attention, both in the United States and Portugal. When not traveling, Frank lives in Long Beach with his wife, Georgia.
Joanne Davis attended Long Beach schools and following her graduation from Long Beach City College, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UCLA. Joanne began her career working for a member of congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC and then continued her political work in Long Beach. She worked in the finance and fundraising fields for a number of political and non-profit clients and has also worked as a Campaign Manager and Finance Director for political candidates. In 1999, Joanne and her husband, Rick Davis, founded The Davis Group, a consulting firm that specializes in strategic planning, public affairs, fundraising, marketing and political consulting. As President of The Davis Group, she has worked as Chief Financial Officer on the political campaigns for a number of high profile candidates.
Joanne speaks at seminars on the topic of campaign finance management and has written several articles on fundraising strategies for numerous trade and general interest publications. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce since 2005 and is currently Chairwoman for the 2011-2012 term. In May 2010, Joanne was awarded the prestigious Small Business Advocate of the Year from the California Chamber of Commerce. Joanne lives in Long Beach with her husband, Rick, and their two children Jack and Mark.
John Barnes graduated from St. Anthony High School in Long Beach where he earned acclaim as a triple threat quarterback, punter and placekicker. He played football at LBCC where a scout recognized his talent. He received a scholarship to the University of Nevada, Reno where he was quarterback and captain of the football team.
John returned to southern California where he served as an assistant football coach before being hired as head coach for the Los Alamitos High School Griffins. Coach Barnes is now in his 33rd year as head football coach. His 290 wins are the most of any coach in Orange County history and fifth among California coaches for all-time wins. He earned California State Coach of the Year honors in 1993 and was named Orange County Coach of the Year in 1988, 1994 and 1999. The Long Beach Press-Telegram named him their Dream Team Coach of the Year in 1991, 1993 and 2002, and he was named The National Football Foundation Orange County Chapter Coach of the Year in 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993 and 2002. In addition, John has served as the Los Alamitos High School Athletic Director and he taught P.E. until his retirement from teaching earlier this year. John has been married to his high school sweetheart, Anita, for 41 years and they have three grown children.
Mark Guadagnini graduated from Wilson High School where he was an outstanding athlete. After attending LBCC, Mark graduated with honors from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. He entered flight training and earned his “wings” two years later. He was chosen for test pilot training and was recognized as an “expert” landing signal officer. During the Gulf War, Mark served as the manager of the signaling process for all take offs and landings on the U.S.S. Roosevelt aircraft carrier. During his operational tours, Mark operated from the decks of 12 different aircraft carriers, participating in combat operations Desert Storm, Provide Comfort, Deliberate Force, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
In addition, Mark has served as a test pilot and instructor, a Legislative Fellow in the U.S. Senate and as an aide and flag lieutenant in the Bureau of Naval Personnel and on the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet staff in Hawaii. He has also worked as a liaison between the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the U.S. Congress and served in the Navy Personnel Command as the division director for Aviation Officer Distribution. In 2007, Mark was promoted to 1-Star Rear Admiral and in 2010 he was promoted to a 2-Star Rear Admiral.
Mark has over 4,600 hour of flight time in 52 different aircraft and he had flown 95 combat missions. He is currently serving as the Deputy Commander, Fleet Management and Chief of Staff in Norfolk, Virginia. Mark and his wife, Donna, have four grown children.