“George and Deborah Adams are one of the Santa Maria Valley’s more generous families,” said Jessa Brooks, nominator, and Vice President of Philanthropy at Marian Regional Medical Center. “George and Debbie believe in opening doors for others and providing equal opportunities. As such, they are passionate about supporting local health, educational opportunities, youth services, and food insecurity.”
The Adams give generously to Marian Regional Medical Center and have also been major gift supporters for many local charities, including Allan Hancock College, Boys & Girls Club, Santa Maria Discovery Museum, Fighting Back SMV, St. Joseph High School, St. Louis De Montfort School/Church, Catholic Charities, Make-A-Wish, Oasis Center, SB Co Food Bank, 4-H FFA, SEEAG, SMV YMCA, SM Police & Fire.
George and Deborah give a lot of their time to volunteer and have served on the Boards of the Santa Barbara County Foodbank, Santa Maria Discovery Museum, Chair of the EconAlliance Ag Forum event, the Grower-Shipper Association of SLO and SB Counties, Marian Regional Medical Center, among countless other volunteer activities. The couple was also recognized with the Marian’s Distinguished Service Award in 2019.
Their company, Innovative Produce, promotes community involvement on its website:
“We know it’s not enough to provide jobs and operate a business. We’re passionate about being active participants in building the community where we live and work. That’s why you’ll see us sponsoring and supporting local activities and events.
As produce growers, we’re responsible for helping feed hungry families close to home. We donate thousands of pounds of fresh vegetables each year to our local food bank, so underprivileged families have healthy food choices for their tables.”
We asked the Adams to discuss this integrity of mission in personal life, business and community. “For me, part of it was being raised in a large, extended family – a community family,” said Deborah. “You take care of each other when people need help. Another part was organizations like Girl Scouts, with opportunities for leadership roles.” Those leadership roles often included fundraising for charity, creating a habit of philanthropy. “I think it was foundational. Part of my education, part of my family, it’s just what you do.”
George had a similar experience, as one of five children, but athletics played a role in developing his impulse to lift and support others. “I had really good coaches and learned the value of discipline and commitment.” He also saw how good coaches were able to get diverse groups of people moving in the same direction, with clear understanding of their role on the team. “With all the coaching we’ve done, and the boards we’ve been on over the years, sometimes we’re leading and sometimes we’re specific role-players. What’s important is to have the same amount of commitment whether you’re leading the team or playing a smaller role.”
Both George and Deborah project a desire to keep improving and a willingness to put in the work. While many seek instant answers and instant results, George thinks that the patience to achieve big things comes from shared values: “Making sacrifices for your family values is something this community has maintained. A lot of the projects we get involved with, dealing with the hospital or water rights, are very long-term. But you need them for every other project to work.”
George takes satisfaction in the successes, but he’s not naïve about the challenges. “I get a real joy understanding how some action will impact the community and then seeing it through. Sometimes it does take a while. But just like in business, sometimes you try something and you think it’s going to work, but it doesn’t.”
Raised in a farming family in Orange County, Deborah met George at Cal Poly and moved to Santa Maria. “When a community grows this quickly, community service becomes more important. It’s a way for newcomers to learn about and love the community. I always say that I feel honored that Santa Maria allowed me to be in community with them, and to participate in community service. If people feel like part of the community, they care about it more.”
George encourages people who want to get involved to start with something they are truly passionate about. “If you don’t do something that you really believe in, then it’s going to be work. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing; be intentional, be passionate, and know why you’re doing it.” Deborah adds, “That’s where you start – you say ‘yes’ to something. You might discover you had a talent you didn’t even know about.”
She concludes, “I’m just glad I wasn’t afraid to say yes when people asked me to get involved. Don’t they say that people with a purpose are generally happier people? If your purpose is to make the place you live a better, more harmonious place to live, that sounds like a win-win to me.”
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