Patrick Garcia named Sonoma’s 2016 ‘Alcalde’

Sonoma’s passing along its alcalde cane this month – and the 2016 “honorary mayor” is longtime community volunteer Patrick Garcia.

Garcia, 75, was bestowed the honor Dec. 21 at the Sonoma City Council meeting, after his nomination by Mayor Laurie Gallian was unanimously ratified by the remaining city council members.

Each December since 1975, the City Council selects a citizen of the year who is given the honorary title of Alcalde, which is the Spanish word for mayor. Nominations are made by community members in October and November, at which time an alcalde-selection committee considers such qualities as community service, leadership in a nonprofit, spearheading a community project, moral and ethical values and “behind the scenes good deeds.”

Garcia follows follows last year’s Alcaldesa, organ-donation-champion Marcie Waldron.

Council members acknowledged Garcia, a longtime Sonoma resident whose family was from Mexico, for his many years as an advocate for preserving the town’s Mexican heritage.

As a member of the board of directors of the Sonoma/Petaluma State Historic Parks Association, Garcia has helped raise money for educational and historic activities at the Mission San Francisco Solano, the Barracks and the Vallejo Home.

He is also the chairman of the Patzcuaro committee of the Sonoma Sister Cities Association, which focuses on Sonoma’s cultural partnership with Patzcuaro, a colonial city in Michoacan, Mexico, that is one of Sonoma’s five sister cities. Garcia has been on the association’s board since 2008, and became chairman about two years ago.

When his name was announced as the Alcalde nominee at the Monday meeting, Garcia was visibly moved.

“I give my whole life to this wonderful town,” said Garcia, in accepting the honor. “Everywhere I go I promote Sonoma – I love it.”

Email Jason at jason.walsh@sonomanews.com.