County Commends Open Space Leader Nonette Hanko for 46 Years of Service

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

San Jose – The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors presented a commendation at its meeting today commending Nonette Hanko, who is retiring after 46 years of service on the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Board of Directors.

“Eight U.S. Presidents have come and gone, but Nonette has outlasted them all,” said County Board President Joe Simitian.  “She put her heart and soul into land preservation, and we’re all deeply grateful for the results that we can see on the Peninsula every day.”

Hanko was “the spark” behind the founding of the District, which has grown from an idea into a conservation powerhouse that spans three counties and contains more than 63,000 acres of land permanently preserved in open space. That is an amount of land that is about equivalent to the Cities and Towns of Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Cupertino and Saratoga. 

A native of San Mateo and Burlingame, Hanko has been a Palo Alto resident since 1951.  In 1970, Hanko, along with a several other open space preservation proponents, spearheaded a cross-county initiative to form the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.  She has served on the elected Board of Directors since Midpen was founded in 1972.

“Almost half a century of service,” noted Simitian. “Our region is a better place because of Nonette’s service. It really is quite extraordinary.”

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