Willow Glen Resident

Cover Story

Lasting Legacy

Park Pioneer moves on after prolific career at Guadalupe

By Mary Gottschalk

Kathleen Muller made no secret she was stepping down as executive director of Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens, but it's still hard for many to believe it happened.

After all, Muller was the group's first employee and the only full-time one for the nonprofit group's first three years. The Willow Glen resident retired Dec. 31, leaving a legacy that will affect the lives of thousands of San Jose residents for generations to come.

Under her tenure, three miles of park land along the banks of the Guadalupe River--from Highway 880 at the north to Highway 280 at the south--went from concept to reality. This area includes Discovery Meadow, home to the Children's Discovery Museum and the site of many festivals each year; Arena Green with its carousel and playground; and McEnery Park with its children's creative play areas.

Additionally, there are 120 acres of city-owned property south of Mineta San Jose Airport considered part of the complex. Within this are 15,000 trees, 9,000 shrubs and 60,000 groundcover plants, as well as the Heritage Rose Garden with more than 3,700 varieties of roses.

Brian Adams, who just completed six years of service on the group's board of directors, says it's difficult to think of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens without thinking of Muller and her contributions.

"This was so much more than a job to Kathy. It was her passion. It was her baby. She did a phenomenal job and put so much of herself into it," Adams says.

Fellow director Dave Sandretto echoes Adams, saying, "I think Kathy has done a fabulous job. Because of her ability to understand the whole project, she has been able to manage the interface between the city of San Jose, the county of Santa Clara, the Santa Clara Valley Water District, the Army Corps of Engineers and the airport. Those are all the pieces that came into play in putting together the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens and also the merger of two organizations--the Friends of Guadalupe River Park and the Guadalupe Gardens Corporation.

"She's done a fabulous job getting everybody to work and communicate together."

Asked what she's most pleased with accomplishing, Muller says, "In some ways, I'm proudest of the physical development of the park, and I was a part of that. There were so many players over many years making that happen, but we really did start the community organization from nothing.

"Today there's such increased interest in public/private partnerships. It's something city leaders are talking about, and we've been doing it for 12 years.

"The park is owned by the city and the infrastructure was put in by government agencies, but it's the interest and support of the community that pushes the trails to be completed and advocates for better funding for parks and works."

Muller also points with satisfaction to the recruiting and support of volunteers to work in the park, supplementing city provided maintenance.

"We calculated our organization contributed almost 10,000 volunteer hours last year," she says.

Working with volunteers comes easy to Muller because she has often been one herself.

While earning her bachelor's degree in political science and a teaching credential at Santa Clara University, she met her husband, Peter Muller.

"I taught at Oak Grove High School and did some substitute teaching, but I basically stayed home with my children until I started working as a volunteer," she says.

The Mullers bought a home in the Willow Ranch subdivision, well known for the cheery, hand-painted snowman displayed in every yard every holiday season.

"We moved in 32 years ago and the snowman was in our garage," Muller says with a laugh.

It is there they raised their three sons--Peter Jr., 38, Daniel, 36, and Jeffrey, 32.

When her youngest son entered kindergarten, Muller volunteered as a docent at the San Jose Historical Museum, now known as History Park San Jose.

"I did that for a year and a half when I was asked to come to work there and help start a nonprofit organization to be a support group to the park organization that existed. I was to be one of their first employees with the San Jose Historical Museum that became the Museum Association," she recalls.

Muller worked there for 14 years when she was approached by Trish Newfarmer, who said there was a desire to start a friends group for Guadalupe River Park.

"I think it was [Mayor] Susan Hammer's idea," Muller says. "She felt the Guadalupe River Park project was being driven by governmental agencies, the Corps of Engineers, the water district and the city, and she felt there was a need for a citizen support group.

"She asked Gloria Duffy to help start a group. Gloria said, 'OK, but we're going to need staff.'

"San Jose City provided the initial funding to hire someone, and I was the first employee."

That was the summer of 1996, and Muller remembers having a desk in the Redevelopment Agency and working with the board of directors and volunteers.

"I was the only staff person. The second or third year we got a part-time bookkeeper. The first other full-time employee was four years down the road," she says.

"Now, we've got basically five full-time employees, and we're pleased to have a building we call home at the visitor's center for the park on Coleman Avenue."

Susan Fitts, another board director, says Muller "has imbued the staff she's brought on with her same level of enthusiasm and her commitment to all the park users, current or potential."

"She has a real heartfelt commitment to the park, and she's been able to imbue her staff with the same things. She has very little turnover, and that's always the sign of a good manager."

Fitts says she sees Muller "as the single consistent driving force behind the organization. Boards come and go, but Kathy has kept the organization moving forward in a very, very positive way."

Those who have worked with Muller praise her people skills.

"She's a great unifier," Adams says. "She's someone everyone can relate to and she has the ability to relate to everyone involved, whether it's the Army Corps of Engineers or the folks in the Santa Clara Valley Water District. She reaches out to everyone."

Fitts agrees, saying, "Kathy has been able to work with all of the factions that have not always been on the same side. She has such an effective way of working with people that she brings out the best in all sides."

As she looks back, Muller says her days usually involved a lot of outreach to the community, fund raising, program development and meetings.

As she is cleaning out her desk, Muller says, "Sometimes I can say, 'Oh wow, so much has been done,' and other times it seems it takes so long to get things done.

"I'd like to have had more of the elements in place, but everything takes time with a project on this scale."

Eventually, the park will include trails stretching from Almaden Valley out to Alviso and connect with the Los Gatos Creek Trail.

When the trails are completed, Muller envisions people biking downtown for festivals or just to enjoy the city, as well as an increase in the activity level and use of the park.

Although Muller's last day was Dec. 31, she says, "I am going to stay involved and do some grant writing for our organization and continue to be involved on a contract basis.

"I'm excited about that. There's tremendous potential to involve other people and other foundations and corporations and the rest of the community in the future development of Guadalupe Gardens. I'm excited to have some time to just focus on that."

Muller also hopes to travel and have more time to spend with her three grandchildren--Tessa, 6, Addie, 4, and Ian, 2.

Leslee Hamilton, recently president of the GRPG board of directors, will take over as executive director on Jan. 16.

Hamilton, who is leaving her position as communications and special projects director at San Jose State University's Mineta Transportation Institute, has served on the board since 2000 and is familiar with Muller's legacy.

"She built the organization from the ground up and created these great partnerships with the city, the water district and community organizations in the area and these wonderful events like Pumpkins in the Park and Springtime in the Gardens that bring people downtown.

"I was telling the board we take it for granted now, but it took a lot of time and effort on Kathy's part to build them. Her role in keeping the river park and projects moving with so many partners has been crucial. With so many partners, it's easy for projects to grind to a halt, but Kathy worked strategically with the city council and others to keep the projects on track.

"She's been wonderfully effective. We have a small staff and a very stable staff, even through the dot-com era we were able to maintain employees, and that's a tribute to Kathy."

Looking forward, Hamilton says as the downtown continues to develop and high-rises are constructed, it "will be critical for folks to have a place to go outside. It's important to continue building the organization and see Guadalupe Gardens be built out."

Hamilton promises she will emulate Muller and "be a champion for the maintenance and continued development of the park."

For additional information on Guadalupe River Park & Gardens visit www.grpg.org or call 408.298.7657.