An actress, a diplomat, a high-powered sports entrepenuer, two athletes who became business leaders and a legendary surfer who became equally legendary as a captain of the surf industry comprise this year’s new inductees to the Mira Costa Hall of Fame.
The six alumni will be honored all day Friday, starting with school assemblies in the morning and a lunch reception and culminating with ceremony during halftime of the Mustang football game at Waller Stadium. The day’s festivities are formally called the “Mira Costa Class of 2016 Hall of Fame Induction: A Tradition of Excellence.”
Principal Ben Dale said that the new inductees and the varying realms in which they have excelled are indicative of Mira Costa’s unique brand of excellence. Dale suggested that the scope of what these alumni have accomplished since graduating Mira Costa is instructive to present day students.
“The whole vision of the Hall of Fame is to put inductees in front of students to share their story, and for the students assembled to realize their stories as students are the same,” Dale said. “And when they graduate, they can go out and do great things also.”
This years inductees are:
Leonard Armato (Class of 1970), the founder and CEO of Management Plus Enterprises, a leader and trailblazer in creating and building brands at the convergence of sports, entertainment, marketing and technology. He founded the AVP in 1983 and, in one of his many careers, represented athletes including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Oscar De La Hoya and Shaquille O’Neal as a sports agent.
Rachel Bloom (Class of 2005), the co-creator, lead actress and executive producer of the TV show “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” She is the 2015 Golden Globe winner for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her show.
Kelly Gibson (Class of 1983), a champion professional surfer who went on to become CEO of Rip Curl USA in 2006. He also serves as president of Surf Industry Manufacturers Association, which raises and donates roughly $500,000 each year for ocean-related non-profits and humanitarian organizations.
Noah Mamet (Class of 1987), a leading international diplomat who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as ambassador to Argentina in 2014. Ambassador Mamet’s tenure has focused on themes of innovation, entrepreneurship, renewable energy, and educational exchanges.
Heidi Ghent Snyder (Class of 1998), an accomplished entrepreneur, innovator, and philanthropist who co-founded “The Color Run” with her husband, Travis. Known as “the Happiest 5K on the Planet,” it is the largest running series in the world with 200 annual events and more than 2 million participants in countries worldwide.
Renee Williams-Smith (Class of 1979), Mira Costa’s cross country coach for the last 15 years. Under her leadership, the team has achieved Bay League champion titles in cross country for seven of the last ten years; two-time qualifiers for Nike Cross Country National championships; and six individual finalists in state track and field championships. In 2014, she was awarded the Brooks National Inspiring Coach of the Year.
Dale said the each year’s crop of inductees seem so spectacular that they could not possibly be outdone by a subsequent class.
“Every year I have the same feeling — this has to be it, right?” Dale said. “And then the following year, the inductee class is as good at the previous year, and I say, ‘Wow, how can we get a better inductee class than this?’ Then we get another one. So I think after this year I’m going to stop saying that.”
