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The Pleasanton Community of Character Collaborative will be celebrating the winners of its 2026 Juanita Haugen Awards next week during its annual awards luncheon.
This year’s recipients are Pleasanton residents Greg Thome, JoAnn Weser and Bill Rudolph, as well as the Alan Hu Foundation, all of whom will be honored at the annual awards ceremony, which takes place next Wednesday (May 13) at 11:30 a.m. inside the Veterans Memorial Building located in downtown Pleasanton.
“Their examples inspire each of us to remember these important values in our own lives and do what we can to make a difference in Pleasanton,” collaborative officials said in a press release announcing the winners.
According to the collaborative, Thome is being recognized for his work at the Catholic Youth Organization where he served as both a coach and administrator at the organization and also played an important role in launching the CYO’s girls’ basketball division.
“His commitment to youth development has helped create opportunities for countless young athletes to grow, compete, and build character through sports,” the collaborative stated.
According to the collaborative, he additionally served as a teacher of faith for middle and high school students at the Catholic Community of Pleasanton.
Thome has also served as the referee coordinator for the special olympics basketball tournament for the past 20 years — even while he was recovering from a serious injury — and worked with the Amador Valley Athletic Boosters.
The next awardee is Weser, a longtime volunteer who has worked at Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley over the last 30 years. Weser volunteered in the emergency department, patient care areas and front desk support.
According to the collaborative, she has also spent 15 years volunteering at the Valley Humane Society, which shows just how much her compassion goes beyond just helping people.
“JoAnn Weser’s lifelong dedication to service, her unwavering integrity, and her genuine compassion for others embody the very essence of the Community of Character Award,” according to the collaborative.
In addition to her work in healthcare, Weser has also been heavily involved with the Pleasanton Military Families organization, which recently dissolved at the end of last year, as a volunteer and treasurer.
Rudolph is the last individual who will be recognized with the collaborative’s award in 2026.Â
A Pleasanton resident for more than 50 years, Rudolph has done extensive volunteer work at the Museum on Main, where he helps out as a historian and reenactor, and at the Alviso Adobe Community Park, where he supports “hands-on history education for local third-grade students and helping them better understand the region’s early heritage”.
Rudolph also spent over 20 years mentoring college students and working with students from the University of California, Davis and San Jose State University to organize industry tours and support career development, according to the collaborative.
“Rudolph has contributed his time and expertise in ways that support education, mentorship, and community connection throughout Pleasanton,” the collaborative stated.
The Alan Hu Foundation nonprofit will also be honored as one of the collaborative’s Juanita Haugen Awards recipients. Founded by Xiaofang Chen and Chih-Ching Hu as a way to honor their son, Alan, who died in 2018 at the age of 15 after struggling with mental illness.
According to the collaborative, the organization — through webinars, lectures and other events — provides “accessible, research-based information on youth mental health, early intervention, and prevention.”
“Driven by a mission to foster understanding and compassion, the Alan Hu Foundation is committed to creating a future where individuals experiencing mental health challenges are met with support, resources, and hope,” the collaborative stated.
