Mehas, Dr. Peter G., 2012 Leon S. Peters Distinguished Service Award recipient
Item
Title
Mehas, Dr. Peter G., 2012 Leon S. Peters Distinguished Service Award recipient
Description
Talks about being mentored by Leon S. Peters and his respect for all the Leon S. Peters Award recipients and being honored to be among them. He also talks about his parents and upbringing, serving on local, state and national educational boards, and the support his family has given him.
Creator
Mehas, Dr. Peter G.
Relation
Leon S. Peters Legacy Collection
Coverage
Fresno, California
Format
Microsoft Word 2013 document, 3 pages
Identifier
SCMS_lspl_00034
extracted text
>> The Leon S. Peters Award is the highest honor the greater Fresno Area Chamber of
Commerce can bestow on an individual, it represents the virtues of Leon S. Peters’ outstanding
business leadership and a devotion to public service. Dr. Pete G. Mehas, a nationally recognized
education leader and tireless community service volunteer, is the 2012 recipient of the Leon S.
Peters Award.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: I treasure the fact that I had the opportunity to be mentored to some
extent by Mr. Peters. His quiet demeanor, his dignity, his ethics is the thing I think I'll always
value about him; never pontificating or preaching, but quietly giving good counsel and good
advice.
>> And having helped create a video record of all past Leon S. Peter's recipients, Dr. Mehas
understands the kind of company of which he is now part.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: I see in all of these past Leon S. Peter recipients, they have given their
time, their treasure, and their talent, and their heart. If you go anywhere in this community,
anywhere in this community whether it's the hospitals, the museums, the universities, the
schools, these past Leon S. Peter's recipients personify what Leon S. Peters was all about. Their
fingerprints are on everything in this community and they've impacted this community greatly;
our quality of life has been significantly improved.
>> From early on, his parents set the stage for the importance of education in the Mehas
Household.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: My parents were just hardworking, hardworking middle class Americans
who wanted the best, like all parents, for their kids and they realized education was important, it
was significant and they made a conscious decision to move into the Fresno High area. And as a
result of them moving in to the Fresno High area, I had an incredible quality education.
>> Buoyed by his parents' dedication to education, Pete received his bachelor's degree from
Fresno State in 1962, his master's degree from UCLA in 1967, and his doctorate in education
from USC in 1979.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: You know, you don't have to be a great scholar, you don't have to be a
great athlete. Know what you do and do it well and surround yourself with good people.
>> From his professional beginnings as an instructor at Roosevelt High School to serving as
superintendent to Fresno County Schools to sitting on multiple gubernatorial and presidential
committees and task forces, Dr. Mehas has seen a lot in his lifetime and yet his humility remains
firmly intact.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: But several times when I've sat in the Oval Office and I'm looking around
and I'm saying what am I doing here, you know? I'm just a little Greek kid from Fresno.
>> And still, his lack of ego serves as confirmation that the committee picked the right person to
be the 2012 recipient of the Leon S. Peters Award.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: I'm very, very honored and proud for this award but it's -- it is to carry on
that responsibility of what Leon S. Peters stood for and that's all any of us can hope for. We
couldn't hold -- or I certainly couldn't hold a candle to any of these past recipients; so am I
honored? Yes; do I feel to some extent I'm worthy? Yes, but my mother would be happy and as
I've said, my mother-in-law would probably feel that maybe her daughter didn't make too bad of
a decision 42 years ago.
>> Modesty aside, Dr. Mehas knows that he couldn't have accomplished his goals without a
great support system and an irrepressible drive to succeed.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: God has blessed me. God has blessed me with great parents, great
grandparents, a great wife and great friends. And my grandfather told me, the most valuable
thing you have in life is your family, your friends and your reputation. That's the most valuable
thing. And there's an old baseball saying, I think it was either Casey Stengel, or one of the
baseball guys that said, "You know, I won some, I lost some, I had some rained out but I always
dressed up."
>> Congratulations to Dr. Pete G. Mehas, this year's recipient of the Leon S. Peters Award.
Commerce can bestow on an individual, it represents the virtues of Leon S. Peters’ outstanding
business leadership and a devotion to public service. Dr. Pete G. Mehas, a nationally recognized
education leader and tireless community service volunteer, is the 2012 recipient of the Leon S.
Peters Award.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: I treasure the fact that I had the opportunity to be mentored to some
extent by Mr. Peters. His quiet demeanor, his dignity, his ethics is the thing I think I'll always
value about him; never pontificating or preaching, but quietly giving good counsel and good
advice.
>> And having helped create a video record of all past Leon S. Peter's recipients, Dr. Mehas
understands the kind of company of which he is now part.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: I see in all of these past Leon S. Peter recipients, they have given their
time, their treasure, and their talent, and their heart. If you go anywhere in this community,
anywhere in this community whether it's the hospitals, the museums, the universities, the
schools, these past Leon S. Peter's recipients personify what Leon S. Peters was all about. Their
fingerprints are on everything in this community and they've impacted this community greatly;
our quality of life has been significantly improved.
>> From early on, his parents set the stage for the importance of education in the Mehas
Household.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: My parents were just hardworking, hardworking middle class Americans
who wanted the best, like all parents, for their kids and they realized education was important, it
was significant and they made a conscious decision to move into the Fresno High area. And as a
result of them moving in to the Fresno High area, I had an incredible quality education.
>> Buoyed by his parents' dedication to education, Pete received his bachelor's degree from
Fresno State in 1962, his master's degree from UCLA in 1967, and his doctorate in education
from USC in 1979.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: You know, you don't have to be a great scholar, you don't have to be a
great athlete. Know what you do and do it well and surround yourself with good people.
>> From his professional beginnings as an instructor at Roosevelt High School to serving as
superintendent to Fresno County Schools to sitting on multiple gubernatorial and presidential
committees and task forces, Dr. Mehas has seen a lot in his lifetime and yet his humility remains
firmly intact.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: But several times when I've sat in the Oval Office and I'm looking around
and I'm saying what am I doing here, you know? I'm just a little Greek kid from Fresno.
>> And still, his lack of ego serves as confirmation that the committee picked the right person to
be the 2012 recipient of the Leon S. Peters Award.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: I'm very, very honored and proud for this award but it's -- it is to carry on
that responsibility of what Leon S. Peters stood for and that's all any of us can hope for. We
couldn't hold -- or I certainly couldn't hold a candle to any of these past recipients; so am I
honored? Yes; do I feel to some extent I'm worthy? Yes, but my mother would be happy and as
I've said, my mother-in-law would probably feel that maybe her daughter didn't make too bad of
a decision 42 years ago.
>> Modesty aside, Dr. Mehas knows that he couldn't have accomplished his goals without a
great support system and an irrepressible drive to succeed.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: God has blessed me. God has blessed me with great parents, great
grandparents, a great wife and great friends. And my grandfather told me, the most valuable
thing you have in life is your family, your friends and your reputation. That's the most valuable
thing. And there's an old baseball saying, I think it was either Casey Stengel, or one of the
baseball guys that said, "You know, I won some, I lost some, I had some rained out but I always
dressed up."
>> Congratulations to Dr. Pete G. Mehas, this year's recipient of the Leon S. Peters Award.
>> The Leon S. Peters Award is the highest honor the greater Fresno Area Chamber of
Commerce can bestow on an individual, it represents the virtues of Leon S. Peters’ outstanding
business leadership and a devotion to public service. Dr. Pete G. Mehas, a nationally recognized
education leader and tireless community service volunteer, is the 2012 recipient of the Leon S.
Peters Award.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: I treasure the fact that I had the opportunity to be mentored to some
extent by Mr. Peters. His quiet demeanor, his dignity, his ethics is the thing I think I'll always
value about him; never pontificating or preaching, but quietly giving good counsel and good
advice.
>> And having helped create a video record of all past Leon S. Peter's recipients, Dr. Mehas
understands the kind of company of which he is now part.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: I see in all of these past Leon S. Peter recipients, they have given their
time, their treasure, and their talent, and their heart. If you go anywhere in this community,
anywhere in this community whether it's the hospitals, the museums, the universities, the
schools, these past Leon S. Peter's recipients personify what Leon S. Peters was all about. Their
fingerprints are on everything in this community and they've impacted this community greatly;
our quality of life has been significantly improved.
>> From early on, his parents set the stage for the importance of education in the Mehas
Household.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: My parents were just hardworking, hardworking middle class Americans
who wanted the best, like all parents, for their kids and they realized education was important, it
was significant and they made a conscious decision to move into the Fresno High area. And as a
result of them moving in to the Fresno High area, I had an incredible quality education.
>> Buoyed by his parents' dedication to education, Pete received his bachelor's degree from
Fresno State in 1962, his master's degree from UCLA in 1967, and his doctorate in education
from USC in 1979.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: You know, you don't have to be a great scholar, you don't have to be a
great athlete. Know what you do and do it well and surround yourself with good people.
>> From his professional beginnings as an instructor at Roosevelt High School to serving as
superintendent to Fresno County Schools to sitting on multiple gubernatorial and presidential
committees and task forces, Dr. Mehas has seen a lot in his lifetime and yet his humility remains
firmly intact.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: But several times when I've sat in the Oval Office and I'm looking around
and I'm saying what am I doing here, you know? I'm just a little Greek kid from Fresno.
>> And still, his lack of ego serves as confirmation that the committee picked the right person to
be the 2012 recipient of the Leon S. Peters Award.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: I'm very, very honored and proud for this award but it's -- it is to carry on
that responsibility of what Leon S. Peters stood for and that's all any of us can hope for. We
couldn't hold -- or I certainly couldn't hold a candle to any of these past recipients; so am I
honored? Yes; do I feel to some extent I'm worthy? Yes, but my mother would be happy and as
I've said, my mother-in-law would probably feel that maybe her daughter didn't make too bad of
a decision 42 years ago.
>> Modesty aside, Dr. Mehas knows that he couldn't have accomplished his goals without a
great support system and an irrepressible drive to succeed.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: God has blessed me. God has blessed me with great parents, great
grandparents, a great wife and great friends. And my grandfather told me, the most valuable
thing you have in life is your family, your friends and your reputation. That's the most valuable
thing. And there's an old baseball saying, I think it was either Casey Stengel, or one of the
baseball guys that said, "You know, I won some, I lost some, I had some rained out but I always
dressed up."
>> Congratulations to Dr. Pete G. Mehas, this year's recipient of the Leon S. Peters Award.
Commerce can bestow on an individual, it represents the virtues of Leon S. Peters’ outstanding
business leadership and a devotion to public service. Dr. Pete G. Mehas, a nationally recognized
education leader and tireless community service volunteer, is the 2012 recipient of the Leon S.
Peters Award.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: I treasure the fact that I had the opportunity to be mentored to some
extent by Mr. Peters. His quiet demeanor, his dignity, his ethics is the thing I think I'll always
value about him; never pontificating or preaching, but quietly giving good counsel and good
advice.
>> And having helped create a video record of all past Leon S. Peter's recipients, Dr. Mehas
understands the kind of company of which he is now part.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: I see in all of these past Leon S. Peter recipients, they have given their
time, their treasure, and their talent, and their heart. If you go anywhere in this community,
anywhere in this community whether it's the hospitals, the museums, the universities, the
schools, these past Leon S. Peter's recipients personify what Leon S. Peters was all about. Their
fingerprints are on everything in this community and they've impacted this community greatly;
our quality of life has been significantly improved.
>> From early on, his parents set the stage for the importance of education in the Mehas
Household.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: My parents were just hardworking, hardworking middle class Americans
who wanted the best, like all parents, for their kids and they realized education was important, it
was significant and they made a conscious decision to move into the Fresno High area. And as a
result of them moving in to the Fresno High area, I had an incredible quality education.
>> Buoyed by his parents' dedication to education, Pete received his bachelor's degree from
Fresno State in 1962, his master's degree from UCLA in 1967, and his doctorate in education
from USC in 1979.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: You know, you don't have to be a great scholar, you don't have to be a
great athlete. Know what you do and do it well and surround yourself with good people.
>> From his professional beginnings as an instructor at Roosevelt High School to serving as
superintendent to Fresno County Schools to sitting on multiple gubernatorial and presidential
committees and task forces, Dr. Mehas has seen a lot in his lifetime and yet his humility remains
firmly intact.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: But several times when I've sat in the Oval Office and I'm looking around
and I'm saying what am I doing here, you know? I'm just a little Greek kid from Fresno.
>> And still, his lack of ego serves as confirmation that the committee picked the right person to
be the 2012 recipient of the Leon S. Peters Award.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: I'm very, very honored and proud for this award but it's -- it is to carry on
that responsibility of what Leon S. Peters stood for and that's all any of us can hope for. We
couldn't hold -- or I certainly couldn't hold a candle to any of these past recipients; so am I
honored? Yes; do I feel to some extent I'm worthy? Yes, but my mother would be happy and as
I've said, my mother-in-law would probably feel that maybe her daughter didn't make too bad of
a decision 42 years ago.
>> Modesty aside, Dr. Mehas knows that he couldn't have accomplished his goals without a
great support system and an irrepressible drive to succeed.
>> Dr. Pete G. Mehas: God has blessed me. God has blessed me with great parents, great
grandparents, a great wife and great friends. And my grandfather told me, the most valuable
thing you have in life is your family, your friends and your reputation. That's the most valuable
thing. And there's an old baseball saying, I think it was either Casey Stengel, or one of the
baseball guys that said, "You know, I won some, I lost some, I had some rained out but I always
dressed up."
>> Congratulations to Dr. Pete G. Mehas, this year's recipient of the Leon S. Peters Award.