Steve and Gina Wilcox’s first meeting sounds like it could be the plot of a Hallmark Holiday movie. A local newspaper publisher sells advertising to a local business owner, and the rest is history.
While it was a little more complicated than a Hallmark movie, the couple eventually said “I Do” in April 2021. “We met around 2006, when my company did some advertising in a newspaper Gina published called the Danville Weekly. When we met, both of us were in other relationships. Over the next decade plus, we remained colleagues and good friends, as our mutual community involvement kept allowing our paths to cross. In the middle of 2018, when timing and circumstances permitted, we started dating. We dated for a couple of years and knew that this was meant to be,” says Steve.
Steve was born in San Francisco, grew up on the Peninsula, and moved to Danville in 1998. “From the moment I arrived in Danville, I set Blackhawk as my goal. In 2010, I joined the Blackhawk Country Club, and 10 years later, Gina and I bought our home in Blackhawk,” says Steve.
Gina was born at the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base in 29 Palms, California, where her father was serving. Early in Gina’s life, the family moved to Illinois, and Gina grew up in a suburb of Chicago named Oswego. Gina was there until a professional opportunity brought her to California in 2003.
Steve received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame De Namur. Post college, he went on to earn numerous financial certifications and designations. He has spent the last thirty years doing what he loves, helping others with their financial planning.
Gina earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master’s in Business Administration from Aurora University in Illinois. From the time she was a child, she wanted to be a reporter. While attending college, she began working as a freelance journalist for a local newspaper. Her coverage of a tornado in her hometown led to a staff position. She spent the next 15 years working for a division of the Chicago Sun-Times, moving into roles with more responsibility. She moved to California in 2003 to launch a newspaper and radio station in Sonoma and found her way to Embarcadero Media in 2006, where she has been the East Bay division president and publisher since. Gina loves how working as a journalist and news media executive plays an important role in the community.
The couple love to golf and are avid sports fans. They hold season tickets to the San Francisco 49ers, and love cheering on local teams. Giving back to the community is a high priority for the couple, and both are actively involved in non-profit organizations.
Steve has served on the boards of many non-profits, including YMCA, Rotary, Leadership San Ramon, Danville Area Chamber of Commerce, and more. He is the current president of his company’s charitable foundation. Like Steve, Gina has also served on the boards of many nonprofits, including the Boys and Girls Club, Axis Community Health, and the San Ramon Chamber, where she was chair in 2018. Gina was also vice-chair of the Sonoma County Commission on Human Rights and a member of the San Ramon Economic Development Advisory Committee for many years. Currently, she is working with a team to transition Embarcadero Media to nonprofit status.
The blended family is completed by six adult children. Chris Sankey has been working in the film industry, and recently started the first of three YogaSix studios in Southern California. Chris and Maggie recently welcomed their first child, making Steve and Gina new grandparents. Shelby Wilcox is an amazing artist, and is currently a junior at Gonzaga University. Colton Wilcox is a freshman at Washington State, and a recent graduate of Monte Vista, where he was a pitcher on the varsity baseball team. Chris, Shelby and Colton are graduates of Monte Vista High School and attended Diablo Vista Middle School, Creekside and Tassajara Hills Elementary Schools.
Zach Allen and his wife, Erin, live in Oregon, and Zach works in human resources. Josh Allen lives in Washington state and just started a new job with the city of Spokane as a 911 dispatcher. Josh and Chandler just purchased their first home. Ashleigh Allen lives in Sonoma and is studying kinesiology at Sonoma State University while maintaining a full roster of personal training clients.
Two adorable dogs keep Steve and Gina company in their Silver Maple home. “Sadie is a 13-year-old Cavapoo. She is the most loving, kindest dog, so don’t come visit if you don’t like being licked and jumped on. Aria is an 11-year-old Tea-Cup Schnauzer. She can oftentimes be seen rolling on her back and being incredibly cute. She will greet you with a bark, as this eight pound dog thinks she is a scary watchdog,” says Steve.
As much as Steve and Gina love their community, they also love exploring and traveling. “You are not allowed in this family unless you like to travel. We are always on the go. We frequently visit Lake Tahoe, Hawaii, and Cancun, and we are crazy big fans of all things Disney. We’ve been on several cruises all over Europe, and most of the United States. We managed to have 19 family members all together at Epcot center last year,” says Steve.
The family made the move to Silver Maple in 2020. Before that, they lived outside the East gate in a Danville community known as Monterosso. They both say they feel blessed to call Blackhawk home. “We love jumping in our golf cart and heading to the club for dinner. The neighbors are friendly and helpful, and we enjoy talking with them when we’re walking Sadie and Aria. We are blessed to be part of this beautiful neighborhood. It is special, even driving home each day down the beautiful tree-lined street. We love that there are children playing outside daily, pets being walked continuously, and smiling faces any time we drive or walk by our neighbors. Living in Blackhawk has truly made a dream come true.”
By Megan Scott, Resident since 2010
Images courtesy of Wilcox Family