A commitment to service
In El Dorado County, community leadership often happens away from the spotlight — in service clubs, school programs, nonprofit offices and volunteer projects.
Dina Gentry has spent years working in those spaces.
On Sept. 23, 2023, Gentry was honored at the Kiwanis Club of Placerville’s installation dinner, taking the oath as president alongside the organization’s incoming officers and board members. The installation represented another chapter in a civic career that has repeatedly brought her work back to the same central themes: children, community and service.
Gentry’s connection to the Placerville Kiwanis Club predates that installation. Public nonprofit records identify her as a past president, and the club’s community work has included youth programs, scholarships and fundraising activities.
For Gentry, the work has not simply been about occupying a leadership position.
It has been about making the position useful.
Leadership during the pandemic
Gentry served as president of the Placerville Kiwanis Club during the 2020-21 period, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced community organizations to rethink how they could serve people while normal gatherings and activities were disrupted.
At the same time, she was working in public education communications at the El Dorado County Office of Education.
In a 2021 profile, Comstock’s magazine described Gentry’s approach during the pandemic as being grounded in “positivity and making an impact.” The publication reported that, through Kiwanis, she helped lead service efforts that included bringing food to people and providing support during a period of isolation and uncertainty.
Her professional work presented a parallel challenge.
As EDCOE’s communications director, Gentry was responsible for communications affecting thousands of students and families across 15 school districts. During the early pandemic, she helped coordinate public information, school communications and messaging with county health officials.
Her philosophy was straightforward.
“It’s always best practice to remain concise, to the point and transparent,” Gentry told Comstock’s while discussing the communications challenges of the pandemic.
That philosophy would become a recurring theme in her professional and community work.
From school communications to youth advocacy
Gentry’s professional credentials extend well beyond her Kiwanis activities.
She graduated from Sacramento State with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and later earned an MBA. She also holds the Accreditation in Public Relations, or APR, credential.
Her work at the El Dorado County Office of Education earned national recognition. The National School Public Relations Association named her to its 2018-19 “35 Under 35” class, recognizing emerging leaders in school public relations. NSPRA’s official list identifies Gentry as an El Dorado County Office of Education honoree in Placerville.
Comstock’s later profiled Gentry among regional professionals “on the rise,” noting her work with El Dorado County schools and her connection to the community where she grew up.
That connection has remained important to her.
“I actually work with educators who used to be my school teachers,” Gentry told Comstock’s. “It’s such a blessing to be able to help the community that raised me.”
Kiwanis and the next generation
Youth service has been a central component of Gentry’s Kiwanis involvement.
The Placerville club supports student organizations and educational programs throughout the county. El Dorado Union High School District board minutes from October 2022 noted the club’s sponsorship of four high school Key Clubs — at El Dorado, Golden Sierra, Ponderosa and Union Mine high schools. The minutes also described the Studebaker Wheelbarrow Races as the club’s main fundraiser, with proceeds supporting community activities and student scholarships.
Gentry has been involved in that work through student recognition, scholarships, service programs and community events.
She has also been associated with the club’s annual Easter Egg Hunt and youth recognition efforts, including the Hope of America award.
The approach reflects a broader philosophy of service: connect young people with adults, give them opportunities to lead and recognize their contributions to the community.
The Studebaker Wheelbarrow Races
Few Placerville traditions combine local history, competition and fundraising quite like the Studebaker Wheelbarrow Races.
The event is staged in conjunction with the El Dorado County Fair and has become a signature fundraiser for the Placerville Kiwanis Club.
Gentry has played a major organizational role in the event, including serving as a planning committee leader.
The races also illustrate how civic organizations can turn an entertaining community tradition into practical support for young people. According to El Dorado Union High School District records, proceeds from the event support community activities and student scholarships.
That combination — community participation producing resources for local youth — is central to the Kiwanis model.
A career built around communication
Gentry’s public relations career has provided another avenue for community service.
During her tenure with EDCOE, she handled strategic communications, media relations, crisis communications, digital content and public outreach involving the county’s education system.
Her work during the COVID-19 pandemic was particularly demanding, as schools and families faced rapidly changing information and unprecedented operational challenges. Comstock’s reported that Gentry helped develop pandemic resources, coordinate messaging and address communication gaps during the crisis.
Her communications background has also included nonprofit and community work.
In 2023, EDCOE materials identified Gentry as a contributor to local stories involving programs for foster youth, including a summer employment program that provided transitional-age young people with internship experience and professional skills.
A new chapter in youth mentorship
Gentry’s work with young people eventually expanded beyond education communications.
She became involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra, first as a volunteer Big Sister and later professionally. More recently, she has served as the nonprofit’s director of development, focusing on fundraising, marketing, special events and community partnerships.
Public information from the organization lists Gentry among its staff, while local business records identify Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra as a Placerville-area nonprofit serving youth through mentoring relationships.
In that role, Gentry’s communications background intersects directly with youth advocacy.
The work is different from school public relations, but the underlying objective is familiar: build relationships, communicate effectively and create opportunities for children and young people.
Service as a common thread
Gentry’s career crosses several sectors — public education, nonprofit development, professional communications and civic organizations.
The common thread is service.
Whether organizing a Kiwanis fundraiser, communicating during a public crisis, supporting students through school programs or raising resources for youth mentoring, her work has repeatedly placed children and community connections at the center.
Her recognition has followed that record. In addition to the NSPRA “35 Under 35” honor, she was featured by Comstock’s among regional young professionals and recognized for her professional and community leadership.
For El Dorado County, the significance of that record is perhaps less about the awards than the accumulated work behind them.
Leadership in a local community is measured in meetings attended, events organized, phone calls returned, scholarships delivered, children helped and difficult messages communicated when they need to be heard.
Gentry’s career has been built around those moments.
And in Placerville, where service organizations remain an important part of the community’s civic fabric, her story is another example of how professional skills can become community assets when they are put to work locally.
