Bio
Nicholas Wayne gates
Thank you for stopping by my portfolio! My name is Nicholas and I’m a father of two, a creative and passionate soul, and thrive on accomplishing things that benefit others and the area we live in. A bio page is always a tough one to write so I will keep it simple, which also happens to be one of my mantras.
I grew up in San Juan Capistrano and graduated from Dana Hills in 1994.I have a love for the ocean and fishing so I decided to attend Humboldt State University to major in Fisheries. Funny story, I had an epiphany while in lab we were fertilizing Salmon and I thought do I really want to do this the rest of my life? So change of major and life occurs and I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Business Management.
At this point I got married and had my two amazing kids who are my world. I would work all day, come home and be a dad, and when everyone was asleep, I earned my Master’s in Public Administration from UOP.
While these accomplishments were occurring, I worked at Dana Wharf Sportfishing for almost ten years. I made it to Tackle Shop Manager, which as I loved Fishing, made me happy, but also allowed me to work with the Hansen’s. I so admired Don Hansen and his children who owned the landing. I will never forget writing a letter and sending it off to support local fishing and not having restrictions, which literally went to Don and he walked out of his office and said that was a well written letter and thank you.
Leaving Dana Wharf was a difficult decision, I grew up there, and to this day still love everyone I worked with. I had aspirations of professional skateboarding and decided to follow that path, which happened to lead me to the City of Laguna Niguel and my next job as a Recreation Leader and Skateboard Instructor. This opened my doors to Parks and Recreation and I had no Idea what would occur.
From there I went to work for the City of Lake Forest at the Etnies Skatepark. The biggest and most amazing skatepark at the time, and was I in heaven. I built all the programming to make it the example for other staffed parks to follow. One of my favorite memories was for Go Skateboarding day. I wanted to make a high impact event while having zero budget. I worked with Team Thomas who was the foundation backing Thomas Johnson, a beautiful human whom I was lucky enough to skate with. This event was to raise awareness for pediatric cancer, and celebrate the life of Thomas, Go Skateboarding Day, and bring the community together. I decided to set World Record that day and make an amazing event with zero budget. I worked with Etnies and Pierre Andre Senizergues, the owner of Soletechnology. We set the world record which stands today, for the largest skateboard lesson ever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAlESXCQBW0 The event was covered on local news, KTLA, and the internet received amazing traction. It was a beautiful day which I will never forget.
Etnies Skatepark
I was fortunate enough to be a part of one of the world’s greatest skateparks. From the Beastie Boys playing during the GvR Skate Contest to helping kids with autism find happiness on a skateboard, this was a dream job and I love so much how much of an impact on the community I was able to make.
I was offered the opportunity to leave the skatepark and supervise the Lake Forest Sports Park and Recreation Center, deep down my love was for skateboarding and the skatepark, but as a father and a man on a quest for his career, I made the choice to make the move. I learned more than anyone about the different seeds for grass on the sports fields and even managed to start the Lake Forest Certified Farmers Market and the Annual Car Show. Although initially I felt out of place, I used my experience and skill set to once again benefit the community and create awesomeness for the residents. A challenge is something I do not back down from and that is an asset that will benefit any organization.
Lisa Loeb was one of the many amazing Musical Acts I was fortunate enough to be apart of when I oversaw Concerts in the Park.
What a beautiful facility and array of park users. From concerts in the Park to National Sports Tournaments, the Sports Park was never a dull Moment. Working with staff to create amazing special events like Haunt at Heritage Hill, Snow Fest, Movies and Concerts in the Park, Fourth of July Parade, 5k, and Dino Days. I also oversaw contract classes and brought Futsal and Pickleball to the Recreation Center.
Communications and Marketing
Currently I work in Communications and Marketing and help produce the media for the City. I also co-manage the Performing Arts Center. I appreciate you taking the time to stop by and read this. If you have any questions, my email and Social links are located at the top of the page.
Pier Pride
What an honor it was to have my image chosen to be included in the San Clemente Pier information signage. I am also proud being a founding board member of the non profit that has raised millions for the pier and helped to make it the beautiful destination it is today!
