gmhTODAY 25 gmhTODAY April May 2019 | Page 18

S hane Palsgrove. Now that’s a pretty cool name. Is he a musician? No. Professional athlete? Uh-uh. Protector of Public Safety? Bingo. Kentucky born, San Jose raised, Shane Palsgrove is a Captain with the Morgan Hill Police Department. Ask around and you’ll find that his passion for law enforcement, like his personal character, is rock solid. As a boy, Shane got hooked on soccer at age four, made varsity as a freshman in both high school and college, and played competitively, at Division 1 level, through college. Soccer taught Shane a valuable lesson: “Knowing you’re part of a team, the way to win is by staying focused on being effective together, working for the greater good, not for personal gain.” The Palsgrove family moved to San Jose after Shane’s father Ted was hired as a project manager at IBM. His mom, Ann, shuttled Shane and his younger brother Adam to soccer games up and down the state. The brothers had different personalities yet both ended up in public safety careers. “I was the shy son. A planner— always knowing what I wanted and setting goals to get there. Adam was more outgoing and a free spirit.” Adam is now a Captain with the Palo Alto Fire Department. Working for the Greater Good Written By Robin Shepherd 18 GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN april/may 2019 Career Inspiration As a teen, Shane set his sights on a law enforcement career. His enthusiasm was kindled by his father’s service as a Lieutenant with the San Jose Police Department’s Reserve Program. “My dad allowed me to go on ride alongs with his training officer. I saw the camaraderie and mixture of hard work and seriousness, yet there was a sense of fun. It was captivating.” gmhtoday.com Meet Shane Palsgrove