Remember the year 2000? As we collectively entered the new millennium (and sighed that the Y2K scare was over), Rancho Cielo was being established by then Monterey County Superior Court Judge John Phillips and a strong coalition of community members and public-private partnerships. Twenty-five years later, Phillips says what surprised him the most has not only been how great the need for our programs was, and still is, but also how robust the response has been to that need from the private sector and local industry across the Peninsula and the Salinas Valley.
Today, the strength and number of our partnerships have grown exponentially and are a key factor in the life-changing impact this nonprofit can have on our youth and the community. Large-scale events like Monterey’s annual Car Week offer locals and visitors an opportunity to see our partnerships in action in the community. Car Week also provides several opportunities for students from our Drummond Culinary Academy (DCA) and Classic Car Restoration programs to participate in once-in-a-lifetime experiences and learn from them, thanks to a longtime partnership among Rancho Cielo, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Pebble Beach Company and Pebble Beach Company Foundation.
As our Classic Car Restoration program took shape in recent years, our ongoing charitable partnership with Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance expanded significantly, as they recognized our potential to train underserved youth to repair and restore automobiles—particularly collector cars. The funding for this partnership comes from donations in memory of automotive legend Don Williams, enabling students to acquire the skills needed to fill a niche in the industry and sustain the car show and racing traditions this area is known for for years to come.
Rancho Cielo’s classic car students have shown their talents at the Concours Village for the past two years. In 2024, they displayed a meticulously restored cherry red 1952 MG, and this year, their skills stunned crowds with a 1929 Model A (restoration in progress; pictured, right). Rancho Cielo staff and students were on hand to update guests on the restoration work and describe how the students are working on all aspects of the restoration, from bodywork to drivetrain to painting and upholstery.
Students also had the opportunity to explore other aspects of the Concours d’Elegance, including the show field, the concept cars on display at the Concept Lawn and the Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum, where they heard from automotive experts.
A highlight was a sneak peek at a rare 1953 Jaguar C-type (pictured below) before it was shown at the Concours d’Elegance. The Jaguar’s owner, world-renowned UK engineer and entrepreneur Tony Purnell, whose career has stretched from Formula One to the Olympics, brought the car to Rancho Cielo’s campus, where Auto & Diesel Repair and Classic Car Restoration students worked together with his team to prepare the Jaguar for the show field—and it placed second in its class. Purnell was connected to Rancho Cielo through his relationship with Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, another excellent example of the impact this partnership has on our organization.
During the automotive celebration, our DCA students showcased their culinary skills at private events throughout Pebble Beach, preparing and serving multi-course meals under the guidance of Executive Chef Estevan Jimenez for car enthusiasts and luminaries alike. This was not their first foray into fine dining at Pebble Beach; DCA has also shone at the prestigious Pebble Beach Food & Wine event in recent years.
In April 2025, thanks to the Pebble Beach Company Foundation, DCA students were invited to help prepare the second annual Foundation Table Dinner at The Beach Club in Pebble Beach, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work and learn alongside culinary legends Alice Waters and Jonathan Waxman. DCA also participated in the first Foundation Table Dinner in 2024, gaining new skills and techniques from renowned chef and TV personality Andrew Zimmern (pictured top, middle).
In addition, the Pebble Beach Company Foundation generously grants funding to support the DCA, which helps support vital components of the program. Importantly, the funding helps provide transportation to culinary internships across the Peninsula and supports on-site culinary training through our Friday Night Dinner service (open to the public October-June) and catering services. All of this prepares our students for successful careers in the hospitality industry in Monterey County and beyond. Thanks to a workforce development program, several Rancho Cielo grads have been hired by the Pebble Beach Company as chefs, servers and greenskeepers (with machinist and fabricator positions opening to students soon).
We are grateful for the support of our partners and the experiences and opportunities these relationships create for our students. As Rancho Cielo’s partnership with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the Pebble Beach Company and the Pebble Beach Company Foundation strengthens year after year, it’s evident that we will build upon our successes and help grow our next generation of skilled professionals in the culinary and automotive industries.
Previously published in Rancho Cielo’s fall 2025 newsletter.
