Q&A with Steve Harwood: Voice of Orinda’s Favorite Announcer

    If you’ve attended a public event in Orinda, you will instantly recognize his booming yet melodic voice.
    Steve Harwood has been the unofficial “Voice of Orinda” for decades and, at 78-years-old, he has no intention of slowing down.
    An avid philanthropist and community volunteer, Harwood is generous with his time, money and positive outlook on life. Having given countless hours and thousands of dollars to Orinda organizations, he insists he gets more back than he gives.

You are well known as the announcer of the 4th of July parade, the Classic Car Show, youth sports and just about every other event in the city. How did you get started?
    My career as a sports announcer started 40 years ago when our oldest was six, and a new swimmer at Sleepy Hollow Swim and Tennis Club. The team needed an announcer and I grabbed the mic and haven’t let go since.
    I’ve also announced Miramonte football, basketball, baseball and other sports, wheelchair basketball and soccer and college rugby. Most of my sports announcing has been done jointly with my pal Bill Cosden and we’ve loved every 
minute.
    My first involvement with the 4th of July celebration was playing “Elvis,” singing from the backseat of a gaudy convertible. We were surrounded by screaming ladies who were held off by “security guards,” all pals.
    Approaching the judges’ platform, the generator in the trunk powering my sound system conked out. So there was Elvis (me), sweating and pulling on the generator rope in a failed attempt to get it started. Not a great moment for Elvis.
    I moved over to be the 4th of July organizer and then into the role of providing sound gear and announcing the parade, which I’ve done for over 25 years. I love celebrating the freedoms we have in America and the contributions to the community so many individuals and organizations make.

You are also a singer and have written and directed musicals. Have music and performing always been a part of your life?
    Yes, they have. I played the trombone and guitar when I was young, have been a singer most of my life and have acted occasionally. I wrote two musicals for a men’s organization to which I belonged, and when word of that leaked out, I was asked to write a musical for Sleepy Hollow School. That led me to writing and directing six musicals for the school. That was lots of fun, as the themes I created had to do with the issues I saw my kids facing.

You were named Citizen of the Year in 2011 and you’ve led or been involved in many community organizations. What has been most fulfilling for you?
    I’ve enjoyed it all. Each organization has brought the rewards associated with being of service to others, the pleasure of meeting complex organizational challenges and the enjoyment of many wonderful friendships.
    Chairing Lamorinda Idol is a natural fit for me, as I’ve been a singer all my life and I really enjoy mentoring young people. Every year, after the finals, I say to myself, “This is the good stuff in life.”
    I love being involved with Derek Zemrak in helping to produce the Live At the Orinda! concert series. Right here in little old Orinda, we’ve created a cabaret series with top-notch, nationwide talent.
    I’ve been involved one way or another with sports every year of my life since second grade, as an athlete, coach, fan or announcer. I love the world of sports, particularly at the high school level, where the purity of the contest still exists. Announcing wheelchair sports is especially rewarding.

You made your living as president of an investment company. When did you retire?
    The word retire doesn’t have much meaning for me. I started my company in 1984 and finally wound it down in 2019. I always blended my business activities with other activities, so there was a gradual shift to emphasizing the others as time went on.

Tell us about your marriage and family life.
    Tish and I have been happily married for 50 years this month. We’re very close to our three children and their families. Will lives in the Chicago area with his wife Shirley and children Chloe and Ben. Tim lives in Sausalito with his fiancée, Liv. Alison lives in Orinda with her husband Chris and children Leo and Cora.

How long have you lived in Orinda and what brought you here?
    We’ve lived here since 1976. What brought us were great schools, a classic suburban neighborhood, nice neighbors, agreeable weather and good commuting options.
    We live in Sleepy Hollow and absolutely love the neighborhood. When we moved in, we were the youngest and now we are the oldest. We have been blessed with wonderful neighbors who have become family to us. We all look after each other, love chatting in the street or driveway and share in the joys and challenges of the kids as they grow from infants to young adults.

What’s your favorite thing about Orinda?
    I love many aspects of life in Orinda, especially:
    The respect citizens show each other, the acceptance of varied cultural backgrounds and the tolerance for diverse views.
    The assumption, proven valid over the years, that our fellow residents have integrity.
    The community spirit and the tradition of volunteerism.

What are the most significant changes you’ve seen in Orinda and what would you like to see happen in the future?
    Most significant over the 45 years we’ve lived here has been the absence of change. While Lafayette has grown dramatically and Walnut Creek has become a major shopping destination, Orinda is much the same as it was when we moved here in 1976.
    I would like to see Orinda realize the potential that was set forth by Pete Hasselman in his Orinda Vision artistic portrayal of what Orinda might look like in 50 years, incorporating many of the city planning techniques currently used in other cities. That Orinda would have more apartment living options in town, would be pedestrian-friendly, would have more indoor and outdoor dining options, while still preserving the semi-rural feel we all value

Any other fun facts about you?
    A few years ago, Tish and I had a car swap and I ended up with our big white minivan. So I figured, what the heck and decided to fulfill my lifelong dream. So now I’m the guy you see around town driving a Toyota Sienna with large red, orange and yellow flames on the side of the car!

Kathy Cordova can be reached at cordova@theorindanews.com.