Michael “Mike” Gallo, a former longtime San Bernardino-area school board member, died April 3 after a brief illness. He was 65.
Gallo, president and CEO of Kelly Space and Technology in San Bernardino, served on the San Bernardino City Unified School District board from 2011 to 2020 and had a brief stint on the county Board of Education from 2021 to 2022.
“Mike Gallo was a true champion for our community,” said county education board Trustee Gwendolyn Dowdy-Rodgers, who served with Gallo on the city school board. “He was always looking for ways to support our next generation, which was our youth.”
Gallo worked tirelessly for San Bernardino youth and the city of San Bernardino, Dowdy-Rodgers said, calling his ability to connect at the state and local level impeccable.
Gallo was appointed to the county Board of Education in October 2021 following his departure from the city school board. Previously, he had planned to run for San Bernardino mayor but withdrew from the race in 2018 to focus on his company and making space access easier.
Gallo was born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts in April 1958. He went to college at Norwich University, a private senior military college in Northfield, Vermont, according to his daughter, Kristin Gallo.
Gallo went on to become a first lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He landed in San Bernardino in 1980, became an aerospace engineer and in 1993 co-founded Kelly Space and Technology, an aerospace and technology development firm, with Mike Kelly.
In 2012, then-Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Gallo to the California Workforce Development Board, where he chaired the Career Pathways and Education Committee and was a member of the executive board.
Time for Change Foundation, a San Bernardino-based nonprofit focused on empowering low-income families, honored Gallo with its Humanitarian Award in April 2014.
At the time of his 2021 appointment to the Area D seat on the county Board of Education, Gallo said in a news release that he wanted to see how the board could provide opportunities for all students to learn through different modalities and different approaches.
When he wasn’t working or volunteering in the community, Gallo enjoyed time with his family, Kristin Gallo said.
“Having a barbecue by the pool on a sunny day was his favorite,” she said.
Gallo had a silly nickname for each family member, his daughter recalled, and cherished his family and loved ones.
“I will forever miss all the funny times and conversations with my dad,” Kristin Gallo said. “I miss being able to just pick up the phone and vent about the craziness of life.
“My dad was the best father and my friend,” she added. “He will forever be missed and always in my heart.”
Gallo was preceded in death his parents, Anthony and Marguerite Gallo, and his mother-in-law, Anne Navaroli.
He is survived by his wife, Kim Gallo; daughter and son-in-law, Kristin Gallo and Anthony Aguayo; son and daughter-in-law, Marc and Loni Gallo; granddaughter, Samantha Gallo; grandsons Alexzander and Maximilian Gallo and Alec and Athan Aguayo; and his siblings, Robert Gallo, Joseph Gallo and Tina Murray.
The family is planning a private funeral service and celebration of life ceremony.
