El Dorado Hills resident Randy Gibbs grew up on the slopes of Minneapolis, his feet in skis not long after he could walk. When he was in six grade, his parents bought a resort in Northern Wisconsin, and he looks back fondly on the two years he spent snowmobiling, skiing, and hanging out with resort guests. He also helped his dad groom the slopes, a skill that would later come in handy. After many years as a competitive skier and ski coach, Gibbs is now a ski service technician—a job that’s taken him all over the world, including the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

Yet life hasn’t always been easy for Gibbs. In 2007, his sister Jenny took her own life and the life of her infant son, Graham. The incident was later attributed to a case of postpartum depression that became postpartum psychosis, a rare but serious condition that affects one in a thousand new mothers. Since then, Gibbs and his family have made it their mission to prevent what happened to Jenny and Graham from happening to others. To that end, they founded Jenny’s Light (jennyslight.org), an organization whose primary goal is to save lives by spreading awareness about perinatal mood disorders. Gibbs has even spoken in front of U.S. Congress about this issue, advocating for increased perinatal mental health screenings in hospitals and the eradication of the social stigma that keeps new mothers from reaching out for support. “We want mothers to know that what they’re feeling is totally normal,” he shares, “[and that] it’s okay to ask for help.”  

Q&A

What advice would you give to your younger self? 

Listen to your elders. They’re probably smarter than you.

What comes to you naturally?
Skiing.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Bad drivers.

Biggest life inspirations?
My parents. We’re going to Hawaii to celebrate their 50th anniversary next month.

What are you most proud of?
My daughter, Camila. 

Best words of wisdom you’ve received?
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”—Socrates

Favorites

Author/writer

Vince Flynn

Guilty pleasure
Buffalo wings

Meal in town
Sushi at Mikuni

Local landmark
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park

Movie
The Big Lebowski

Musician/band
Soundgarden

Local nonprofit
Jenny’s Light

Annual event
Amgen Tour of California

Do you know someone in the community who makes a difference or is particularly interesting that we should Get to Know? Email their name, where they live and why they should be featured to [email protected].

By Amber Foster