Steve Togami

Making life better for children and providing a path for their future is what motivates Steve Togami to be involved in the community.

His involvement and dedication is why he was nominated and chosen as a 2025 Valencia County News-Bulletin Unsung Hero.

The Las Maravillas resident was nominated by Marilyn Winters, a longtime volunteer herself, who, along with her husband, Jim, were also selected as past Unsung Heroes.

“I nominated Steve Togami as he is always the first to volunteer for the activities of the (Rio Communities) Optimist (Club) and many other organizations,” Winters said. “He always serves with a smile and a happy attitude. He loves working with the children and is always looking for new ways to involve children.”

Oh, what a smile — sweet and contagious.

“I love being able to help others,” Togami said. “There are more people who are less fortunate than I am, and we just try and make sure they have a happy day.”

Togami knows the community well. He grew up in Valencia County, learning and working on his family’s vegetable farm, Togami Farms, off N.M. 47 and El Cerro Loop. There, he learned about community, and what it means to be a part of it.

He learned the value of community from his parents, who not only farmed the land, but set up a vegetable stand where they met and made friends throughout the valley.

“We grew all different vegetables — green chile, sweet corn, melons, tomatoes, peppers,” he remembers. “That’s what my mom did. It was very popular. We would ship our green chile all over the country to people who were from here and moved away.”

He said he and his two siblings watched their mom and dad interact with the community, and realized that they were not only farmers and business owners, but they were part of something bigger than themselves or their family.

“My mom and dad used to farm in Albuquerque, but they loved it here. They moved to Los Lunas in 1960,” he said. “When they closed the farm, my mom said she missed the people the most. She enjoyed talking to other people.”

Togami earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and his MBA from New Mexico State University. He spent most of his working life here in New Mexico, except the 10 years he worked in California. He retired in April 2024 after working 25 years at Aristech Acrylics LLC, south of Rio Communities, as both the human resources and accounting manager.

But his work within the community has been what he enjoys the most — working with and for the children in Valencia County.

Togami is a charter member and past president of the Rio Communities Optimist Club, a fairly new volunteer organization that is committed to “bringing out the best in youth communities.”

“It’s all about the kids — all the different events throughout the year,” he said. “We want to offer events free of charge for our children in the community. We try to bring things that they normally wouldn’t have or to participate in.”

The RCOC just had its annual fundraising golf tournament, which raises funds so the club can sponsor events for the local children and community.

“We’ll be having a trunk or treat for the kids at Halloween, and a bike safety course in November at La Merced Elementary,” he said. “We’ll put a little roadway course out there, and then we’ll give away a bike and a helmet to a lucky boy and girl.”

In December, the club invites Santa and Mrs. Claus for a special day to visit with the children, where fun activities are held and snacks and hot chocolate is served.

“At the national level, they have an essay and oratorical contest, so we try to get local kids from here to participate. They can move up to the state and national levels to win a scholarship,” he explained.

The RCOC also sponsors an annual Youth Appreciation Day, where they have a lot of fun with games and activities, ice cream sundaes and snacks — all for free.

One of Togami’s favorite activities with the Optimist club is the photography contest, which is open to all middle and high school students in the county. He has been the lead on this project for about four years.

“If you have an interest in photography, this is a great way to show off your skills,” he said. “We have a different theme every year.”

New this year, the Optimist club sponsored a Daddy Daughter Dance on Valentine’s Day at Tierra del Sol Golf Club.

“Our Lego Robotics Camp held every summer sparks interest in engineering,” Togami touts. “We have a lot of kids who come back every summer, but we also have a lot of new kids. It definitely fills up fast. We got a grant from Meta to help with those expenses.”

Along with their own events, the Optimists also partner with other organizations and agencies, including the Rio Communities police and fire departments, the Moose Lodge and its auxiliary for their annual Easter egg hunt and with the Moose Riders.

“Now that I’m retired, I just have more time, which I’m more than happy to do. The best part about doing all these events is seeing all those kids smiles and how happy they are,” he said. “It’s also nice when the parents come up and say, ‘thank you.’ They appreciate what we’re doing.”

If you think Togami’s volunteer work is done, it’s not. He’s been an active member of the Community Wellness Council, which promotes health and wellness in the community, and the Valencia County Partnership for a Work Ready Community, which is an organization reaching out to local businesses and students to make connections.

“It’s a group that brings together local businesses and local schools,” he said. “We go to the high schools and we encourage students to graduate. That’s the most important thing. There are jobs out there that need people — and they’re right here in Valencia County.”

For Togami, community means a lot, and so does his culture. Even though he doesn’t know the language or has never been to the homeland, he has been heavily involved in Japanese American Citizens League, an organization his parents were involved in.

Togami has held different positions within the organization, including as president. He said He stepped down so he could concentrate more on the groups here in Valencia county.

“There’s a lot of people who are interested in learning about the Japanese culture, and there are probably a lot more people who know more than I do,” he said. “I’ve never been to Japan. When we have the festivals, a lot of people know the language, which I don’t.”

As a person who constantly volunteers, Togami never takes for granted that he’s not alone. He has a community who continues to work with him and for children.

“We’re not working individually, we work as a team, which makes it a lot easier,” he said. “People should volunteer because it helps others, but it also helps yourself. You get that nice feeling, and hoping you’re making a positive impact on others. Everyone needs to help each other, spread more positive than negative.”

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