The Garden City High School Hall of Fame Committee has selected Johnetta Holmes-Hebrlee, in-town inductee, and Gary Fief, out-of-county inductee, to be introduced into the Garden City High School Hall of Fame on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 7:30 p.m., in the Garden City High School Commons Area, 2720 Buffalo Way Blvd. The public is invited to attend the ceremony.
Tours of the high school will be offered at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, May 16 and a buffet dinner will be served promptly at 6:30 p.m. in the high school Commons Area, prior to the induction ceremony. Reservations for dinner are required. Cost of each dinner is $15.00, payable in advance. For dinner reservations or more information, call Roy Cessna, Garden City Public Schools, at 620-805-7014.
The local inductee for the Garden City High School Hall of Fame is Johnetta Holmes-Hebrlee. She is a 1980 graduate of Garden City High School. She has an Associate of Arts degree in History from Garden City Community College, a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Fort Hays State University, and graduate studies in Special Education and Library Science from Emporia State University.
Her commitment to public service, education, and youth development spans more than three decades. She has worn many hats-each reflecting her unwavering dedication to the community.
Her love for history and education found a perfect home at the Finney County Public Library, where she served as the Circulation Desk Supervisor and Research Librarian. There, she discovered a passion for sharing knowledge-a passion that ultimately led her to her current role. She joined the Finney County Historical Museum in 2010, where she serves as the Education Coordinator and Museum Store Manager, a role that has allowed her to reach thousands of students to teach them the history of Garden City and share her love for the community. At the museum, she oversees and coordinates the annual cemetery historic walks, the Pioneer/Horizon Awards presentations, and the vendor show for the museum’s open house. She has masterfully developed and delivered historical programs for both children and adults, highlighting the people, places, and events that shaped Finney County and its surrounding areas. On average, she gives tours and presentations to over 2,400 patrons each year, shaping a new generation of history enthusiasts.
She has also given back to the community as a city liaison on the Garden City Capital Improvement Citizen Input Committee. She has volunteered with Real Men Real Leaders, Russell Child Development Center, where she completed Triple P Training to tailor presentations for children with disabilities. She is a longstanding member of the Western Plains Extension District, Kansas State Extension, serving on the Community Development Committee. She has also played a crucial role in the Finney County Fair, serving as Superintendent of Foods and assisting in various judging capacities.
She is an active participant in the Live Well Finney County Coalition. She attends Women of Purpose, an adult Bible Study at the Church of the Brethren and volunteers her time preserving historical records and restoring local cemetery monuments. She also enjoys mentoring students through judging USD 457 and USD 363’s forensics and debate tournaments and lends her sewing skills to the high school and recreational theater productions.
The out-of-county inductee for the Garden City High School Hall of Fame is Gary Fief. He is a 1974 graduate of Garden City High School. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from California Coast University and a Masters of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership from California Coast University.
He held numerous positions within the California Highway Patrol (CHP), rising through the ranks of Officer to Assistant Chief. As an officer, he worked in several field commands. He was promoted to Sergeant and was assigned to the CHP's Newhall Command. Following this assignment, Gary transferred to the Central Division Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT), which is responsible for in-depth investigations and analyses of major traffic collisions and officer involved shootings. After three years with MAIT, Gary was assigned to the Air Operations Unit in Central Division, supervising the CHP Helicopter Search and Rescue Unit.
After being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, he was assigned to the CHP Academy in West Sacramento. The CHP Academy is one of the most modern and comprehensive law enforcement training academies in the United States. While serving the Department as a Captain, he commanded the Hayward, Merced, Fresno, and Central Division Special Services Commands. He spent nearly six years as Captain of the Fresno Area, which spans an area of over 6,000 square miles with officers patrolling over 4,054 miles of unincorporated roadways.
He finished his CHP career as the Assistant Chief of Coastal Division. As the Assistant Division Commander, he was responsible for the oversight of 11 CHP commands, one resident post, two commercial vehicle enforcement facilities, three communications/dispatch centers, MAIT, and Air Operations Unit. Combined, these facilities house nearly 700 uniformed and non-uniformed employees providing safety and security to the central coast.
He is the Director of the State Center Regional Training Facility (SCRTF) Police Academy located on the campus of Fresno City College. SCRTF is a full-service regional law enforcement-training program for the State of California. The SCRTF police academy is one of 41 basic academies certified by the Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training.
Prior to his appointment as the Director, he served as an adjunct instructor for over 30 years and has held every position within the academy including Instructor, Recruit Training Officer, Coordinator and now Director. He was named as the Director based on his extensive training background and his 44 years of law enforcement experience.
Under his leadership, the police academy continually ranks in the top five academies in the state of California out of 41, for graduation and placement. During the academy training, the Director takes a lead role with each cadet class, participating in numerous community events during their 1,010 hours of training. Events including Crime Stoppers, Fresno Police Officers Back the Blue 10k Run, Valley Children's Hospital fund raising events, charity golf fundraisers, City of Clovis and Fresno Operation Clean up, participation in Fresno City College commencement ceremonies, California and State Memorial events, Veterans Parade each year honoring veterans and Career Technical Education Days for local high schools. These community events help connect cadets to the communities, which they will serve as police officers.
GCHS Hall of Fame Background
In 1984, an idea was conceived among administrators and Board of Education members of the school district, to recognize past graduates of GCHS who had gone on to distinguish themselves through outstanding accomplishments. This idea was brought into action the following spring, when the first members of the Garden City High School Hall of Fame were inducted. The purpose for the formation of this select group is twofold: It is to honor past graduates of the school for their accomplishments in their chosen professions. It is also to present positive role models to the current graduating seniors as well as to the rest of the student body.
The Hall of Fame's purpose is to communicate to Garden City residents and the rest of the world that Garden City High School produces graduates who are second to none.
Each year two distinguished graduates of Garden City High School are added to the Hall of Fame. To date 78 people have been inducted into the Garden City High School Hall of Fame.