Since relocating from Bakersfield, CA to the Central Coast, Judy Salamacha repurposed her public relations company, Salamacha PR Strategies, to write for multiple publications, including the Bay News, Sun Bulletin, SLO Tribune (www.sanluisobispo.com), and Simply Clear Marketing & Media’s version of the Bay News, LIVING LAVISHING Magazine and the company’s additional print publications. (www.simplyclearmarkeketing.com)

She retired to focus on her second book, however, Covid 2020 inspired her to come out of retirement and write feature articles about the owners of small businesses working to survive a worldwide pandemic in the California coastal communities of Morro Bay, Los Osos and Cayucos. Currently, find her articles in the Estero Bay News (www.esterobaynews.com) every other week. Her blog continues to reprint and update the numerous articles and columns that have been published with her byline over the past two decades.

She also served as Director for the Central Coast Writers’ Conference at Cuesta College for five years, then helped to establish and build the Morro Bay Maritime Museum (www.morrobaymaritime.org). For several years, she has served as Program Chairman for The Rotary Club of Morro Bay, (www.morrobayrotary.org), on the Board of Directors for Garden House of Morro Bay, a nonprofit Alzheimer’s and Dementia care home, and the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce Governmental Advisory Committee (www.morrobaychamber.org).

A native of Bakersfield, California, she co-authored the interpretive nonfiction biography about the city’s namesake, Colonel Thomas Baker, titled Colonel Baker’s Field: An American Pioneer Story (Bear State Books, 2013) now in its 2nd printing. In 2015 the Kern County Superintendent of Schools supported the inclusion of  1,200 copies of the biography to middle schools throughout the county. Multiple community members supported the effort and joined the presentation to the schools in a ceremony at Bakersfield City Hall presided by Mayor Harvey Hall on November 5th, Colonel Baker’s 105th birthday. Educator and co-author Sandra Mittelsteadt and the Great-Grandson Chris Brewer, a California Historian, were key to the development of the project as well as Jody Salamacha Hollier, who illustrated and formatted the book. Her work on a second book, Wheels West, continues while actively involved in the writing community with her writing group, http://www.bookshelfwriters.com, Writers of Kern/California Writers Club, and annual volunteer support for the Central Coast Writers Conference and the San Francisco Writers Conference.

Community and family involvement are in her priorities. Judy’s Mom, Patricia McKaye, served as operation’s manager at the Cayucos Seniors Thrift Shop from age 81-93 and was named SLO County Senior Volunteer of the Year and a Cayucos Woman of the Year. Her husband Bob is a retired Kern County teacher; son, Jeremy Salamacha, a busy general contractor on the Central Coast, Salamacha Construction; Jeremy’s wife Rena is CEO of MEE Memorial Hospital in King City, CA and their daughter Brittany Thompson and life partner, Marceles Rodriguez, gave them a first grandchild, Darius, while serving the United States Air Force.  Daughter, Jody Hollier, is assistant administrator for Garden House of Morro Bay and Jody’s husband, Michael, is a planner with Cal Trans, based in San Luis Obispo. Her “adopted” son, Michael Nelson, is owner of Second Chance Dog Training (www.second-chance-dog-training.com and Executive Director of Kid C.A.T. (www.thekidcat.org).

Los Osos, Cayucos and Morro Bay iconic Morro Rock are pictured on the home page banner with Judy and Cajun, her best-ever furry son, RIP Memorial Day, 2017 after 15 years of loving friendship. However, her furry love-of-her-life CJ, another rescue, joined the family in late summer of 2017.