Christmas in the Park is easily San Jose’s most beloved holiday event, a fact nobody had to tell Ted Lopez, the nonprofit’s recently announced executive director.

The fourth-generation San Josean says one of his family’s annual holiday traditions is to take a photo under the massive tree at Plaza de Cesar Chavez. And he definitely grasps that his new job is to make sure that tree is around for future generations of families to explore.

“I need to save Christmas. That’s the way I look at it,” Lopez said. The 44-year-old is taking the reins of Santa’s sleigh from Debbie Degutis, who announced her desire to step away from the lead role earlier this year. She led the nonprofit through a couple of challenging years, especially when it came to fundraising and sponsorship during inflationary ye

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