A small thing can change a person’s life, said French writer Guy de Maupassant in his short story “The Necklace.” In Maupassant’s story, it was the loss of a borrowed necklace. For Palos Verdes Estates resident Gemma Kemps, it was a close encounter with elephants while on a private safari in Kenya with her husband Councilmember Michael Kemps. “A baby elephant and its mother approached our truck,” Gemma recalled in a recent interview. “The mother and I were eye to eye within inches of each other. She picked up her trunk and softly smelled my face. The experience was so extraordinary; I will never forget it. From that moment, I vowed that I would work to help protect and conserve the elephant population.”

Gemma Kemps with baby elephant: Wildlife Trust, Kenya.

Her passion for the protection of elephants expanded to all wildlife conservation and last month, she and her husband visited India. “We traveled with a group of twenty-one people dedicated to the work of a nonprofit organization called Wildlife SOS.. . . In addition to the regular tourist sites, we visited an elephant hospital, sloth bear sanctuary, and a national forest that is known for protecting the Indian tiger. We learned about practical and legal progress in stopping the practice of dancing bears and the abuse of elephants for tourism and ceremonial events.”

In addition to India, the couple has traveled all over Europe, Australia and Africa. “Rwanda is an amazing country,” Gemma said and updated me on how the country has rebounded from a horrific genocide. “The people have a tremendous spirit, [and] the country is beautiful, with sprawling farms and countryside. We visited Sabyinyo, home to the silverback gorillas, and trekked into the Rwanda Volcanoes National Park.”

Participating in and trying to understand the struggle associated with protecting wildlife is one of Gemma’s primary interest. “In the United States, we don’t experience the human-wildlife conflict. As the [human] population increases, preservation of [other] species is critical to joint survival,” she maintained.

Gemma Kemps with ringtailed lemur: Australia Zoo Behind the Scenes Tour.

Although they intend to continue traveling and supporting organizations that invest directly in conservation, the Kemps also devote their talents and resources on the Homefront. While husband Michael Kemps, a Palos Verdes Estates native, is serving his second term on the Palos Verdes Estates City Council, Gemma is the president of the Malaga Cove Homeowners Association, which she feels strengthens her ties to the community. Giving back to the community, working as a team to achieve results gives her great satisfaction. “I enjoy beautifying our neighborhood, including investing in holiday décor, regularly maintaining floral displays and helping to restore the Farnham Martin fountain [next to the Malaga Cove Library],” she said and shared that she also serves on the board of directors at Innovative Computing Systems, a company founded by her husband, which provides technology services to lawyers.

Beautifying the city: Gemma Kemps floral decor at City Hall

The youngest of nine children, Gemma was born in Arcadia, California, but soon afterward the family moved to Lake Tahoe, where they owned a men’s and women’s clothing store. She attended high school in Incline, Nevada, and studied business at the University of Nevada in Reno, with a focus on marketing. “My family was heavily invested in youth sporting events in our community. Several family members were All-State athletes. My nephew was recently drafted by a Major-League baseball team.”

Beautifying the city: Gemma Kemps floral decor at Lunada Bay Plaza.

Gemma and Michael Kemps have known each other for almost forty years. Michael’s aunt and uncle lived across the street from her parents, Gemma said, and they were introduced when they were twelve years old. “We were reacquainted in our early twenties and have been inseparable since,” Gemma said. The couple have three grown children, the older two working in real estate and finance, while the youngest is still in college focusing his studies on advertising. Although Gemma is an avid tennis player, she has been sidelined for some time because of a total knee replacement. “I’m anxious to get back on the court,” she said.

Restoration of the Farnham Fountain near the Palos Verdes Estates Library

Over the years, the Kemps have lived in Nevada, Arizona and Texas, moving around as their business expanded, but Palos Verdes Estates has been their home for the past twenty years. “Living in Palos Verdes Estates gives me a sense of calm, being able to enjoy the view of the ocean and the surrounding environment,” Gemma said.

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Kari H. Sayers BIO

With a BA in English and an MA in linguistics from California State University, Long Beach, Kari Sayers went with her husband to Saudi Arabia, where she first worked as a music teacher at Riyadh International Community School and then as a journalist for the English newspapers the Saudi Gazette and the Arab News as well as in-flight magazines. When she returned to Southern California, she taught literature, college composition, and English as a Second Language at Marymount California University in Rancho Palos Verdes, while freelancing as a theater, classical concert, and opera reviewer for local newspapers and magazines in the Los Angeles area.. In addition to authoring the novels Roses Where Thorns Grow, Under the Linden Tree, and the soon-to-be-released Justice for Lizzie, all published by Melange Books in Minnesota, she is the developer and editor of the anthology Views and Values, published by Cengage. Now widowed,. Kari lives in the Los Angeles area.