The Fullmores have been residents of the Bay Area their entire lives, but just recently landed in Northgate this past March, moving here from the Larkey Park neighborhood in the northern part of Walnut Creek. Ann-Marie grew up in Saratoga, and Mike is from Concord. Their paths crossed in 2001 when both were working at National Semiconductor’s headquarters in Sunnyvale. They married in 2003.
Ann-Marie is a tap dancer and sings in the local chapter of Sweet Adeline’s, a women’s barbershop organization called Diablo Vista Chorus. She attended UC Santa Barbara for her undergraduate degree and Santa Clara University for her Master’s. After working for Stanford University and Yahoo!, she took time off to raise her two children. She recently returned to work as Director of Marketing & Development at Contra Costa Christian Schools.
Mike, who attended De La Salle High School and is an avid mountain biker, received his BS from Cal State Hayward. He also worked for several tech companies like Facebook and Pinterest before his current position as Principal Software Engineer at Silicon Valley Bank.
The couple’s two children, Parker and Payton, are also quite talented and involved with technology. Parker, a sophomore at Northgate High School, has been acting professionally since he was six years old. Early on he was in commercials for Duracell, Nickelodeon, and others. A performance on a commercial for Million Dollar Listing NY won him the Young Artist Academy Award in 2019. But the role he is most known for is Billy in Billy Elliot the Musical. He is the youngest person to ever play the role, starting at age 9. He won multiple awards including the 2019 BroadwayWorld Award for Best Lead Actor in a Musical Professional for his portrayal. He has released several songs including an original pop song called Dreams Come True. He has also appeared on the TV show Dance Moms. He is an Instagram influencer with several partnerships. He and his sister, Payton, recently appeared on a new Disney show called Disney’s Magic Bake Off. The first episode aired in August; Parker and Payton appeared on the Lion King themed episode on Sept. 11 as team “2 Ps in a Pate a Choux.”
Payton is now 13 and a 7th grader at Contra Costa Christian School. In addition to her time on Disney’s Magic Bake Off, she is an avid baker, a Miss Preteen California, and an equestrian. Her posts on Instagram of her baking creations is what caught the attention of Disney’s casting director. She used her platform from the Miss Preteen pageant to raise money and awareness for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and also trains with her horse, Amara Z, in the Hunter/Jumper category.
The Fullmores moved to Northgate, in part, to be close to the equestrian center and to Northgate High School. “We love the friendly neighbors and the large quiet cul-de-sac where the neighborhood kids play out in the front like we used to when we were kids,” says Ann-Marie. “It feels very much like going back to a simpler time.” They also attend St. Matthew
Church on Wiget Lane and make it a priority to help others. The family has been putting on an annual haunted house, and this year it will raise money for Make-a-Wish Foundation of the Greater Bay Area (see article on page 11 for information on this year’s Spooktacular). Meanwhile, during the pandemic, Parker sold off most of his Billy Elliot memorabilia and raised $6000 to help the Civic Theatre, a theatre he had performed at in Pennsylvania that was in danger of closing during the shutdown.
The Fullmores did have a three year stint away from the Bay Area when Parker expressed his dream to be in musical theatre. They moved to Manhattan and lived in a high rise in the middle of Times Square for a year. “That was an incredible experience,” shares Ann- Marie. “We loved the hustle and bustle, getting around without a car and seeing Broadway shows every week.” After Parker landed the role of Billy Elliot, the family traveled with him as he performed across the country for three years.
As evidenced by the many accomplishments of this talented family, they believe in “Go Big or Go Home,” which to them means “whatever you do, give it 110% so you’ll never regret missing an opportunity.” We look forward to seeing what else these new neighbors may bring to our community in the years to come.
Do you know a neighbor who has a story to share? Nominate your neighbor to be featured in one of our upcoming issues! Contact us at knavolio@bestversionmedia.com.
By Kara Navolio, Resident since 1991