PORT TOWNSEND — Teri Nomura, a local real estate agent and long-time advocate for affordable housing, has been chosen the 2017 Woman of Excellence by the Association of American University Women of Port Townsend and its affiliate, the University Women’s Foundation of Jefferson County.
The annual award is given to a Jefferson County woman who has made significant contributions as a role model, change agent, teacher/mentor and community activist.
As Ruth Gordon, county clerk, stated in her nomination, Nomura “is committed to the community and a natural leader whose effectiveness is such that people want to follow her and emulate her methods.”
Nomura has long been a part of the community conversation about addressing the need for affordable housing, AAUW said.
She worked on the board for REPAH (Real Estate Professionals for Affordable Housing) to help the community’s vulnerable families and seniors with home repairs and other assistance that would allow these people to stay in their homes.
She also contributes to the Windermere Foundation, which funds local needy children and families.
Now Nomura is working on creating a coalition of nonprofit agencies — including Habitat for Humanity, Olympic Community Action Programs (OlyCap), Peninsula Housing Authority, Discovery Behavioral Health, Homeward Bound, Dove House, Jefferson Land Trust — and the city of Port Townsend to turn her late father’s property at the corner of San Juan Avenue and Discovery Street into an affordable housing project.
Said Kathy Morgan, OlyCap housing director, in her support of Nomura: “If anyone can bring the city, local nonprofits and investors together to make this vision a reality, Teri can do it.”
In her work as a real estate agent with Windermere Real Estate Port Townsend, Nomura mentors new Realtors, AAUW said.
She is part of the Fund for Women and Girls Port Townsend Wearable Art Show team, where she works to help those who participate in the show and shares her own designs.
In 2006, Nomura began to serve as chairwoman of the county Democratic Party.
After a large turnout in the 2008 election, the state Democratic Party recognized her with the Magnuson Award for Chair of the Year.
She has provided training for online data entry and logistics training for teams to lead successful caucuses, and has supported the drive to pass Proposition One, an effort to save Parks and Recreation and other community programs.
As a member of Wild Olympic Salmon, one of the first groups of volunteers to work toward restoration of runs of chum and coho salmon, Nomura was instrumental in the creation of a quilt depicting salmon and watersheds that was auctioned off to support the group, AAUW said.
She also helped design a tracking game to draw citizens out into the many habitats of salmon in Jefferson County.
AAUW Port Townsend and UWF promote education and equity through various scholarships and awards, middle school career days, and elementary school projects in literacy and math.
For more information on AAUW projects and membership, visit http://pt-wa.aauw.net/ or contact Anne Englander at 360-390-5896.
