PORT TOWNSEND — The nominees for the 2008 Port Townsend Citizen of the Year and Business Leader of the Year have been announced.
Five people have been nominated for Citizen of the Year, while eight are nominated for Business Leader of the Year.
The awards brunch, sponsored by the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce, is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Jan. 25 at Fort Worden State Park Commons.
Tickets are $17. For reservations, phone the chamber’s Visitor Center, 360-385-2722, or e-mail info@ptchamber.org.
The Port Townsend Citizen of the Year award began in 1949, celebrating its 60th year.
Last year’s winners were Bruce McComas, citizen of the year, and Nick Harper, business leader of the year.
This will be the first year of the Tim Caldwell Business Leader of the Year Award.
It was named in honor of the former Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce manager after he left the chamber last year. Caldwell left after 16 years of service to become the Port Townsend office manager for Puget Sound Energy.
Nominees for Citizen of the year are:
•âÇCheryl Rafoth, a retired elementary school teacher who has served 19 years as a 4-H leader and is a Jefferson County 4-H leader of the Year.
She also is a superintendent at the county fair’s small animal barn, where she earned the 2008 Black and White Award given by the state to a superintendent with the best overall display or exhibit.
She helps out at her family’s business, Enclume Design Products in Port Hadlock.
•âÇTeri Nomura, a real estate agent who was selected as Chair of the Year 2008 by the Washington State Democratic Party.
She chaired the Jefferson County Democratic Party from 2005-2008, and is active in the Jefferson County Association of Realtors, the Port Townsend Peace Movement, Real Estate Professionals for Affordable Housing and Jefferson County Historical Society.
•âÇDick and Eleanor Stickney, who are both highly involved in Port Townsend youth sports and activities.
He has been involved in Port Townsend Little League Baseball, youth football, and the Port Townsend Marathon Association/Rhody Run. He is a lifetime member of Port Townsend Redskins Boosters and volunteers for AARP tax aide and RSVP.
She is active in the same youth organizations, as well as Port Townsend Senior Association, and is a member of Jefferson County Historical Society.
She is also a member of Friends of Fort Worden State Park.
•âÇJanel Carlson, a chiropractor who has served on the Port Townsend School Board for nine years and on the Jumping Mouse Children’s center board for seven years.
She works with Natural Childbirth Education, 4-H, OPEPO Parent Council, and United Good Neighbors of Jefferson County.
•âÇJerry and Peggy Thuotte, co-founders of Port Townsend Aero Museum at Jefferson County International Airport.
She is active in the Association of Flight Attendants employee assistance program, and has been the Hangar Condominium Association treasurer at the airport since 2001.
He works with the Experimental Aircraft Association, Jefferson County Pilots Association, the Antique Airplane Association and Airline Pilots Association.
She is a retired United Airlines flight attendant and he is retired as a United Airline pilot.
Those nominated for Business Leader of the Year are:
•âÇKristin Manwaring, owner of Kristin Manwaring Insurance who works with the chamber to provide business owners with affordable health insurance — more than 40 businesses so far.
She is active with Kiwanis, Port Townsend Film Festival, Relay for Life, and is a major contributor to Centrum.
•âÇMichael Early, owner of the Mike Early Golf Shop and the PGA golf professional for the city-owned Port Townsend Golf Club.
He is active in Rotary, Kiwanis, Elks, Relay for Life, youth football and the Rhododendron Festival.
•âÇKim Jons, owner of Kim Jons Marketing, a full-service, international marketing agency.
Jons served as Chamber of Commerce president in 2008 after being a board member for three years. She is active in Rotary and Daughters of Norway.
•âÇCatherine Collins, executive director of the nonprofit, Port Townsend-based Sound Experience and Puget Sound’s environmental tallship, the schooner Adventuress.
She was a chamber Business Leader of the Quarter in 2008. She led Sound Experience from a position of debt to financial stability, according to her nomination, and has improved the long-term financial stability with the launch of a $500,000 capitalization of its new ship’s endowment.
•âÇFord Kessler, Jefferson County’s alcoholism and drug addiction program coordinator, who is active in promoting drug-free workplaces.
He is also involved in Jefferson County Drug Court, Association of County Human Services, the National Association of Addiction Counselors, Washington State Chemical Dependency Professionals, Rotary, Northwest Kiwanis Summer Camp, Port Townsend homeless shelter and Toys for Tots.
•âÇSandy Hershelman, executive officer of Jefferson County Home Builders Association, which works with small construction businesses.
She helped secure and develop a BuiltGreen program for the county and brought the JeffCo HomeShow to the county.
Active in the chamber, she also is a business team leader for United Good Neighbors of Jefferson County, a member of the county’s Team Jefferson economic development organization, and an Elk and Soroptimist.
She is on the Water Resource Inventory Area 17 planning unit, Housing Action Plan Network and is a stakeholder in the Tri-Area sewer planning process.
•âÇKristen Nelson, owner of Sirens Pub. She was nominated for Citizen of the Year in 2007, and is chamber president-elect.
She has been been Rotary treasurer, serves on the Port Townsend Planning Commission, is on the Sailing Association board, coordinates the Wooden Boat Festival food and beverage service and is on the event’s planning board.
She is a founding member of the Jefferson County Community Foundation and a major contributor to nonprofit organizations, including the Port Townsend Film Festival and Key City Players.
•âÇJ.S. Piper, First Federal commercial loan officer. He was nominated for Citizen of the Year in 2005.
He is active in Rotary, YMCA, Jefferson County Parks and Recreation, the chamber, Jefferson County Association of Realtors, Jefferson County Home Builders Association, Olympic Peninsula Eagles semipro football, and Port Townsend Braves youth football, which he has coached three years to a championship.
