SEQUIM — A trio of community advocates are up for Sequim’s top civic award.
Phil Castell, Lorri Gilchrist and Jean Wyatt are the finalists for the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce’s 2021 Citizen of the Year.
The winner will be announced at the chamber’s Citizen of the Year luncheon, set for 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, March 29, at the 7 Cedars Resort.
Reservations for the event are $42.50 per person and can be made at sequimchamber.com.
Castell, a local business owner, was selected for his dedication and time given to local organizations such as the Masonic Food Bank, Sequim Prairie Grange and Sequim Irrigation Festival, among others.
“Phil is a true gem to the Sequim community,” said nominator Heather Souza of Sound Community Bank.
Known by many as a proud military veteran and champion of veteran concerns, Gilchrist was nominated for her years of community service in a diverse array of local organizations, including the Peninsula Trails Coalition, Dungeness River Center and Humane Society, among others.
“She is ready to help her friends, veterans and neighbors,” said nominator Gretha Davis. “Just ask and she’s there.”
Wyatt, who was nominated by former chamber director Vickie Maples, may be best known for her years of service with the Sequim Irrigation Festival, but she’s been involved in many other organizations, working mostly behind the scenes.
In her nomination letter, Maples wrote that Wyatt is “responsibility-to-the-community personified.”
Created in 1968, the Citizen of the Year Award was designed to recognize those who contribute to the betterment of the community.
Former Sequim mayor Peter Black was the first recipient of the award, and all the recipients from then on are listed at sequimchamber.com (under the “Events & Programs” tab).
The Citizen of the Year for 2020 was chosen by the committee of prior winners to be the essential workers who kept the community and local economy working through the shutdowns, mandates and difficult conditions of the pandemic.
For more about this or other chamber events, contact executive director Beth Pratt at director@sequimchamber.com or phone 360-683-6197.
