PORT ANGELES — Jeff Bohman, president of the Peninsula Trails Coalition, received the Citizen of the Year Award at the seventh Port Angeles Community Awards Gala held at Field Arts and Events Hall.
Bohman was cited for his work advocating for the multi-use Olympic Discovery Trail that spans three counties across the North Olympic Peninsula and for securing more than $16 million in federal grant funding to support the project.
“I’m really accepting this for the literally thousands of people who worked on the trail,” Bohman said Saturday night.
Also nominated for Citizen of the Year were Michell Gentry, Port Angeles School District AmeriCorps coordinator, and Clallam County Commissioner Randy Johnson.
Master of ceremonies Sam Grello, when speaking of Johnson, said that it reflects the community’s level of citizen engagement, volunteerism and commitment “when a local politician is nominated for Citizen of the Year.”
One old and one new business walked away with trophies in their respective categories.
President and owner Tom Baermann received Business of the Year for Pacific Office Equipment, which has been operating in Port Angeles since 1965.
Meanwhile, Owners Stevie Borggard and Becky McFarland collected the Emerging Business of the Year award for Kindred Collective, which opened in 2021.
“I’ve been wanting to do this business for years,” Borggard said. “When I asked my best friend to do this with me, she said ‘Yes.’”
The other Business of the Year nominees were North Olympic Healthcare Network and Olympic Electric. Grocery Outlet and Mix It Shack were the other nominees for Emerging Business of the Year.
Oxford House won Organization of the Year. It operates 10 homes in Port Angeles and two in Sequim for individuals recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. Sheryl Hamilton, Oxford House’s Housing Service Committee chairperson, picked up the award for the nonprofit. The Sunbonnet Sue Quilt Club and Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County were the other nominees in the category.
Port Angeles High School teacher Stacy Sanders was awarded Educator of the Year, and Kennedy Cameron, who serves as the financial aid liaison at the United Way of Clallam County, was awarded Young Leader of the Year.
Port Angeles School District band director Jarrett Hansen and Everett Young, who teaches at the district’s online Seaview Academy, were also nominated for Educator of the Year.
The other Young Leader of the Year nominees were Laken Folsom, who volunteers with many organizations such as the Port Angeles Food Bank and participates in student government at Peninsula College, and Olympic Medical Center COO Jeremy Gilchrist.
The 150 nominations for the six awards were the most that had ever been received, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Marc Abshire said.
Judges for this year’s awards were Donya Alward, general manager of the Red Lion Hotel; Sean Coleman, project manager at Bruch and Bruch Construction; Lori Frederick, vice president of Strait View Credit Union; Dr. Michael Maxwell, CEO of North Olympic Healthcare Network; Port Angeles City Council member Brendan Meyer; Kelley Romero, Tasting Room manager, Harbinger Winery and Wine Bar; and Glenn Smithson, general manager at 7 Cedars Hotel & Casino. Maxwell recused himself from Business of the Year voting.
For the first time, the gala featured before and after events: A finalists’ reception at Fog Horn Olive Oil Company located across the street from Field Hall and an after party at the Mood Room next to Moss.
Sound Publishing, which operates Peninsula Daily News, sponsored the awards and Olympic Lodge sponsored the finalists.
Olympic Electric, the Port of Port Angeles and Olympic Peninsula Community Clinic REdisCOVERY sponsored tables.
Little Devil’s Lunchbox catered the gala and Bar Ventures + Co. served the after party.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
Jeff Bohman, president of the Peninsula Trails Coalition and a member of other organizations, speaks after being presented with the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce Community Award for citizen of the year during Saturday night’s awards banquet at Field Arts & Events Hall. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
