Volunteer of the Year

Kim Lambert, Canal Alliance

A retired corporate attorney with 30 years of experience, Kim came to Canal Alliance as a volunteer in 2016 to support the Immigration Legal Services Team. She dedicated over 400 hours making sure client records were being accurately recorded and stored, managed the review of thousands of past immigration cases, processed DACA renewals and citizenship applications, participated in legal workshops, volunteered as a tutor in the adult ESL classes, and worked many mornings in the Food Pantry.

SPONSOR: Redwood Credit Union

Excellence in Board Leadership

Pepe Gonzalez, 10,000 Degrees

As board chair for 10,000 Degrees, Pepe has implemented their five-year plan, managed a merger, and led strategic planning efforts to triple the number of students and families reached with comprehensive college success programming. In addition, he helped mobilize the board and organizational resources to maintain active participation in supporting the staff and students after the Trump Administration announced ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

SPONSORS: EO Products and College of Marin

Excellence in Leadership

Mary Denton, CEO, Sunny Hills Services

Appointed CEO of Sunny Hills Services in 2010, Mary has streamlined the organization’s management structure, strengthened the financial accountability of
programs, scaled up efforts in private fundraising, and increased the budget by 85% from $7 to $13 million. Key programs include The Hunt School of Marin, Real
Alternatives for Adolescents, Marin Transition-Age Youth, and ReStart.

SPONSOR: Marin Community Foundation

Excellence in Innovation

RxSafe Marin

RxSafe is an innovative example of how communities can work together to save lives and reduce harm from prescription drug use and abuse and is serving as a mentor to others in California. Structured to coordinate actions through 5 teams: Law Enforcement; Prescribers and Pharmacists; Community Prevention; Treatment and Recovery; and Data Collection and Monitoring, teams partnerto advance strategies and coordinate efforts. Preliminary results indicate a 41% reduction in the average dose of narcotics prescribed.

SPONSORS: International ProInsurance and Pacific Union

Corporate Community Service

Redwood Credit Union

In 2017, RCU’s Marin staff provided volunteer support totaling over 3,250 hours at 115 events for local nonprofit and community organizations. RCU pays staff their salaries when they volunteer during business hours and management staff are encouraged to serve on a board of directors or committee. RCU established the North Bay Fire Relief Fund which has raised more than $31 million to support fire victims, first responders, students and schools, along with small businesses and employees who have lost their jobs due to the fires.

SPONSORS: Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Bregante + Company, LLP

Youth Volunteers of the Year

Macie Millstein, Senior, Marin Academy

Marcie led all of Marin Academy’s community action efforts, from facilitating Community Action Leaders to being a trailblazer for Marin Academy’s Youth Grants Board. She volunteers at Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity and is a Board Member on Marin/San Francisco Jewish TeenFoundation.

Kyle Sayers, Senior, Branson, Next Generation Scholars

As part of Next Generation Scholars, Kyle created a bicultural computer science class that serves low-income students, teaching basic computer science principles to 6th and 7th graders. He co-created an app to close the equity gap for college students and is now working with PENN and Tufts to launch this technology.

Yonayda Rodas, Senior, San Rafael High School, YWCA San Francisco & Marin

As an intern for YWCA San Francisco & Marin, Yonayda has volunteered over 100 hours toward the mission of eliminating racism and empowering women. She knocked on thousands of doors over a 3-month period, passing out ‘Know Your Rights’ cards and educating communities about how to respond to ICE raids and investigations.

Joshua Rowe, Sophomore, San Domenico School, Youth Leadership Institute

Through the Youth Leadership Institute, Josh has been instrumental in the success of the Marin County Youth Commission serving as a Commissioner. As a member of the Alcohol, Tobacco, and other Drugs Prevention Advisory committee, he has led efforts to reduce underage access to alcohol.

Kobe Pole, Senior, Redwood High School, Marin Search & Rescue

Last year, Kobe logged 500+ hours and responded on 23 missions, often serving in leadership positions with Marin County Search & Rescue. Missions varied from searching for human remains in Sonoma after the recent fires, searching for a plane that crashed in the Pt. Reyes National Seashore, to a missing man in Hicks Valley.

SPONSOR: Bank of Marin

Lifetime Achievement Award

Marilyn Price, Founder, Trips for Kids

Marilyn is a social activist and cycling legend known internationally for her work as an accomplished entrepreneur. She pioneered the practice of bicycle trail riding to deliver lessons in personal responsibility and environmental awareness through the development of practical skills and the simple act of having fun. Marilyn’s pioneering use of the bicycle as a tool for helping under-served youth translates across gender, cultural, economic and ethnic boundaries and has spread worldwide.

SPONSOR: Kaiser Permanente, San Rafael

Volunteer of the Year

The Volunteer of the Year Award and $5,000 for the recipient’s nonprofit will be presented to an individual (other than a board member) who has provided exemplary volunteer service to a Marin nonprofit organization. Here are this year’s nominees.

Tori Brant, Singers Marin
David Brusati, Whistlestop
Georgia Couderc, Marin Humane
Jermey Durfee, Next Generation Scholars
Dan Foldes, Pint of Soul
Chris Gomes, Art Works Downtown
Daniel Heagerty, Spirit Rock Meditation Center
Kim Lambert, Canal Alliance
Banana AKA Lowell Levinger, Bread & Roses
Judith McElroy, Buckelew
Ellen McKenna, Extrafood.org
Carole Ormiston, Halleck Creek Ranch
Josefina Perez, Senior Peer Counselor, Civic Center Volunteers
Ingrid Purcell, Hospice by the Bay
Gordon Robinson, Marin Humane
Paula Sauve, Godmothers of Timothy Murphy School
Fred Silverman, 10,000 Degrees Academic Support
Richard Vance, Marine Mammal Center
Bill Weinberg, Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco
Woody Weingarten, Marin Man to Man

SPONSOR: Redwood Credit Union

Excellence in Board Leadership

The Excellence in Board Leadership Award and $5,000 for the recipient’s nonprofit will be presented to an exceptional volunteer member of a Marin nonprofit board of directors. Here are this year’s nominees.

Eric Aanes, Lifehouse
Paula Doubleday, Downtown Street Team
Pepe Gonzalez, 10,000 Degrees
Lori Johanson, Little Wishes
Chuck Lesem, Trips for Kids
Susanne Lyons, WildCare
Janet Miller, Integrated Community Services
Ken Preston, Youth Leadership Institute
John Rosenberg, Art Works Downtown
Selina Wajnowski, Halleck Creek Ranch

SPONSORS: EO Products and College of Marin

Excellence in Leadership

The Excellence in Leadership Award and $5,000 for the recipient’s nonprofit will be presented to an executive director who has demonstrated excellence in leadership and whose vision has inspired meaningful and lasting change benefiting the organization and community. Here are this year’s nominees.

Robin Joy Berenson, PhD, LMFT, Community Institute Psychotherapy
Kay Carlson, Marin Open Studios
Mary Denton, Sunny Hills Services
Nancy Dow Moody, Lifehouse
Daria Halprin, Tamalpa Institute
Miko Lee, Youth in Arts
Christine Paquette, St. Vincent de Paul Society, District Council of Marin County
Elisabeth Setten, Art Works Downtown
Aliyya Shelley Mattos, PaperSeed Foundation
Ted Smith, Kids Cooking for Life
Kim Thompson, Community Land Trust Association of West Marin (CLAM)

SPONSOR: Marin Community Foundation

Excellence in Innovation

The Excellence in Innovation Award and $5,000 will be presented to an individual, organization or partnership that has developed new, creative and effective strategies for advancing solutions to critical issues in our community. Here are this year’s nominees.

Ambassadors of Hope & Opportunity
Canal Alliance Immigration Legal Services Team
College of Marin Cupboard
Dominican Sisters of San Rafael
Downtown Streets Team
Enriching Lives Through Music
Extrafood.org
Golden Gate Dietetic Internship
Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco
Osher Marin JCC
RxSafe Marin
Sunny Hills Services

SPONSORS: International ProInsurance and Pacific Union

Corporate Community Service

The Corporate Community Service Award will be presented to a business that has fostered and encouraged volunteerism and philanthropy among its employees. Here are this year’s nominees.

EO Products
Microsoft Corte Madera
Mike’s Bikes
Nugget Markets
Redwood Credit Union

SPONSORS: Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Bregante + Company, LLP

Youth Volunteer of the Year

Up to five Youth Volunteer of the Year Awards of $1,000 each will be presented to full-time middle or high school students serving a Marin nonprofit in the community, education or faith environment. Here are this year’s nominees.

Patricia Almaraz, Terra Linda High School
Christopher Barajas, Terra Linda High School
Dylann Cullinane, St. Anselm School
Audrey Dickinson, Branson School
Katie Held, St. Anselm School
Yessenia Hernandez, San Rafael High School
Maya Krause, Sir Francis Drake High School
Leela Langlois, San Rafael High School
Damaris Marrufo, Marin School of the Arts at Novato High
Macie Millstein, Marin Academy
Ana Ostrovsky, Terra Linda High School
Emma Page, Saint Vincent High School
Kobe Pole, Redwood High School
Yonayda Rodas, San Rafael High School
Joshua Rowe, San Domenico School
Kyle Sayers, Branson School
Ethan Strull, Marin Academy
Elaine Zhou, Novato High School

SPONSOR: Bank of Marin

Lifetime Achievement Award

The Lifetime Achievement Award and $5,000 for the individual’s nonprofit(s) will be presented to an individual who has made a positive and notable difference during their career by significantly contributing to address a cause, issue or discipline. This is the only nomination category where additional material is accepted. Here are this year’s nominees.

Laurie Cohen
Barbara Lee
Avon Mattison
Gary Maxworthy
Suzie Pollak
Marilyn Price
Debra Scheenstra, DVM
Karen Schurig
Sandi Miot and Beryl Miller

SPONSOR: Kaiser Permanente, San Rafael