Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership Celebrates 4th Annual Heart of Sonoma County Awards
Honoring Sonoma County’s outstanding nonprofit volunteers, leaders & organizations
SONOMA COUNTY, CA, March 7, 2024 – Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL) and Presenting Sponsor Comerica Bank invite the community to celebrate and honor Sonoma County’s nonprofit volunteers, leaders, and organizations at the 4th Annual Heart of Sonoma County Awards™, March 14, 2024, at The Backdrop.
“Our mission with the Heart of Sonoma County is to celebrate the meaningful work and dedication of nonprofits, volunteers, and community leaders,” said Linda Jacobs, CEO at CVNL. “In the face of global and local challenges, 2023 continued to test our resolve, yet Sonoma County’s nonprofit community remained steadfast in service. As we gather for the Heart of Sonoma County Awards, let us celebrate the unsung heroes who embody the resilience and compassion defining our community’s spirit.”
Heart of Sonoma County supports the nonprofit sector by recognizing and honoring the outstanding individuals who serve our communities and distributing $35,000 in awards to local organizations.
The community is invited to attend the luncheon and awards ceremony to honor and cheer on this year’s 91 nominees. All nominees will be recognized, and award recipients will be announced at the event. Tickets must be purchased in advance and may be purchased here.
The 4th Annual Heart of Sonoma County Award Luncheon will be held on Thursday, March 14th, 2024, from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM, at The Backdrop. The community is invited to attend and help celebrate. Reserve seats and tables online here or visit cvnl.org/heart-of-sonoma-county.
This event is made possible with the support of Presenting Sponsor Comerica Bank and the generosity of Award Sponsors Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Santa Rosa Service Area (Volunteer of the Year), Acrisure (Excellence in Board Leadership), Ginnie and Peter Haas Jr. (Youth Volunteer of the Year), PG&E (Excellence in Innovation), Medtronic (Excellence in Leadership), Comerica Bank (Achievement in Nonprofit Excellence), and Redwood Credit Union (Lifetime Achievement).
4th Annual Heart of Sonoma County Nominees:
Corporate Community Service (Sponsor: Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership)
Exchange Bank
Hansel Auto Group
Redwood Credit Union
Traditional Medicinals
ZFA Structural Engineers
Volunteer of the Year (Sponsor: Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Santa Rosa Service Area)
Loeta Andersen, Sonoma Ecology Center
Walter Basinger, Redwood Empire Food Bank
Olivia Bolling, Sweetwater Spectrum
Kim Brown, Farm to Fight Hunger
Mary Carouba, Council on Aging
MaDonna Feather, Suscol Intertribal Council
Diana Garmus, Charlie’s Acres Farm Animal Sanctuary
Bill Hess, Committee on the Shelterless
Dondi Jones, Food For Thought
Michael Kaufman, Vital Immigrant Defense Advocacy and Services
Shannon McDermott, Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency
Cindy McElrath and Merrie Dickinson, Goatlandia Farm Animal Sanctuary
Roseanne Mendelsohn, The Living Room
Laurel Stansberry, Girls on the Run North Bay
Fran Templin, Zane Templin Foundation
Rebecca West, Our Village Closet
Excellence in Board Leadership (Sponsor: Acrisure)
Wendy Davies, Treasure House Consignment Shop
Llisa Demetrios, Petaluma Arts Center
R.M. Horrell, Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County
Chris McAllister, Sweetwater Spectrum
Jill McCormick, Made in Santa Rosa Education Foundation
Annie Nicol, Committee on the Shelterless
Janet Nusbaum, Sonoma Community Center
Mark Soiland, Career Technical Education Foundation
Greg Steele, Children’s Museum of Sonoma County
Cati Young, Petaluma People Services Center
Youth Volunteer of the Year (Sponsor: Ginnie and Peter Haas Jr.)
Taylor Beaube, Redwood Empire Food Bank
Natalie Burton, The Robert Ferguson Observatory
Luis Chavarin Perez, Petaluma Adult School, Latino Service Providers, and Redwood Empire Food Bank
Luke Cilia, United Cerebral Palsy of the North Bay
Rona Hansen, United Anglers of Casa Grande
Stella Koene, National Alliance on Mental Illness
Alexa Macias, Petaluma High School Link Crew
Cannon Meiers, Secret Santa, a program of Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership
Allen Phuong, Committee on the Shelterless
Alissa Sommer, Healdsburg High School
Lilly Streb, Sonoma Ecology Center
Ben Thomas, Petaluma High School
Satya Weimer, Goatlandia Farm Animal Sanctuary
Lauren Wilson, Miracle League North Bay
Marianna Wineinger, Sonoma Land Trust
Excellence in Innovation (Sponsor: PG&E)
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa
Common Ground Society
Cool Petaluma
Emergency Prep Help
Homeless Action Sonoma
Humane Society of Sonoma County
Petaluma People Services Center
Reuse Alliance, Inc.
Sonoma Family Meal
Sweetwater Spectrum
TLC Child and Family Services
Excellence in Leadership (Sponsor: Medtronic)
Wendy Davies, Sonoma-Mendocino-Lake Medical Association
Jennifer Emery, F.I.S.H. of the Santa Rosa Area
Susan Fette, TLC Child and Family Services
Susan Jan Hornstein, Well Trained Horses
Madeleine Keegan O’Connell, YWCA Sonoma County
Kathy King, Sonoma Overnight Support
Angel Minor, Conservation Corps North Bay
Margaret Sluyk, Reach for Home
Luana Vaetoe, Becoming Independent
Achievement in Nonprofit Excellence (Sponsor: Comerica Bank)
10,000 Degrees
Children’s Museum of Sonoma County
Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County
Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County
Committee on the Shelterless
F.I.S.H. of the Santa Rosa Area
Food For Thought
Heartfelt Help Foundation
Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency
La Familia Sana
Northern California Public Media
Our Village Closet
Petaluma People Services Center
Presbyterian Church of the Roses
Reach for Home
Redwood Empire Food Bank
The LIME Foundation
The Living Room Center, Inc.
TLC Child and Family Services
Verity
Lifetime Achievement (Sponsor: Redwood Credit Union)
John Chute
Maxine Freitas
Erin Hoffman
Diane Jackson
George Loyer
For event information and tickets visit
cvnl.org/heart-of-sonoma-county/
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About CVNL
Since 1964, CVNL has advanced nonprofits and volunteerism by strengthening leadership, encouraging innovation, and empowering individuals in their communities. Passion alone isn’t enough when it comes to creating strong nonprofits. That’s why we work with aspiring and established leaders every day to help them build the skills and connections that can take their impact to the next level. Together we offer comprehensive programs that support nonprofits and volunteers including Learning & Leadership programs and trainings, executive search, customized consulting solutions, volunteer matching, and corporate engagement. Heart of Marin™, Heart of Napa™ and Heart of Sonoma County events support nonprofits of every size and mission through recognition and cash awards. Other programs and services include 100MARIN, Sonoma County Human Race, Secret Santa, Court Referral Program, Sonoma County Paratransit and Volunteer Services. CVNL’s Volunteer Services includes a range of disaster services for response, relief, and recovery in the aftermath of disasters in Marin, Solano, Napa, and Sonoma Counties. We believe that with confident and prepared leaders, our nonprofits will be better equipped to create healthy, happy, and more equitable communities.
Visit www.cvnl.org to discover more.