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Chamber presents annual awards
Whether it's through a business endeavor, as a volunteer who helps others, or because of notable personal milestones, every one of the 100 nominees deserves praise, organizers said. "This year's awards represent a record number of nominations. All these individuals played an irreplaceable roll in the community," said Patrick Ellis, president and CEO of the Chamber. Service Organization of the Year: Rotary Club of Moorpark "The club is receiving the award for two years in a row because they just outweigh everyone else as far as what they do for the community," Ellis said.
All proceeds raised by local Rotarians go to help local and international programs, with a strong emphasis on aiding children. Volunteers of the Year: Debbie and Miranda Heaslip This mother/daughter team has become synonymous with the words "volunteer" in Moorpark, Ellis said. Debbie and her daughter Miranda have been volunteering on projects throughout town for more than a decade. Public Servant of the Year: Dep. Tim Lohman, Ventura County Sheriff's Department Lohman, who began his career as a deputy sheriff for the Ventura County Sheriff's Department in 1995, displays good common sense and remains calm during stressful situations, according toCapt. Ron Nelson. Lohman was a School Resource Officer, responsible for law enforcement duties in the city's two middle schools. His skills in working with students, staff and parents earned him many accolades, including a comment by one school counselor who wanted to clone him. As DARE Officer for the local school district, Lohman taught Moorpark children valuable lessons about dangerous substances and avoiding their pitfalls. Public Servant of the Year: Officer Randy Pickens, California Highway Patrol A 24-year veteran of the CHP and the senior officer at the local station, Pickens has earned a reputation for enthusiasm and expertise. In addition to road patrol work, Pickens' assignments include flight officer aboard CHP aircraft and commercial inspection officer. He also started a Retired Senior Volunteer Program and an Explorer Post in Moorpark. Entrepreneur of the Year: Mike Takeda, owner of Café Firenze In the six months since it's opened, Café Firenze has become an awardwinning restaurant and has received accolades from numerous local reviewers. Educator of the Year: Marilynn Cuffe Cuffe has worked for Moorpark Unified School District for six years as the special education teacher at the Early Childhood Center at Flory Elementary. She's been teaching for more than 20 years. Seniors of the Year: Charles and Mary Schwabauer With family roots in Moorpark for more than 100 years, this couple has contributed greatlytoth elifeof Moorpark. They continue to volunteer on committees, in business undertakings and through philanthropy. The Schwabauers are staunch supporters of the Boys & Girls Club and recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the Boys & Girls Club auction. Youth of the Year: Chaya Turrow, Moorpark High School student In addition to being an honor student, Turrow, 16, holds a second-degree black belt in tang soo do, volunteers as an instructor and has aspirations of becoming a master one day. She'll compete in the Miss California contest in Fresno next month and has established a community service platform called Our Community House of Hope, working on fundraising to build notforprofit hospice homes. Turrow has organized campaigns for donations of plush toys and Beanie Babies to be used as comfort toys in emergency rooms, children's hospital wards and by the local police and fire departments. Chamber Member of the Year: Debi Aquino, owner of Black Star Graphics Aquino, a former chairman of the board for the Chamber, was instrumental in taking the Moorpark Chamber out of a turbulent time and keeping the focus on the businesses in the community. Her efforts have helped build the Chamber's membership in recent years. Woman of the Year: Mayor Pro Tem Janice Parvin Parvin has served as a park commissioner and a planning commissioner and is one of Moorpark's original committee members for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. The recipient of numerous awards for her participation on regional boards and commissions, Parvin works tirelessly to protect the interests of Moorpark. "This truly amazing woman with an infectious smile and a gentle voice is a shining example of how one person can truly make a difference in the community," said Dale Parvin, who presented the award to his wife of 33 years. Man of the Year: Lyle Pennington "As current president of the Boys & Girls Club of Moorpark and past president of the Rotary Club, this man is responsible for raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for our community," said Parvin. |
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