Civic Awards 1999

The Municipal League of King County hosted its 40th Annual Civic Awards Luncheon on Friday, May 7, 1999 at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in downtown Seattle. Fred Jarrett, Chair of the League, hosted the program.

The Civic Awards event honors private citizens, public officials and organizations which have significantly contributed to King County's civic vitality and spirit. Nominations are solicited from the public, and awardees are selected by Trustees of the League, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, founded in 1910, which works to promote good government that is open, effective and accountable to its citizenry.

The following individuals and organizations were honored:

Citizen of the Year: Scott Oki, Chairman and CEO, Oki Developments
For merging philanthropy and entrepreneurism in the pursuit of creative solutions to regional economic and social challenges.

Public Official of the Year: Michael N. Riley, Superintendent of Bellevue Public Schools
For achieving dramatic improvements in student performance across all grade levels by instituting programs encouraging every child to achieve at his/her highest potential.

Public Employee of the Year: Deborah Jacobs, City Librarian and CEO, Seattle Public Library
For restoring staff morale and building neighborhood confidence through commitment and leadership, resulting in a voter mandate to double the space in branch libraries while replacing the downtown library.

Organization of the Year: Alliance for Education
For engaging the region's civic and corporate leaders in the vital cause of educating our communities' children.

Skelton/Lemere Memorial Award: Donna Gordon, Municipal League volunteer
For reviving and improving the Municipal League's presence on the Internet, providing King County citizens a vehicle for enhancing their civic involvement.

Warren G. Magnuson Memorial: Brian Sonntag, Washington State Auditor
For implementing performance measures and the performance audit as constructive management tools for state and local governments, allowing them to operate more efficiently and be more accountable to their constituencies.

James R. Ellis Regional Leadership: Bob Drewel, Ron Sims and Doug Sutherland, County Executives of Snohomish, King and Pierce Counties and Co-Chairs of the Tri-County ESA Response Effort
For demonstrating exemplary leadership and cooperation in establishing a multijurisdictional approach protecting Puget Sound Chinook Salmon in accordance with the Endangered Species Act.

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