The Municipal League Honors Community Leaders with the 2004 Civic Awards!

The Municipal League held the 2004 Civic Awards on May 27th in the Westin Hotel Ballroom.  The awards showcase the efforts of private and public individuals who inspire, support and lead in the effort to improve local government. 

Whether working closely with others, or working alone from a solitary vision, the individuals and organizations we honor with Civic Awards have significantly altered the shape of our lives today and are improving the future of King County.

Citizen of the Year: Beverly Harris

The Citizen of the Year award honors “a private citizen who has made an outstanding contribution to the cause of good government or civic betterment.” If we are to trust government, we need to trust the elections that enable us to hold government accountable. Not many years ago, the Municipal League hosted election watch parties in ballrooms like this one so that people could watch what were called the “early” election returns. These early returns arrived quite late in the evening, by which time only the bartenders remained nonpartisan. Times have changed. Now election returns are usually delivered soon after the polls close, but the new technology that’s responsible for this instant information raises new challenges over the transparency and accountability of the process by which our votes are counted. Beverly Harris is a Renton publicist who was disturbed to discover the extent to which election officials relied on computer programs to count votes. To learn more, she began surfing the Web. After more than 2,000 hours researching how voting machines work, interviewing election officials and computer programmers, she wrote a book called Black Box Voting, which has placed her at the center of a growing national movement for more transparent voting technology. The issues are complex, and the struggle is far from over, but for shining a bright light on a topic that is central to the health of this republic: The Municipal League recognizes Beverly Harris as our 2004 Citizen of the Year.

Public Official of the Year: Martha Choe

The Public Official of the Year award honors “an elected or appointed public official who has brought outstanding innovation to his or her office.” Martha Choe left her position as a vice president at Bank of California to run for Seattle City Council in 1991. Over the following eight years, she faced many challenging issues – the 1995 Regional Transit Authority, approving the city’s $224 million dollar civic center master plan, and a substantial overhaul of the city budgeting process. In 1999, Governor Locke appointed her Director of the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development, where she rose to the new challenges of attracting new businesses, nurturing existing businesses and developing international trade opportunities to create thousands of jobs in Washington. Then in 2003 she stepped up to lead “Project Olympus,” an appropriately epic title for the eight-month, all-out effort to persuade The Boeing Company to assemble its next-generation airliner here in Washington. You all know the result: the 7E7 Dreamliner will be assembled in Everett, adding a new chapter to this region’s long history with The Boeing Company, and Martha Choe became the state’s first 7E7 coordinator to help initiate that role. In May, she handed that job over to her permanent successor, Robin Pollard, and joined the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to direct their support of libraries around the world. The Municipal League is honored to name Martha Choe its Public Official of the Year.

2004 Public Employee of the Year: Richard Yukubousky

The League’s next award goes to the Public Employee of the Year – one of two this year – each a “civic servant who has brought outstanding innovations or constructive programs to his or her job in a public body.” The League is pleased to present this award to Rich Yukubousky, Executive Director of the Municipal Research and Services Center. Dr. Yukubousky served as Director of Seattle’s Office for Long-Range Planning from 1985 to 1990, where he developed plans that have had lasting influence on Seattle’s built environment, such as the Downtown Land Use and Transportation Plan, open space and environmentally critical areas policies, and the city’s multifamily housing policies. At the Municipal Research and Services Center for the past fourteen years, Rich Yukubousky’s skill at fair and thorough planning processes has become an asset for every one of the 281 cities and towns in Washington. His steady leadership and his ability to manage the Center’s complex governance structure leave the organization free to share its wealth of knowledge with the public servants and citizens across the state. At mrsc.org researchers and policy analysts – and members of Muni League committees – find answers and expertise with which to improve the quality of government.

2004 Public Employee of the Year: Ed Crawford

 Chief Ed Crawford of the Kent Police Department plays all the positions well. He is an experienced administrator, a former Deputy Chief of the Washington State Patrol. He serves on important boards and commissions coordinating the state and region’s emergency preparedness. Kent has implemented innovative law enforcement programs like The Annex, an alternative to jail for people convicted of nonviolent misdemeanors. But Chief Crawford stands out for the compassion and humanity that characterize all these other achievements. Chief Crawford is a treasured member of the board of Kent Youth and Family Services and co-founded their Lighthouse program, an evening drop-in program to enhance the self-esteem of youth with nowhere else to go. Ed Crawford spends time there in person, influencing young lives for the better. He emcees community events and hosts backyard barbecues for a long list of good causes. Such evident commitment strengthens communities and helps restore trust in government. The Kent Area PTA recently gave Chief Crawford their Spirit of the Community Award. The Municipal League is proud to follow their lead and name Ed Crawford its Public Employee of the Year.

Business of the Year: U.S. Bank Corporation, Puget Sound Region

Business or organization that has made the most outstanding contribution to the community. When people work together, great things happen. The people who work at U.S. Bank, with the support of their employer, are building a strong tradition of making our community a better place to live. U.S. Bank works with community partners who understand the needs of individuals and families, and supports programs that help maximize human potential and financial well-being. As an outstanding example of this commitment, the bank helped establish the “Get Banked” program, through which tenants in projects operated by the Low-Income Housing Institute can build credit histories and learn personal financial skills from bank employees while earning a small rent rebate and a matching contribution to a special savings account for participants who manage to save consistently throughout the twelve-month program. U.S. Bank’s employees are encouraged to participate in community and charitable activities, such as KING5 TV’s Home Team Harvest drive, the United Way Day of Caring, Dress For Success, The Central Area Development Association’s Better Homes Project, and more. For offering innovative solutions to poverty through financial literacy, and for consistent, companywide efforts to strengthen our community, the League names U.S. Bank Corporation of the Puget Sound Region its Business of the Year. Ken Kirkpatrick, U.S. Bank Puget Sound Area President accepted the award.

Organization of the Year: King County Bar Association and Foundation

The Municipal League annually recognizes an “organization that has made outstanding contributions to the region.” The administration of justice is a fundamental requirement of good government. Since 1886, the King County Bar Association has promoted professional excellence among its members and sought to increase public understanding of the law. The bar association’s simplest tools for the public – such as the Attorney Referral Service or its publications like the Pro Se Handbook – help every citizen pursue justice. It’s more complex efforts are reflected in the work of the King County Bar Association Foundation, whose many programs – Volunteer Legal Services, The Housing Justice Project, Self-Help Plus, The Family Law Mentor Program, Volunteer Attorneys For People With HIV/Aids, Legal Services For The Homeless, The Newcomers Resource Project For Immigrants, The Consumer Education And Training Services Program, And The Neighborhood Legal Clinics all help balance the scale, enabling us, even in cynical times, to keep believing in justice. For being the conscience of an honorable profession, the Municipal League is proud to name the King County Bar Association and Foundation its Organization of the Year. Tom Kelly and Daniel Gandara accepted the award.

Governmental News Reporting: Robert Mak of KING 5 News

Governmental news reporting is another area honored by the League as it brings out civic awareness and increases public involvement. The award is given to “the individual, publisher or station that has provided outstanding news reporting on government issues or public affairs.” This year’s award goes to Robert Mak of KING 5, for KING 5 Up Front, a weekly public affairs interview program that presents the people who drive contemporary issues and encourages viewers to learn more about civic life. The League is also pleased to recognize Mr. Mak for his work in producing campaign “ad watches” that teach citizens how to interpret political messages and better understand the choices and strategies those messages represent. The League is pleased to give Robert Mak its Governmental News Reporting of the Year award.

Warren Magnuson Memorial Award: Lois North

The Warren Magnuson memorial award recognizes an individual who has made a lasting and significant contribution to local government. It would take a book to describe all that Lois North has accomplished in public service. Today, we will have to limit ourselves to her expert contributions to local governance – the commitment Lois North has made to how “we the people” rule ourselves in King County. As a citizen activist and as President of the League of Women Voters in the 1960s, Lois North was a leader in the effort to develop a new redistricting initiative in Washington. In 1967 she was elected a King County Freeholder, charged with drafting a Home Rule Charter for King County that was approved by the voters the following year. Lois North served the 44th Legislative District, first in the House and then in the Senate, during which time Washington responded to landmark federal laws by passing the State Environmental Policy Act. Lois was a prime sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment for women. Elected to the King County Council in 1979, Lois continued her pursuit of ways to improve the structure of government. She was instrumental in the reorganization of the Puget Sound Council of Governments into the Puget Sound Regional Council, in order to improve intergovernmental coordination of services and jurisdiction. Prior to retiring from the King County Council in 1991, Lois worked for consensus among King County, Seattle, and the suburban cities, which resulted in voter approval of the King County-Metro merger in 1992. Since this so-called retirement, Lois North has served on the King County Charter Review Commission, was the first Chair of the Elevated Transportation Company Board, and served a three-year term on the Central Puget Sound Growth Management Hearings Board, ruling on highly charged appeals under the state Growth Management Act. All of these accomplishments on behalf of good government are not as important as her personal influence on the people she has worked with. Lois North is a rock of determination whose clarity, charm and forceful persuasion constantly reveal how much she enjoys lively political discourse. The Municipal League is proud to note that Lois North has been a member since 1964, and we are deeply honored to give her the 2004 Warren Magnuson Memorial Award.

James R. Ellis Regional Leadership Award: Gene Duvernoy

The James R. Ellis Regional Leadership Award honors “an individual or organization for contributing significant leadership in the examination of regional public policy problems.” Our region is known for its great natural beauty, but the pressure to use the land for purposes other than nature is relentless. Gene Duvernoy is also relentless, and has set about brokering land deal partnerships that have preserved nearly 19,000 acres of forestland, wildlife habitat, recreational areas and community open space. He is a pragmatic conservationist, embodying the notion that meaningful conservation must move forward together with the region’s growth and prosperity if we are to preserve the region’s most cherished and ecologically significant landscapes. One example among many is the Cascade Foothills Initiative, which provided for both a sustained timber economy and long-term ecological benefits over approximately 600,000 acres in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. The League is proud to give its Ellis Award for Regional Leadership to Gene Duvernoy, President of the Cascade Land Conservancy.

Special Thanks for 2004

Special thanks to keynote speaker David Horsey for sharing his observations and his renderings of public figures we well know. And thanks to the companies whose sponsorship and support of good government made our 2004 Civic Awards Luncheon possible:

• Safeco
• The Boeing Company
• Davis Wright Tremaine
• The Weyerhaeuser Company
• Perkins Coie
• Puget Sound Energy
• Washington Mutual Bank
• Stoel Rives
• CH2M Hill
• Williams Kastner & Gibbs
• Harborview Medical Center

Nominations for 2005

To receive a nomination form when they're published for the 2005 Civic Awards, send your request with your email address to .