2006 Civic Awards

Jasmine Sabeti of Newport High School, Bellevue is the 2006 Civic Scholar winner.

2006 Civic Award Winners

• Cheryl Scott, Citizen of the Year
  Cheryl Scott is recommended for her contributions to improving the elections system in King County. Ms. Scott is a former CEO of Group Health Cooperative and is active on many community and national boards, including serving as chair of the King County Independent Task Force on Elections.
• John Ladenburg, Public Official of the Year
  For his leading role in stewardship of the Sound and his primary role in growing Prosperity Partnership, by merging the regional Economic Development District, with the PSRC (to integrate land use, transportation and economic development planning), saved money and grew the resource into a public private development of the first ever Regional Economic Strategy embraced by a growing coalition of over 160 organizations all pulling the same direction - all of this as President of the PSRC, President of its Economic Development Board and Chairing Sound Transit.
• Bob Drewel, Public Employee of the Year
  Bob Drewel is the Executive Director of the Puget Sound Regional Council, which serves as the Metropolitan Planning Organization and Regional Transportation Planning Organization for King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties and cities. Bob Drewel completed his third and last term as Snohomish County Executive in December 31, 2003. He was first elected to that position in November 1991. Bob is well known for his leadership in promoting regional solutions to the many challenges facing the Northwest, including economic development, effective land-use regulation, transportation, and environmental enhancement. In his twelve years of public service, Bob has successfully worked to build partnerships between the often-contending interests of the private and public sectors to achieve a healthy and vigorous community.
• Starbucks Coffee Company, Business of the Year
  Starbucks has a strong committee to corporate social responsibility, and invests significantly in environmental, community building and literacy programs throughout the world.   Locally, Starbucks has made significant contributions to the Seattle Public Library Foundation, Seattle Parks, the Seattle Symphony and many local charities. Its $500,000 gift to Seattle Public Library Foundation is of note--its fund the Literacy Outreach, which helps underwrite the costs of an ongoing literacy and English as a Second Language program in the Greater Seattle community.
• Intiman Theatre, Organization of the Year
  Intiman Theatre distinguishes itself from other major theatre companies nationally, by its focus on using drama to promote discussion about civic issues. More than any other theatre in the region, Intiman has extended its educational programs and community collaborations. These partnerships have helped bring the Theatre's work to wide and diverse audiences across our region, and created long-term relationships that continue to enrich our commitment to civic dialogue. For example, over the past two decades, this award-winning arts-in-education program, Living History, has reached more than 135,000 young people, where students explore periods of history, political movements and ethical issues - such as racism, sexism, censorship, economics and human rights - through a dynamic and creative process that encourages critical thinking and engages their creative impulses and curiosity.
• Steve Scher, KUOW, Governmental News Reporting of the Year
  Moderator, Weekday, on KUOW.  This daily show engages the public in a civic discussion on a wide variety of local and global issues, presenting both sides of each argument.  In the last year, shows have included issues ranging from social to environmental matters, with the airtime dedicated to both experts and local opinions.  Scher also volunteers frequently in the community as a volunteer host.
• Machat Lat, Doug Mason Memorial Award
  A 20-year civil war in Sudan has resulted in the deaths of 1.9 million people - one out of every five Southern Sudanese. An estimated 4.4 million Southern Sudanese have left their homes - the largest displaced population of any country in the world.  Many refugees have immigrated to the United States, including about 6,000 of the Lost Boys. Machot Lat is one of these individuals who was resettled from a UN refugee camp in Kenya to Washington State when he was 14. The Southern Sudanese Community of Washington (SSCW) was founded by Machot to provide the estimated 1,000 -1,500 Southern Sudanese refugees who live in Washington with Tutoring and Family Assistance Programs. The organization now has an active board, which is about 2/3 Sudanese, two dozen regular volunteers, and several funding sources to support its programs. Machot was recently honored as on of the Jefferson Award winners and was chosen a Local Hero by the Red Cross.
• Sam Reed, Warren G. Magnuson Memorial Award
  Sam Reed is Washington's 14th's Secretary of State. Through his leadership, the state of Washington successfully protected voter privacy rights, broke ground on America's first state digital archives, became the first state in the country to allow candidates to file for office online and joined an elite group of states which allows corporations and charities to file electronically.  As Secretary of State, Reed has launched an aggressive campaign to encourage the youth vote. He's cleared the way for the State's first voter-registration database, a useful tool that will reduce opportunity for voter fraud. He created Washington's first Voting Integrity Act and protected the enormously popular vote-by-mail.
• John D. Spellman, James R. Ellis Regional Leadership Award
  Elected Executive in 1969, shortly after the County's Home Rule Charter created the position, Spellman played the lead role in establishing the County's new governmental structure under the Charter. He consolidated previously independent departments and replaced the old patronage system with a merit system. Spellman supervised the controversial process of siting and building the Kingdome, the domed stadium that provided the first home for the Seattle Seahawks and Mariners, and initiated early efforts to deal with uncontrolled growth. Spellman was twice reelected as King County Executive before being elected governor in 1980. Governor Spellman has played an active role in the Municipal League of King County.

2006 Civic Scholar Information

2006 Civic Award Sponsors

		Davis Wright Tremaine LLP