The Municipal League of King County’s Annual Civic Awards ceremony was held on Tuesday, May 17 at 7:30 a.m. at the Westin Hotel. The Honorable Sam Reed, Secretary of State, gave the keynote address. Thanks to everyone who joined us in honoring the individuals and organizations for their outstanding work to enrich our civic lives.

2005 Civic Award Winners

• Citizen of the Year: David Brewster
  In 1976, David Brewster founded the Seattle Weekly as an alternative news publication dedicated to covering politics, the arts and Seattle. In 1975, he launched Seattle’s Best Places guidebooks, a respected regional travel series now in its 10th edition. Brewster also established Town Hall, a thriving venue for arts and civic nonprofits. He will step down as its executive director next fall and return to full-time writing.
• Public Official of the Year: Jay Covington, CAO, City of Renton
  Jay Covington has served for twelve years as Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Renton, where he has been active in developing and promoting the long-term economic vitality of the community. In addition to his duties with the city, Jay has served as a Board member, Vice President, and President of the Washington City/County Management Association, and as a Board member of the Association of Washington Cities. He has received several awards for intergovernmental cooperation, and he currently chairs the King County City Managers/Administrators Group.
• Public Employee of the Year: Don W. Ding, Transportation Project Manager, King County
  With more than 34 years’ experience in transportation, land use and capital projects planning, Don Ding has played central roles in community and transportation planning.  Don led the team that developed the transportation chapter of the King County Comprehensive Plan, and recently led an effort to fund a land use, transportation, air quality, and health study to better understand the striking connections between healthy physical activity and transportation investments.
• Business of the Year: Dick's Drive-In
  For over 50 years, Dicks Drive-In has been a Seattle icon—feeding Seattle, providing their high school student employees with scholarships, inspiring fond memories of first dates and proms, and producing great fries. Dick’s Drive-In matches customer donations to fund homeless programs in Seattle.
• Organizations of the Year:
  John Stanford Public Service and Social Action Academy
  The John Stanford Public Service and Social Action Academy began in 2000 as a career academy at Franklin High. It aims to introduce a diverse group of young people to public service; provide a challenging integrated academic curriculum that prepares students for college and other post high school opportunities; create and nurture an ethic of service; and empower young people for community involvement and civic action.
  
  Real Change (Tim Harris)
  Real Change is unique.  It is a newspaper, an advocacy group, a Homeless Speakers Bureau, and literary workshops. Its programs work toward building bridges among the poor, homeless and the greater community, while engaging the broader public in fighting for economic justice. By publishing the newspaper and mobilizing the public around poverty issues, Real Change organizes, educates and builds alliances to find community-based solutions to homelessness and poverty.
• Doug Mason Memorial Award: Gabriel Galanda
  Gabriel “Gabe” Galanda is an Associate at Williams Kastner and Gibbs. His practice focuses on complex, multi-party tort and commercial litigation and Indian law, and he works with corporate entities that do business with Northwest Indian tribes. Washington Law & Politics magazine recognized Gabe as a Rising Star in 2002, 2004 and 2005 and he was named as one of four Leading Edge Litigators in 2003.  He was recently honored with the Northwest Indian Bar Association Native Justice Award and also named the WSBA Young Lawyers Division Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year in 2004.
• Jim Ellis Regional Leadership Award: Gerald Johnson
  Gerry Johnson just completed a five-year term as managing partner of Preston Gates & Ellis. His practice focuses on development, particularly public-private joint ventures, as well as the representation of nonprofit corporations and special purpose public entities. Gerry has made his mark in King County in many ways.  He led a multi-year effort culminating in overwhelming county voter approval of a $117 million open space bond issue. Gerry has a distinguished record of civic service. He is a past president of the Pike Place Market Foundation and the Cascade Land Conservancy, both of which he helped establish.  He is also past chairman of the Woodland Park Zoological Society Board and currently chairs the Bullitt Foundation Board of Trustees.