Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/43601
2011 Red Bluff-Tehama County Chamber of Commerce Banquet Gene Penne Award for Business And Community Leadership The Gene Penne Award is per- haps the highest honor our county has given to community leaders whose selfless dedication to serve has been unwavering, constant and frankly available to many fac- tions of our residents and business owners. While the Chamber Records reflect that this award is to acknowledge chamber mem- bers or former members who have demonstrated an exceptional per- sonal commitment to the business community-I know from reading the list of past recipients, that this award and the efforts taken by those who have received it spans far beyond the business communi- ty and is the grease that keeps the wheels and gears of progress in motion for businesses, education, service clubs, and the community at large. The award is named for Gene Penne, a former Chamber Presi- dent and civic leader whose lead- ership and contributions to the community set a meaningful and impressive standard like no other in our area. Susan reflects, "Peo- ple in our community and throughout the country have shared how he touched their lives through a monetary assist or sound advice or just listening to them. He was known for cutting out articles from the Daily News, making a copy, writing a note, and sending it to the person featured in the article or picture. Dale reflect on Gene Penne sayings, that as his son, he often heard from him that exemplified how he tried to live and his sense of humor: "That's Penne… Like J. C. Penney… without the "Y" or the money!" "Pay your own way, it's the right thing to do" "Don't have any skeletons in your closet" "There's the right way, the wrong way… and then there's the Penne way" Some people liked that about As a former cheerleader and one who has been accused of being "wired" and genetical- ly programmed to be a "cheer- leader", the Chamber Spirit Award resonates deeply for me. Many of us in this room live incredibly busy lives packed with professional duties, projects, crises, person- al goals and aspirations, and family obligations and com- mitments that do not allow much room for civic leadership volunteerism. The Chamber, like many other membership organizations thrives on the spirit and effort, dedication and energy of volunteers willing to rearrange schedules, postpone personal lives and spend time working for the community at large-a virtual sales and mar- keting team as it were for our county, for the City of Red Bluff. These generous volun- teers have ideas that go beyond the annoying statement, "I'm just an idea guy or gal." These are feet on the street, roll up your sleeves, put on your thinking cap, maybe grab a glass of wine and git er done, whatever "er" is! This award is new and was created at a time that Red Bluff was astonished and in some ways dazed over the loss of Lake Red Bluff and what that would mean to our future. It was a time when one particular community member could have disappeared into the woodwork as it were and sim- ply not cared about the future of our town as his event single handedly brought millions of tourism dollars to our area dur- ing the Memorial Holiday Boat Drags. Ali Abassi did the exact opposite-with a deep convic- tion and faith, Ali forged a road less traveled and devoted much of his time and energy to work- ing with the City and the Chamber to evaluate the possi- bilities of surviving the loss of the lake. And continues to do so today in his effort to support branding the economic pros- perity project of Tehama County through the business he shares with his loving wife Teresa and his father in law, city councilman, Bob Carrell- Buds Jolly Cone and if you haven't noticed, to quote city manager Martin Nichols, "The branding ship has sailed" and Buds Jolly Cone is standing at the helm with the significant and expensive I might add, cessions business specific to national Parks and Recreation cre- ated in 1975, this person travels the nation in support of recreation, the great outdoors and preserving our natural surroundings as a gem and treasure to behold and frankly, market and make money! Almost single handedly, although he would never admit it or agree, Marshall Pike is directly responsi- ble for the growth of the California Parks Company (not to mention former Gene Penne award winner, John Koberer's ability to kick back in Sonoma) and has served beyond the boundaries of Tehama County on the Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association as well as serving as the only private sec- tor member of the California Round Table on Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Co Chair Nina Gor- don offered, "Marshall is always willing to further recreation and tourism. He has always been will- ing to share his projects with oth- ers and provide helpful insights." A Libra tried and true, Mar- Daily News photos by Chip Thompson Gene Penne Award winner Marshall Pike, with Susan McFadden and Gina Penne him and some people didn't. He was known in the community as a conservative Republican business- man, but not many people know that he was a registered Democrat until he signed on as Wally Herg- er's first campaign chairman in the 1980's. He then helped Wally get elected by driving Wally around the Northstate, to "introduce him to the key players in each commu- nity", as dad would say. The award was created in 1998 in an effort to properly acknowl- edge community leaders who without pride, personal gain or the need for recognition, followed in Mr. Penne's footsteps. Past recip- ients of this award include: Dan Cargile, Orville Jacobs, Kevin Brunnemer, Ron Clark, Gary improvements they have made to the property ignited by the DDI presentation and recom- mendations suggested by Roger Brooks! Tonight we recognize dedi- cated community members who like Ali's, have passion for our future and future gener- ations. California born and raised tonight's Chamber Spirit recip- ient knows what once was in our state and what it could be. The winner understands the value of loyalty and brand beyond reason and exemplifies integrity as their focus and work is dedicated to current and future generations through education. Words that describe the recipient include intelligence, integrity, creativity, articulate, innovative, passionate, witty, generous, philanthropic, focused, dedicated, organized, driven, accountable, stewards, fair, understanding, commu- nicative, collaborative, leader, enthusiastic, talented…in a word Amazing! Expect More Tehama was a small seed of a thought based on feedback from Audrey Tay- lor and Chabin Associates. In this county sponsored econom- ic report, it was clear, our com- munity did very little to assist the resource deprived educa- tional system of our county. Three women stood tall and ahead of the rest to put educa- tion and the family and com- munity support of education above the rest. These women have worked long hours, dedi- cated much of their personal time away from family and friends to drive home the point that to expect more of our chil- dren we must expect more of ourselves. The movement of Expect More Tehama and its mission is clear: all students should graduate from high school and be prepared for a brighter future that includes higher edu- cation. By engaging all sectors of the community, Expect More Tehama wants to raise awareness and provide options for higher education. Never before had one room accom- modated members of church congregations, government, small and large businesses to address our problem-the prob- lem of low college enrollment rate. Selfishly, these women dreamed of a day that their children would enjoy a 4 or 6 Napier, John Gumm, Bill Moule, John Koberer, Cindy Brown and John Yingling Tonight we honor a person who selflessly and tirelessly has contributed to the foundation of tourism in our county and dawned the era of marketing this community. A quiet sole with very loud thoughts, this person is a business leader who has served four separate 3-year terms on the Chamber Board including one year as the Chair-for those of us who do not do math, that is 12 years or 84 in dog years and believe me-that reference is being kind! Service was never a second thought to this person as commit- tee work for the chamber includ- ed a resume of time and effort associated with the budget, finance, nominating and execu- tive committees. A giving and consultative spirit, this person created the thought and practice of tourism marketing and leader- ship by charging the way of the convention and visitors bureau introducing the City Council to the strategies and initiatives nec- essary to brand and market Tehama County. In this day and age in the jet stream of Branding Economic Prosperity, we can refer to this person as the original spark that ignited the flame of tourism as economic develop- ment for Tehama County. As Senior Vice President of Business Development for the California Parks Company, a con- shall exemplifies the traits listed for Libras, "renowned for social graces and intellectual skills, and sometimes referred to as 'manly' or 'courteous'," definitely not qual- ities that are commonly linked! Libra is considered to depict the scales held by Astraea (identified as Virgo), the goddess of justice. Libra is also considered the god- dess of balance and truth. Mar- shall is that, always searching for the facts, focused on the truth of any matter, he is a problem solver, supporter and leader. As a green horn as it were, I can say with confidence and pride that Marshall has been a trusted confidante, advisor and most importantly friend during my years of service with the Chamber. He is a wise man with a quiet way, a sharp wit and a discerning taste for excellent sushi and great wine and shares his birthday with us this evening! Chamber Spirit Award — Kathy Garcia, Kate Grissom, Kathy Schmitz and while this expansion was more a result of a regional reor- ganization and request with lit- tle wiggle room to decline, Kathy recently confided that her mother refers to this expan- sion as her "second job". Kathy is a graduate of Mercy High. The Job Training Center is Chamber Spirit Award recipients Kate Gris- som, Kathy Garcia and, not pictured, Kathy Schmitz are congratulated by Kristin Behrens. or 8 year college experience and desire returning home to plant seeds and invest in their community. These women knew we not only had to pro- vide information and support to families to strengthen their understanding of the impor- tance of higher education, but also understand the economic impact education has on the business community and the workforce available to support businesses and hopefully future investors in our county. To steal shamelessly from one of Tehama County's most tal- ented writers, Melissa Men- donca who wrote a feature arti- cle on Expect More in the March edition of ENJOY mag- azine, "Through relationships, things just keep getting done," says Grissom. Elementary classrooms are adopting col- lege students so children can get first-hand accounts of col- lege life from an individual they grow to bond with and admire. A variety of projects in schools and throughout the community are focused on making college a topic of inter- est and the focus of our stu- dents. Businesses are partner- ing with schools and leverag- ing funds to take students on college visits. The recipients of this year's Chamber Spirit Award are Kathy Garcia, Kathy Schmitz and Kate Gris- som, I would like to share some about them with you. Kathy Garcia Kathy is the Business Services and Market- ing Manager for the Job Train- ing Center. She has worked in workforce development since 2001. She is knowledgeable in community development, busi- ness services, labor market information and training. She currently oversees two staff and handles the connection to the business community, mar- keting and special events including the Seeds of Oppor- tunity Economic Forecast event and Expect the Best Cus- tomer Service Week. Kathy has been involved in the Job Training Center's summer youth programs for the past two summers (ECF Jumpstart in 2010). She designed and coordinated all marketing materials and outreach, created and taught workshops for the youth and employers, and facilitated key relationships with local employers that linked youth with the private sector for summer employ- ment. In 2007 she received the California Workforce Associa- tion's Outstanding Workforce Professional award. She enjoys a rural lifestyle in Dairyville with her husband Ron and their three children. Kathy has recently accepted a position on the Lassen View Elementary School Board. Currently, Kathy is exploring the possibil- ities of Agritourism and acted as the Shasta College Ag Mar- keting team coach during the Western Collegiate Food Mar- keting event held at Fresno State. She and Kate have been asked to present the Expect More Tehama model across the state including Monterey and Chico. Kathy Schmitz's roots are long and strong in Tehama County. As the CEO of the Tehama County Job Training Center, Kathy is now in charge of the Nevada County office- a private, nonprofit organiza- tion in Tehama County whose mission is to provide unlimited employment opportunities to job seekers and hiring, training and human resource assistance to local businesses. In January 2010 CEO and founder of the JTC, Kathy celebrated 30 years of leadership in work- force development. With her 30 years of experience Schmitz has revitalized the organization (which was recognized in 2006 by the Tehama County Farm Bureau as Business of the Year), and is respected by her staff and community members as an innovative leader. She began her career in workforce development in 1980 with Tehama County Employment and Training Administration, and in 1986 was promoted to Assistant Director. In November of 2008, she was recognized as Business Woman of the Year at the annual Farm City Night. Throughout the last thirty plus years, Schmitz has been recog- nized at both the state and national levels for her innova- tive approach to workforce development and business ser- vices. Recently Kathy took on the Director position for the Tehama Economic Develop- ment Corporation. In her role as the CEO of the JTC and leading the Tehama EDC, Kathy is directly involved in Expect More Tehama, NEXT Tehama, and Branding Eco- nomic Prosperity. While Kathy Garcia leads the public charge of Expect More, Kathy Schmitz supports the move- ment with leadership, ideas and encouragement. Kate Grissom; Many know Kate as Katie…in my world she is Kate Grissom, a force to be reckoned with, wise beyond her years or experi- ence, professional, compas- sionate, and articulate, Kate has forged the way for the Paskenta Band of Nomalaki Indians through her efforts to generously support our com- munity through Rolling Hills Casino and Rolling Hills Clin- ic. Kate was born in Southern California and moved to the Red Bluff area as a toddler. While not a native Red Bluffi- an, she is as close to a native as you're going to see, and she certainly has the heart and investment in her town. Graduating from Red Bluff High School, Kate had a series of jobs at local busi- nesses, including Walker Printing, until she was hired as the Marketing Director at Colusa Casino in 2000. Before Kate was hired, there was no Marketing Department at Colusa Casino and when she departed in 2007, she left behind a first rate marketing program and a loyal team of 19 people. She is a graduate of Simp- son College and is now the Vice President of Marketing for Rolling Hills. I have not known her take credit where credit is due, she prefers to remain anonymous and gener- ously provides in projects that she believes in and that align with the economic prosperity of our community. If you dig around this area, you will see Kate's signature on many of the successful projects before, during and I am certain after branding. Expect More Tehama, NEXT Tehama, Branding Economic Prosperi- ty, Chamber events including Ribs, Rods and Rides, 11- days of rodeo, Golf Fore A Cause and the list goes on. She is the recipient of the Strong, Smart and Bold award from Girls Inc of Northern California and has received many more too many to men- tion. Two years, two summits, and hundreds of conversa- tions and actions later, the Expect More movement con- tinues to make a difference. The beauty of Expect More is that it's not about just one age group or one initiative at a time. Expect More allows people to use their talents in an area that they enjoy -- event planning, talking, men- toring, coaching, teaching, crafting, writing, inspiring. Bottom line, there is nothing these women can't concur, improve or deliver. Kathy Schmitz was unable to join us, however, please join me in congratulating and recognizing Kathy Garcia and Kate Grissom.