Chamber Awards - 2009
Irwin Adams Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award
Community leader, former State Superintendent of Schools and State Senator Verne Duncan was honored as the Irwin Adams Lifetime Community Achievement award recipient at the Chamber annual celebration dinner June 23.
Duncan, an Oregon native, resides in the Oak Lodge area with his wife, Donna. During his long an illustrious educational career he taught school and was principal at Butte County Schools, Arco, ID, was Adjunct Professor, Ricks College, BYU and Idaho State University, served as Research Assistant, Assistant Professor and Assistant Director, Bureau of Education Research, University of Oregon 1966-70 and Adjunct Professor of Educational Administration, University of Oregon 1970-90.
From 1970 to 75 he also served as Superintendent of the Clackamas County Education service District.
He was elected to State superintendent of Public Instruction in 1975, serving until 1990. from 1990 through 1996 he was Dean and Professor of Education, School of Education, University of Portland, and continues now in service as Dean and Professor of Education Emeritus at that school.
He served as State Representative in the Idaho House of Representatives from 1962 to 1965, served Oregon as a State Senator from 1996 through 2003.
A retired Army Colonel, and member of the Reserves he also served as United State Army Reserve Ambassador for Oregon 1999-2006.
His community, state and national leadership encompasses many areas and programs including restructuring Clackamas County commission task force, Willamette Greenway Parklands Strategy Task Force, )Oregon solutions – Willamette Falls Locks Project, North Clackamas Education Foundation, and our Chamber of Commerce.
Among his other awards are Outstanding Young Educator of Idaho, alumni of the Year, Linfield College, Alumni of the Year College of Education, University of Oregon and National Leadership Award, Institute of Educational Leadership.
“Verne”, said Chamber CEO, Wilda Parks, “is one of those people you know you can trust, who will get in and get the work done while making sure everyone has opportunity for input. He is fair, honest and thoughtful.”
Business Person of the Year:
Laura Edmonds Insurance Agency, Farmers Insurance, was selected as Business Person of the Year for her dedication to business and community and, according to Parks, her great volunteerism and follow through.
Edmonds has been an agent/owner for six years and specializes in personal and business insurance and financial services.
Her agency is known for the service she provides and in making sure that her clients are well taken care of. Edmonds says, “Thoroughly understanding their needs and what it is they are trying to protect allows them a peace of mind that lets them focus on other issues.”
Almost all of her business is referral based. Edmonds added, ”Since we take such good care of our clients, we are referred quite often by clients, friends and business associates. Also, our clients are so pleased that we have very little turn over and are ranked higher than the state average for retaining our clients.”
Edmonds has recently joined the Board of Oregon Impact, and has spent considerable time assisting in fund raising efforts for the Children’s’ Center. She has also helped with Special Olympics Equine events in the past and was part of the Farmers Leadership program that enables the agents to get corporate funds for charities.
She has been a Chamber member for five years a member of Chamber, serving as an Ambassador for most of that time. She chaired the Christmas Giving Breakfast for the past three years, was a participant in the 2009 Leadership program, SPLASH and supported other events with door prizes/gift donations.
Edmonds also maintains a home, business and friendship with her husband who she says, “deserves as much recognition as I have gotten for putting up with me!”
Of the things she is most proud of one is starting from scratch and building a successful business with very little mentorship.
Edmonds noted that “being recognized and gifted with this award is the best recognition that I can get. It reinforces that what I am doing is right and that I am truly helping others.”
In her spare time she is an avid hunter and outdoors person, except skiing (where accidents seem to shadow her! Don’t need that!). She loves camping, crabbing, hiking, lake fishing and playing board games with family & friends. You’ll also find her power walking with her heeler Annie and cuddling with her hubby and their Chihuahua Jack.
Business of the Year:
Business of the Year, Safeway, is in the top 50 of the Fortune 500 companies. Based out of Pleasanton, CA. the grocery stores also offer one stop shopping with floral, Starbucks, full service delis, Chinese food, bakeries, pharmacies, service meat and seafood departments, and fuel stations.
The Division office is in Clackamas, where a major remodeling and upgrade of the frozen food distribution took place just a few years ago. With 12,000 Portland Division employees, the company aides in the area economy not only by its employment numbers and stores, but also through it’s Foundation. The Portland Division’s Safeway Foundation gives nearly $5 million to local charities each year. They give to charities that support Education, Health and Human Services, Hunger Relief, and People with Disabilities. A significant portion of the Safeway Foundation is made up of voluntary employee giving. 100% of those funds stay locally within the neighborhoods and communities that surround the store. Recently the foundation assisted Providence Milwaukie’s breast cancer services and last Christmas season provided cash assistance to Madonna’s Center, Clackamas Women's Services and the Children’s Center of Clackamas County, among many other local charities.
Portland Division customers and employees raised nearly $2.5 million over the last two years for breast cancer research, treatment, and support. 100% of those funds stay local, and went to the Providence Cancer Center, OHSU, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Safeway is also the title sponsor of Susan G. Komen’s Race for the Cure, the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, which benefits the Oregon Food Bank, and the Safeway LPGA Classic. The Safeway Classic dedicates over $1 million per year to local children’s charities, and once again, 100% of the funds stay local.
Safeway’s Portland Division is involved in nearly every single chamber or rotary in the markets in which they operate. Dan Floyd, Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations, and local Chair of the Safeway Foundation, serves son the Board of Directors of the North Clackamas County Chamber of Commerce.
Safeway has been recognized for being one of the healthiest companies in the nation, and has been recognized for hiring People with Disabilities and for promoting diversity in the workforce.
Rohn Bly Memorial Volunteer of the Year Recipient
Greg Chaimov, Attorney and Milwaukie City Councilman was recognized for his outstanding volunteerism with The Rohn Bly Memorial Volunteer of the Year award at the chambers’ Annual Banquet.
The Rohn Bly Memorial Volunteer of the year award is significant in that it honors a member of the Chamber who traditionally goes above and beyond the norm in sharing their time, talents, resources, and expects nothing in return.
This year’s award recipient has, in their few years as a member, become one of those “if we have a need we call Greg” people to the staff of the Chamber.
Whether it’s helping out at the Clackamas Live Festival, manning the booth at Oregon Lifestyles Expo, even, on occasion helping to set up rooms and cart storage items.
Chaimov can be found as a helper at Splash, the Business After Hours at the Aquatic Park, a driver when needed, a membership recruitment person without being asked. A person who follows through, who says no when he needs to, a person of trust.
Married to a childhood “friend” who became a date after college and a wife in 1979, he recently left a full time position as legislative counsel in Salem (where his wit no doubt came in handy), to return to Milwaukie and work with a local firm. Chaimov was then appointed to Milwaukie City Council and elected to that position last year.
A Chamber Board member and recently elected First Vice Chair, leader of the Chamber’s Public Policy Team, developer of its Political Action Committee, facilitator at most issues events, father of two children, husband of Ellen, strong community volunteer, driver of vans to Salem for the Chamber, sponsor of Chamber issues events, avid softball player, marathon runner, gardener, Beaver fan, dog walker and General Manager for his Fantasy Baseball Team.
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