What a great event!
Join us as we honor the 2025 Distinguished Leader Awards honorees: Panowicz Family; Richenda & Bill Richardson, Childhood's End Gallery; & Panorama.
Wednesday, February 19 | The Washington Center for the Performing Arts | $100 per person
Celebrating community leadership for over 20 years, the Distinguished Leader Awards recognize leaders who demonstrate outstanding initiative, inspire others, and make a significant impact in our community that goes beyond their organizations and shines through their community support and involvement.
A new venue provides the opportunity to create fun new format to the traditional sit down dinner event and will allow for more socializing with honorees and other guests. Tickets to attend include our hosted bites and beverages cocktail reception and dessert social.
5:30pm: Celebration doors open; hosted cocktail reception featuring Bite Me Catering.
Mini Steak Bites w/ baked potato (GF), Crab Cakes, Stuffed Mushrooms (VG), Lasagna Bites (V), &
Charcuterie. Beer, wine, cider, seltzer, & non-alcoholic beverages served.
6:45pm: Award presentation.
7:45pm: Dessert social featuring Bite Me Catering.
Macaroons, assorted pastries & tarts, alongside decadent delights. Coffee bar.
Past Honorees
Click the accordion below to see a list of our past Distinguished Leader Award honorees!
| 2002 | Ken F. Parsons, Sr. The Rants Group |
| 2003 | Joe Williams City of Lacey |
| 2004 | Kristen West & Sherri McDonald Denny Heck |
| 2005 | Dr. David Spangler Jan Putnam |
| 2006 | Jeff Rounce Community Youth Services |
| 2007 | Cathy Wolfe Bruce Reeves Washington Women's Foundation |
| 2008 | Jack Kiley Tri M. Vo PATH |
| 2009 | Jeff Kingsbury Capitol Land Trust Judge Richard A. Strophy |
| 2010 | Capitol City Press Mud Bay, Inc. Steve Boone |
| 2011 | Chairman David Burnett: Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation Grays Harbor Paper New Market Skills Center |
| 2012 | Michael Cade Rotary Club of Olympia |
| 2013 | Patty Belmonte Virgil Clarkson Gerald Pumphrey |
| 2014 | Brian Vance Raj Manhas Senator Karen Fraser |
| 2015 | Dr. Roy Heynderickx Brian Fluetsch Eileen McKenzieSullivan |
| 2016 | Tanya Jernigan Dan O'Neill Robert Coit |
| 2017 | John Setterstrom Lori Drummond Steve Brooks |
| 2018 | Taylor Shellfish Farms Abbott Neal Roth, O.S.B. Olowo-n'djo Tchala met Prairie Rose Hyde |
| 2019 | Cheryl Fambles Drew Phillips Meghan Sullivan & Meagan Darrow |
| 2020 | John Doan, City of Tumwater SCJ Alliance Retired Supreme Court Justice Gerry Alexander |
| 2021 | Community Leadership Awards |
| 2022 | Dr. A Barbara Clarkson Dancing Goats Coffee Former Secretary of State Ralph Munro |
| 2023 | Kelly Wilson Nisqually Indian Tribe Dr. Timothy Stokes |
Past honorees video links gallery
Watch past honorees over the years below! Click on an honoree to view their video.