Santa Cruz Chamber Recognitions

The Santa Cruz Chamber is proud each year to award the Santa Cruz Man of the Year, Santa Cruz Woman of the Year, Santa Cruz Business of the Year, and Santa Cruz Organization of the Year to outstanding members of the Santa Cruz community. Awards are based on the recipient's contributions to building the economic vitality, prosperity, and quality of life in Santa Cruz County.

Awards are presented at the Annual Recognition Dinner and Auction, which brings business and community leaders together to celebrate the work and honor the contributions of the sustainers and stewards of Santa Cruz County. Recipients join past honorees, including century-old Santa Cruz family and business names such as Bargetto, Haber, Leask, McPherson, Ow, Swenson, and Baskin, as well as the Seaside Company, Dominican Hospital, Granite Rock, O’Neill, the Cultural Council, Goodwill, and United Way. We hope you will join us to celebrate Santa Cruz, to acknowledge the work of our recipients, and to reaffirm our collective dedication to each other and our community.

2012

Man of the Year: Peter Prindle
Woman of the Year: Donna Murphy
Business of the Year: Cruzio Internet
Organization of the Year: The Tannery Arts Center Project
Entrepreneur of the Year: Five3 Genomics
Lifetime Achievement Award: Bruce Woolpert

Previous Recipients:

2011

Man of the Year: Michael J. Paul
Woman of the Year: Cathy Schlumbrecht
Business of the Year: Barry Swenson Builder
Organization of the Year: Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center
Lifetime Achievement Award: Geoffrey Dunn

2010

Man of the Year: Howard Sherer
Woman of the Year: Virginia Johnson
Business of the Year: Bay Federal Credit Union
Organization of the Year: Dominican Hospital

2009

Men of the Year: John Siske and Ken Whiting
Woman of the Year: Hillary Bryant
Business of the Year: Sun Shops
Organization of the Year: Santa Cruz Neighbors

2008

Man of the Year: Michael Bethke
Woman of the Year: Linda Burroughs
Business of the Year: Redtree Properties
Organization of the Year: UCSC / City of Santa Cruz

2007

Man of the Year: Larry Pearson
Woman of the Year: Lori Butterworth/Devin Dobbs
Business of the Year: Lifespan
Organization of the Year: Cabrillo Foundation

2006

Man of the Year: Neal Coonerty
Woman of the Year: Annie Morhauser
Business of the Year: Good Times
Organization of the Year: Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music
Volunteer of the Year: Kathleen Middleton

2005

Man of the Year: Rowland Rebele
Woman of the Year: Lorette Wood
Business of the Year: Ocean-Honda Chevrolet
Organization of the Year: Central Coast Small Business
Lifetime Achievement Award: David Regan

2004

Man of the Year: Ken Kannappan
Woman of the Year: Colleen Cosby
Business of the Year: Comerica
Organization of the Year: Santa Cruz Community Counseling

2003

Man of the Year: Harvey Nickelson
Woman of the Year: Sister Julie Hyer
Business of the Year: Equitex Financial
Organization of the Year: Omega Nu

2002

Man of the Year: Roy Nelson
Woman of the Year: Maggie Ivy
Business of the Year: Seaside Company
Organization of the Year: SC Sunrise Rotary
Volunteer of the Year: Annette McGarity

2001

Man of the Year: Norm Lezin
Woman of the Year: Peggy Dolgenes
Business of the Year: Graniterock
Organization of the Year: SC Fire Department

2000

Man of the Year: John Hurd
Woman of the Year: Cynthia Mathews
Business of the Year: Big Creek Lumber
Organization of the Year: Skills Center

1999

Man of the Year: Robert Stephens
Woman of the Year: Julie Packard
Business of the Year: O'Neill
Organization of the Year: Santa Cruz Police Department

1998

Man of the Year: Scott Kennedy
Woman of the Year: MC Greenwood
Business of the Year: Channel 46
Organization of the Year: SC County Symphony

1997

Man of the Year: Bruce McPherson
Woman of the Year: Hulda Hoover McClean
Business of the Year: System Studies
Organization of the Year: Delta School

1996

Man of the Year: Bob Scrivener
Woman of the Year: Linda Steinau
Business of the Year: Barry Swenson
Organization of the Year: SC Rotary

1995

Man of the Year: Dick Wilson
Woman of the Year: Karen Gillette
Business of the Year: Santa Cruz Sentinel
Organization of the Year: Downtown Association

1994

Man of the Year: Tony Hill
Woman of the Year: Carol Canaris
Business of the Year: New Leaf Markets
Organization of the Year: Barrios Unidos

1993

Man of the Year: Harvey Nichelson
Woman of the Year: Esther Bradley-Delgado
Business of the Year: Coast Commercial Bank
Organization of the Year: Shakespeare Santa Cruz

1992

Man of the Year: John Lisher
Woman of the Year: Ceil Cirillo
Business of the Year: UA Cable
Organization of the Year: Goodwill

1991

Man of the Year: Ted Whiting III
Woman of the Year: Bonnie Burns
Business of the Year: Habers
Organization of the Year: United Way

1990

Man of the Year: Jim Pepper
Woman of the Year: Harriet Deck
Business of the Year: Zoccoli's
Organization of the Year: Community Foundation

1989

Man of the Year: Ron Rhodes
Woman of the Year: Judy Primavera
Business of the Year: Seaside Company
Organization of the Year: Cultural Council

1988

Man of the Year: Norman Lezin
Woman of the Year: Margaret Lezin

1987

Man of the Year: George Ow Jr&Sr
Woman of the Year: Betty Elward

1986

Man of the Year: Reece Davis
Woman of the Year: Karen Sinsheimer

1985

Man of the Year: Jack Baskin
Woman of the Year: Elena Baskin

1984

Organization of the Year: Omega Nu

1983

Man of the Year: Spiro Mellis
Woman of the Year: Judy Sadlier

1982

Man of the Year: Al Castagnola
Woman of the Year: Harriet Mainis

1981

Man of the Year: Ralph Bargetto
Woman of the Year: Colette Murray

1980

Man of the Year: Lionel Stolorr
Woman of the Year: Ann Leonard

1979

Man of the Year: Frank Gallagher
Woman of the Year: Lorette Wood

1978

Man of the Year: Harvey West
Woman of the Year: Katherine (Kay) Dillon

1977

Man of the Year: James E. Hammond
Woman of the Year: Evelyn Morris

1976

Man of the Year: Donald L. Grunsky
Woman of the Year: Renie Leaman

1975

Man of the Year: Marshall Cheney
Woman of the Year: Kristina Maillard

1974

Man of the Year: James H. Hammond
Woman of the Year: Miss Annie McCaskill

1973

Man of the Year: Dr. Robert E. Swenson
Woman of the Year: Mrs. Yolanda Dybdahl

1972

Man of the Year: Dr. Carl Nelson
Woman of the Year: Mrs. Phil (Kay) Harry

1971

Man of the Year: Keith Shaffer
Woman of the Year: Mayor Lorette Wood

1970

Man of the Year: Davenport Volunteer Fire Department
Woman of the Year: Mrs. Lewis "Peg" Nelson"

1969

Man of the Year: Sam Leask
Woman of the Year: Mrs. Thomas Schnoor

1968

Man of the Year: Norman Walters
Woman of the Year: Kathryn Merriam

1967

Man of the Year: RADM Robert E. Ward (retired)
Woman of the Year: Mrs. Lela Swasey

1966

Man of the Year: Kenneth Wenzel
Woman of the Year: Mrs. Alice Earl Wilder

1965

Man of the Year: Chuck Abbott
Woman of the Year: Mrs. Chuck Abbott

1964

Man of the Year: Ernest W. Dillon
Woman of the Year: Ada Jane Leamy

1963

Man of the Year: C. E. "Doc" Fehliman
Woman of the Year: Mrs. Margaret C. Franks

1962

Man of the Year: Ernest Damkroger
Woman of the Year: Mrs. Sam McNeely

1961

Man of the Year: Louis L. Haber
Woman of the Year: Mrs. Charles Brunjes

1960

Man of the Year: Gordon Sinclair
Woman of the Year: Miss Rita Mattei

1959

Man of the Year: Fred McPherson Jr.
Woman of the Year: Major Matilda Dedrick

1958

Men of the Year: Carl Conelly & Worth Brown