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GretchenMinekimeVicePresidentofCommunications
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MEDIARELEASE
2017StanBlackAwardandPat-on-the-BackAwardRecipientsAnnouncedCommunityFoundationBoulderCountypresentsannualStanBlackand
Pat-on-the-Backawardstolocalcommunityleaders Boulder (Aug. 24, 2017)–Everyyear, theCommunityFoundationBoulderCountypresentstwo Community Leadership awards: the Stan Black Award and the Pat-on-the-Back Award.Today, the foundation announced PamelaMalzbender as the recipient of its 2017 Stan BlackAward,andKarinaOronaastherecipientofits2017Pat-on-the-BackAward.Eachhonoreewillreceive $1K to be directed to the Zonta Foothills Club, and Friends of the Longmont YouthCenter,respectively.
PamelaMalzbenderThe Stan Black Award honors one of the founders of theCommunity Foundation. Now retired, Stan Black continues toactivelyparticipantinanumberofcauses–bothinBoulderCountyandoverseas.Inadditiontosupportfromindividualdonors,awardsponsorsincludethelawfirmofHutchinson,Black&Cook.Like Stan Black, Pamela Malzbender – Project Co-Chair of ZontaEducateZ, supporting at-risk women and girls through education
and empowerment – has given a lifetime of "time, treasure and talent" to the community.Malzbenderwasnominated for the StanBlackAwardby TommieAtanasoff, BoardPresident-elect,ZontaFoothillsClubofBoulderCounty.According toAtansoff, “Pam ispassionateabouthelpingyoungwomen ‘dreamthe impossibledream’ofbeingthefirst intheir familiestoattendcollegeandbe leaders intheircommunity.Herdedicationisseeninthehoursofsupportthatshegivestoindividualstudentsoneverythingfrom school assignments, paper editing, discussing assignments, and just providingencouragement.Shealsoworkstirelesslywritingcollegerecommendations,helpingwithcollegeessaysandfinancialaidapplications.“Pamnurtures,tutors,andencouragestheyoungwomeninourclubstobecomeleadersinourcommunity.Underherguidance,theclubsvolunteeroninternationalandlocalprojects[…].TheZ Club ‘adopted’ an all-girls school in rural Guatemala and sent books, video greetings, andpersonalnotestotheelementaryschool-agegirls.
“Locally,Pamorganizedgirls[…]tousetheirSpanishskillsasvolunteersin‘GetouttheVote’forthe November 2016 election. The young club members were trained on voter rights andregistrationrequirements–andthen,withadultchaperones,providedover150servicehoursgoingdoor-to-doorinBoulderCountyregisteringvoters.”Amongmanyother accomplishmentsanddistinctions,Malzbender started theZonta FoothillsClub“CultureofRespect”initiativetoraiseawarenessaboutviolenceagainstwomenandgirls,and to focus thecommunityon forminghealthy, respectful relationshipswithandamongouryouth. Along with other Zonta Club members, Malzbender has also worked to engage theBoulderValleySchoolDistrict toadoptaK-12curriculumthatsupportsa“CultureofRespect”forstudents,andencourageshealthyrelationships.Additionally, Malzbender worked with the Presidents Leadership Class at the University ofColoradotoexploretherelationshipchallengesthatcollegestudentsfeelunpreparedtoaddresswhentheyarriveoncampus.Theprojectresultedinasurveyof260CUwomenandmen,andastudent-producedvideoonthetopic.Malzbender’spassionanddedicationtohelpingwomenrealizetheirdreamsandtheirpotentialhasfurtherresultedinthecreationofthreeZontaFoothills-sponsoredscholarships.Beyondhercommunityleadershipandservice,MalzbenderfoundedRPMFrontlineSolutionstohelp organizations improve their frontline performance by providing support in projectmanagement,marketingandpromotionstrategyandimplementation,groupfacilitation,eventplanningandmanagement,boardandvolunteermanagement,andmore.
KarinaOrona ThePat-on-the-BackAwardhonorsPatriciaFordShoemaker (July4, 1920-October18, 1998), and recognizesother individualswhohavegivenextraordinary–butoftenunsung– volunteer time incaringforthecommunity.Like Pat Shoemaker, Karina Orona – a student at Skyline HighSchool who expects to graduate in 2018 – demonstratesextraordinarydedication,andbehind-the-scenescommitmentandcaring. Orona was nominated for the Pat-on-the-Back Award byKaren Moreno, Youth Program Specialist, Longmont Children,Youth&Families.
AccordingtoMoreno,“IhavenevermetayouthaspassionateabouttheircommunityasKarinaOrona. She has volunteeredwith Children, Youth & Families for a little over a year, and hasaccumulatedatotalof157hoursofservicetoourcenter.“Karina exemplifies leadership and commitment to the center’smission and values. She is aninspiration to our youth, and she empowers other youth to be responsible members of oursocietybystrengtheningtheirconnectionwiththecommunity.
“Karinahasalsoservedhercommunityasatranslatorforparent-teacherconferencesatSkylineHigh School.” Additionally, Karina volunteers as a reading buddy for elementary school-agechildren.ContinuedMoreno in her nomination letter, “Karina always finds ways to stay involved andmakes time to give back to her community. […] I have been able to witness her passion,reliability,optimism,andkind-heartedpersonality.[…]Shehasbecomeanessentialassettoourdepartment.”Congratulations,KarinaandPam!Formoreinformationaboutthisyear’sawardrecipients,visitcommfound.org/about/awards.CommunityFoundationBoulderCounty For 26 years, the Community Foundation Boulder County has been a community catalyst,respondingtoimmediateneedsandanticipatingfuturechallenges.Throughinformeddecision-making,weinspireideas,igniteactionandmobilizeresourcestoimprovethequalityoflifeforall.Advancinginclusivityandprovidingleadershipandonkeyissues,thefoundationcollaborateswith community-minded individuals and organizations that want to make a difference,accomplishingmoretogetherthanwedoalone.Sinceitsfoundingin1991,thefoundationhasgranted more than $75M to nonprofits focused on health and human services, basic needs,children and youth, education, civic engagement, arts and culture, and animals and theenvironment.commfound.org/news-media
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