Please join our 2015 individual and organization honorees at the Aptos Chamber Annual Dinner and Awards Night on Friday, October 30th, 2015 at the Seascape Beach Resort. Call (831) 688-1467 to make reservations.
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Man of the Year
Zach Friend
Zach Friend is a policy, public affairs and communications expert who has worked for Barack Obama and John Kerry’s presidential campaigns, the White House Council of Economic Advisers, U.S. Senate, Congressman Sam Farr and the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
With Obama for America ’08, Zach was a press secretary and spokesman in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, where he staffed and briefed Barack Obama, Joe Biden and other campaign principals and surrogates.
He has been quoted by MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, ABC, CBS, National Public Radio, the LA Times, the Boston Globe, Politico, the Huffington Post, and others.
In June of 2012, Zach was elected to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors representing the 2nd District – and was selected as Chair of the Board of Supervisors for 2014.
Previously, Zach was the Press Information Officer and a Crime Analyst for the Santa Cruz, California Police Department. In addition to directing communications strategy and acting as the department’s spokesman, he analyzed crime statistics to help design more effective prevention and enforcement strategies. This included bringing predictive policing to the department, a complex mathematical model that helped predict when and where crime would occur. In September of 2013 his book On Message was published by Turner Publishing and became an Amazon best seller for marketing books.
Zach has a Masters degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University and a BA with Honors in History from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
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Woman of the Year
Christy Licker
I opened Caroline’s Non Profit Thrift Shop in July of 2010 hoping to honor and celebrate the life of my daughter, Caroline, who passed away in 2007 when she was 16. I struggled for a long time after her passing, and opening Caroline’s was my attempt to beyond my grief and move forward in a positive way.
We gave money away for the first time six months after we opened — $40,000 to four local non profits: Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition, Hospice of Santa Cruz County, and Jacob’s Heart.
Last year, 2014, Caroline’s gifted $240,000.00 to 19 local non profits, including those listed above (our Core Four) which brought our donations to local non- profits serving our children with special needs to $600,000.00 in four years.
I am so proud to be a part of this community. We have only been successful because of the support we have received from donors, shoppers, and, most especially volunteers.
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Business of the Year
John Fuchs Properties
All around great Business! John Fuchs, along with his wife Robin, have owned and operated John Fuchs Properties: Construction & Real Estate since 1984. John, Robin, and their talented staff collaborate closely with their clients to create new homes, remodels, and residential additions in Santa Cruz County. Whether a large project or a small idea, clients have come to rely on John for his expertise, honesty, and business principles. As confirmation, he was voted Best Builder in Santa Cruz County in 2010, 2011, and 2013.
Having lived here with his family for over 30 years, John is a very active member of the Aptos community.
- He has coached the Aptos High School Girls Golf Team. He and Robin have also coached their daughter’s United States Youth Volleyball League team, as well as the American Youth Basketball Association.
- They’ve been active in the Aptos Chamber of Commerce, the History Museum, the Rio Del Mar Improvement Association, the Girls Scouts of the Central Coast and the Monte Foundation Fireworks.
- For the past several years, John has (Shhh, don’t tell) been Santa Claus and Robin has been Mrs. Claus at the Aptos Tree Lighting Ceremonies and the annual Grey Bears Christmas Dinner.
- He is currently serving as President on the board of The Advocates for the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park. “For me, being a part of the Advocates is a wonderful privilege and an opportunity to give back to a Park and community that has offered me so much. It’s an honor to follow in the footsteps of so many who have done so much in the past. It’s my turn to help polish and protect this little gem of a Park that is right in our backyard!”
- John is also passionate about mountain biking. He serves as President on the board for Trips for Kids Santa Cruz, a volunteer organization that provides kids (ages 10-18) with everything they need to have a safe, fun experience riding a mountain bike in the great outdoors, all at no cost to them. “Trips for Kids combines my interest in working with kids with the satisfaction, sense of accomplishment and self-fulfillment that comes with mountain biking. Trips for Kids has provided me an incredible opportunity to make a difference in young people’s lives who may be in search of healthier life-style choices. I look forward to helping kids, one ride at a time. Happy trails!”
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Community Enhancement
Agricultural History Project
Educating the Community for over 30 Years
The mission of the Agricultural History Project (AHP) honors and promotes knowledge about agriculture on the Central California Coast, both past and present.
AHP preserves, exhibits, collects, and builds community awareness of the economic, cultural, and ethnic aspects of agriculture in the area.
They are a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization founded in 1986. The Agricultural History Project opened its doors to the public in May 2004. They accomplish their mission through exhibits and interactive activities that help visitors experience daily life on farms and ranches on the Central Coast during the 1800’s and early 1900’s. We believe that knowledge of history provides us the ability to make better decisions about our future.
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Organization of the Year
Grey Bears
Grey Bears improves the health and wellbeing of seniors through volunteerism and community participation. Grey Bears Vision is that all seniors live healthy, meaningful lives.
Grey Bears Core Values: • Respect individuals • Promote trust, integrity and compassion • Support volunteerism and community service • Emphasize quality services and products • Advance sustainability via recycling, reusing and repurposing • Acknowledge and respond to the challenges of aging
Grey Bears Programs
Distribute — The Brown Bag Program delivers bags of fresh produce and healthy staples to 4,500 seniors each week throughout Santa Cruz County.
Recycle & Repurpose — Collecting locally, Reusing efficiently, Recycling responsibly — Grey Bears operates two recycling centers for the general public: on Chanticleer Avenue in Santa Cruz (including e-waste and appliances using e-steward certified processors) and at the Buena Vista Landfill in Watsonville. Our glass tumblers turn broken glass into «sea glass for art and decorative applications.
Glean — Grey Bears glean the fields and pick fruit during harvest for the Brown Bag Program, and pick up and distribute «day old» groceries from 25 markets and bakeries.
Reuse — The Thrift Store offers an array of pre-owned household and office items, and the Computer Electronics Store refurbishes donated computers, audio-video components, and other electronics for resale to the public and on eBay. The Chanticleer bookstore and Grey Bears Amazon.com bookstore feature thousands of titles plus vinyl, DVD and books on tape/CD.
Eat-Move-Learn — Grey Bears connects seniors and our community with annual luncheon events, weekly classes including chair yoga, computing and tech support, Spanish, Taiko drumming, cooking and regular Repair Cafés.
Compost — Our six Earth Tubs turn food scraps from our brown bag program and daily lunches into high-quality compost for your garden, and we sell it dirt cheap.
Sustainability and Volunteerism — Grey Bears has been the recipient of many awards for volunteerism and our recycling and sustainability operations. Grey Bears volunteers donate 80,000 hours of service each year to make our programs successful.
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Outstanding Achievement
Rio Del Mar Improvement Association
The Rio Del Mar Improvement Association was organized by nine men in August 1941 at the home of its first president R. F. Brown at 520 Alta Drive. Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Secretary of State on October 23, 1941, making the Association the second oldest Homeowners Association in the State of California. The Association is an organization of residents whose combined efforts contribute to the beauty and quality of life we so enjoy in our community of Rio Del Mar located between Highway 1, Monterey Bay, Seascape and Seacliff.
Since 1941, the Rio Del Mar Improvement Association has been a non-partisan voice in local government, administration, public works, law enforcement, education, water supply, parks and recreation, coastal management, planning and zoning, arbor disease management and landscaping.
The Association strives to guard our community natural resources from overuse, pollution, ill-advised development, neglect and undue encroachment, protect community property values, investments, initiate and support a wide variety of improvement projects.
Our Association is managed by seven Directors who are elected by members to serve two-year terms. Members can be called upon to serve upon special committees when needed.
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Community Hero
Robert Salazar
This fall Robert “Bobby” Salazar will begin his 40th year at Aptos High School where he is the Head Custodian. AHS is the first job he had as an adult and he has been there ever since. Thousands of students have come through AHS in his 39 years and it is highly likely that every single Mariner who has attended the school knows Bobby. He is extremely kind, compassionate, welcoming, hardworking, loyal, and of the highest integrity. Bobby goes out of his way 24-7 to help any on-or-off campus individual or group.
AHS has been a community center since its inception and so many community members have benefitted from knowing Bobby. He volunteers and helps organizations such as the CHP, Aptos/La Selva Fire, Cabrillo College, and every athletic group there is in the area including the Aptos Sports Foundation. He greets everyone with a bellowing “Welcome to Aptos High!” His own kids came through Aptos High and now kids of former students who have known Bobby are coming through Aptos High as well. Bobby, also known as “The Mayor of Aptos” is a true gift to our community and a community hero.