San Lorenzo Valley 2015 Community Awards

The San Lorenzo Valley Chamber of Commerce will honor the 2015 Community Awards winners with a celebration and dinner December 6 at 5:30 p.m. Oak Tree Ristorante 5447 State Route 9 Felton.

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Woman of the Year — Ronnie Trubek

San Lorenzo Valley resident, prominent local business woman, and dedicated community advocate since 1970, Ronnie Trubek is passionate about the history and people of the SLV and deeply connected to our dynamic and always evolving Valley community. She has served on the Board of Directors of the San Lorenzo Valley Museum, given numerous historical talks throughout the valley, supported her local Chambers of Commerce, and volunteered for numerous nonprofit organizations.

Ronnie provided content for and consulted with developers for the Mobile Ranger app.

Ronnie was president of the Santa Cruz Association of REALTORS and a founding organizer of the Santa Cruz Association of Realtors Housing Foundation that raises funds to help bridge the gap to home ownership for low and moderate-income residents of Santa Cruz County.

She was awarded the SCCAOR Community Service Award that honors those who have “served to build, preserve, and better the quality of life within the communities of Santa Cruz County.”

Man of the Year – George Wylie

George Wylie, Brookdale resident since 1994, is a retired Navy and United Airlines pilot who has served on the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District Board of Education since 2006.

A tireless advocate for public education, he directed the successful $18.7 million bond campaign in 2007-08, which enabled the construction of multiple class rooms and labs and a new high school/middle school library.

George is the current SLV School Board President, advisor to the SLVUSD citizen’s bond oversight committee, and a delegate to the California School Boards Association.

Business of the Year – Ristorante Casa Nostra and Ben Lomond Baking Company

Ristorante Casa Nostra feels like a little town in Italy where everybody knows each other. The goal of the owners, Raffaele Cristallo and Mario Ibarra, has been to keep valley residents ”warm, entertained, well fed and hydrated, without the need to drive for hours.” This past year they opened the popular Ben Lomond Baking Co. to provide gelato, espresso, coffee drinks, small Italian pastries called “pasticcini” as well as birthday and wedding cakes. Last month Casa Nostra opened their Taproom & Beer Garden featuring more than 12 beers on draught. The Taproom is a great place to watch your favorite game on their screens and have casual “bar food” with your favorite friend or pet. Cristallo and Ibarra are very community-minded and have spent their time growing businesses where locals can gather.

Community Organization of the Year – San Lorenzo Valley Museum

The mission of the San Lorenzo Valley Museum is to preserve and share the history of the San Lorenzo Valley.  This is done by collecting and exhibiting artifacts, gathering historical information, and providing education through the museum’s educational outreach programs. This group of dedicated volunteers coordinate yearly events include a series of historical talks with expert speakers, the annual SLV Community Picnic, and the Children’s Victorian Christmas. The SLV Museum also sponsors an annual dinner at Scopazzi’s Restaurant in Boulder Creek to honor Veterans. Their educational outreach program includes docent-led museum field trips for local schools, historic walking tours of Boulder Creek, and tours for various organizations.

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The San Lorenzo Valley Chamber of Commerce is a coalition of San Lorenzo Valley businesses and community organizations. We work to increase awareness about our members to visitors from near and far, and to residents of our beautiful mountain communities. We represent Boulder Creek, Brookdale, Ben Lomond, Felton, Mount Hermon, Lompico, Zayante, and Bonny Doon.

Bryan Chambers, President, 
info@slvchamber.org, 
831-222-2120