Three local volunteers with deep ties to the community and a long list of community-minded efforts are up for Sequim’s top civic award later this month.

A committee with the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce announced last week that David Blakeslee, Dr. Monica Dixon and Lynn Horton are finalists for the chamber’s 2022 Citizen of the Year honor.

In selecting the finalists in a Feb. 15 meeting, chamber representatives said “all three have generously given of themselves for the benefit of our region.”

The award will be announced at the chamber’s annual Citizen of the Year program, set for 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, in The Legends Room at The Cedars at Dungeness golf course, 1965 Woodcock Road.

Tickets for this event, sponsored by Sound Publishing, are $30 per person and can be purchased online at sequimchamber.com. In addition to lunch, a special dessert is being catered by The Farm & The Kitchen, with a gluten-free cupcake option from That Takes the Cake.

Created in 1968, the Citizen of the Year Award was designed to recognize those individuals who contribute to the betterment of our community. Former Sequim mayor Peter Black was the first recipient of the award, and all the recipients from then on are listed at sequimchamber.com (under the “Events & Programs” tab).

Citizen of the Year finalists and winners are chosen by a committee of prior winners. Terry Ward, vice president at Sound Publishing and publisher of the Sequim Gazette, Peninsula Daily News and Forks Forum, will present the award alongside Brown Maloney, Citizen of the Year committee chair.

About the finalists

Blakeslee, president of the Sequim Valley Lions Club, was nominated by fellow Lion Steve Sahnow. In his work with the Lions Club, Blakeslee coordinated with the Sequim School District to aid in planning, managing and performing state-mandated vision and hearing screening. His efforts saw the Lion’s able to find $10,000 in matching grant funds to purchase $20,000 in screening equipment used in both Clallam and Jefferson counties.

Working with his fellow Lions, he helps with Sequim’s annual Sunshine, Irrigation and Lavender festivals, from hosting the beer garden to assisting with equipment and supplies.

Blakeslee is also on the executive board for the Irrigation Festival. From float assembly to attending all the festivals our Irrigation Festival Royalty attends, he is described as “one who is quick to offer a solution and then make sure the job gets done.”

Dixon was nominated by fellow Sequim volunteer Julianne Coonts, who shared her awe for Dixon’s impacts on our community.

“From making homemade dinners for isolated seniors to leading the charge to sew 200 isolation gowns and more than 9,800 masks during 2020, Dr. Dixon has demonstrated a willingness to dig in to issues impacting our neighbors and use her own hands to create solutions.”

After working with the Sequim Food Bank to perform their first-ever needs assessment, Dixon went on to lead the effort in the community to create the Olympic Peninsula Healthy Community Coalition.

In each of the letters provided in support of this candidate, chamber representatives said, Dixon is described as “a team builder, a do-er and a person ready to dive in to find the next step to the best solutions.”

Horton, a longtime Irrigation Festival Pageant and Royalty Director was nominated by fellow Irrigation Festival board member Michelle Rhodes.

Horton, nominators noted, gives of her time and energy freely, supporting and educating the youngsters who enter the festival’s royalty program each year. From the first meeting through the pageant and on to 17 different parade/events throughout the year, she is with the young women and men who make up each year’s court.

Horton also works on the float, costumes, planning, sponsorships and events and much more, they said: she coaches, educates, encourages and supports the youngsters, creating lifelong relationships.

“The Royals, both past and present, often call her Mama Lynn, a testament to how much of herself she puts into this program for our youth,” chamber representatives noted.

For more about this or other chamber events, contact executive director Beth Pratt at director@sequimchamber.com or 360-683-6197.

Sequim Citizens of the Year

1968 — Peter Black

1969 — Carl Klint

1970 — Virginia Keeting

1971 — Virginia Peterson

1972 — Tom Groat

1973 — None

1974 — Katie & Bill Merrill

1975 — Jerry Angiuli

1976 — Chuck Southern, Howard Wood, Lorna McInnes

1977 — Nellie Tetrude

1978 — Marcia Welch

1979 — Ruby Trotter

1980 — Iris Marshall

1981 — Howard Herrett

1982 — Guy Shephard

1983 — Don & Vivian Swanson

1984 — Bill & Shirley Keeler

1985 — Ed & Marcia Beggs

1986 — Ruby Mantle

1987 — Jeff Shold

1988 — Annette Kuss (dec.)

1989 — Jim Haynes

1990 — Bill & Judy Rowland

1991 — Nina Fatherson

1992 — Bud Knapp

1993 — Paul Higgins

1994 — Rand Thomas

1995 — Rochelle McHugh

1996 — Esther Nelson

1997 — Annette Hanson

1998 — Jim & Cathy Carl

1999 — Bill Fatherson

2000 — Robert Clark

2001 — Don Knapp

2002 — Gil Oldenkamp

2003 — John Beitzel

2004 — Emily Westcott

2005 — Lee Lawrence

2006 — Bob & Elaine Caldwell

2007 — Stephen Rosales

2008 — Walt & Sherry Schubert

2009 — Tom Schaafsma

2010 — Jim Pickett

2011 — Dick Hughes

2012 — Kevin Kennedy

2013 — Gary Smith

2014 — Cliff Vining

2015 — Louie Rychlik

2016 — Dave Bekkevar

2017 — Judy Reandeau Stipe

2018 – Don, Clare Manis Hatler

2019 — Deon Kapetan

2020 — First responders

2021 — Jean Wyatt

Humanitarian Award recipients

2007 — Bill & Esther Littlejohn

2008 — Brown & Sarah Maloney

2014 — R. Leo Shipley

2016 — Dave & Patsy Mattingley

photo courtesy of City of Sequim / David Blakeslee, left, helps serve up victuals at the City of Sequim’s Sunshine Festival in 2022.

Sequim Gazette file photo by Michael Dashiell / Dr. Monica Dixon gets some help from young Genevieve Wakefield as they demonstrate and prepare healthy smoothies at the Dungeness Valley Health & Wellness Clinic health fair in 2019.

Sequim Gazette file photo by Michael Dashiell / Lynn Horton, right, and Sequim Irrigation Festival royalty greet attendees at the Sequim Irrigation Festival Float Reveal and Kick Off Dinner/Auction at 7 Cedars Casino in 2019.