A Santa Maria pastor who spearheads a community cleanup and several businesses were saluted Thursday night along with posthumous recognition for a developer who served as a Santa Barbara County planning commissioner.
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce’s annual Awards Gala occurred at the Veterans Memorial Community Center, where about 300 people attended.
Pastor Carl Nielsen, who retired from Bethel Lutheran Church, received the Robert P. Hatch Citizen of the Year Award for “inspiring and organizing volunteers to make a difference in the Santa Maria Valley.”
The award saluted his role in founding and continuing to lead the communitywide cleanup effort known as Serve Santa Maria.
Twice a year, in April and August, for the past 12 years, Nielsen has rallied volunteers, ranging from individuals to church groups, to tackle various projects, including helping remove graffiti, clearing yards for senior citizens and more.
Nielsen said he was humbled at the award that he said is shared with the volunteers who make it happen.
“As long as we can continue to love, trust and respect each other, we can get a lot done,” he said.
The Robert F. Grogan Public Service Award posthumously went to Dan Blough, a Santa Barbara County planning commissioner who died in February.
His wife, Peggy, who accepted the award, recalled that he loved Santa Maria and would talk constantly about how to make it better.
“He never said, ‘You can’t,’” Peggy Blough said. “I think that was the greatest thing about him.”
She shared a text from a friend who recalled the advice that Dan Blough provided when she was learning to be an escrow officer.
“He says, ‘Just don’t ever say no. There’s always a method and a workaround and it can work for everybody,’” Peggy Blough said. “I just had to share that with you — that’s the kind of Dan that I knew and I loved for 48 years.”
He served as a builder before being named to the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission in 2008 representing the Fifth District, made up mostly of Santa Maria.
In that role, he wasn’t shy about offering his perspective as a developer and was credited with making projects better.
Blough also was known for his gruff exterior that shielded a big heart. He and his wife made donations to multiple nonprofit organizations in the Santa Maria Valley through the years.
Other awards handed out by the Chamber of Commerce on Thursday night were:
» Large Business of the Year: Atlas Copco Mafi-Trench
» Small Business of the Year: Cugini’s Pizzeria & Trattoria
» Nonprofit of the Year: Northern Santa Barbara County United Way
» Nonprofit of the Year: Transitions-Mental Health Association
» Tourism Partner of the Year: Cubanissimo Cuban Coffee House & Cafe
» Young Professional of the Year: Robert Tolan
» Ambassador of the Year: Kelsi Fitzgerald of Veritas Innovative Pest & Termite Solutions
In a surprise honor, past chairman Danny Deveraux, from CalPortland, presented Tim Ritchie with the 8-year-old Chairman’s Award highlighting a person or program that made a different in the Chamber of Commerce or community.
For the past three years, Ritchie has led a business-government roundtable that has served as a policy advisory group for business leaders and government officials to interact and share ideas.
The night also included the introduction of the Chamber of Commerce’s new board members and a farewell to departing board members.
Board chairman Sandra Dickerson, from Your People Professionals, noted that in addition to recognizing the award winners, the event also celebrated all businesses after two years of managing unprecedented challenges.
“Tonight, we should congratulate each other for the tenacity, leadership and sheer will we have to be here tonight,” Dickerson said.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.