Congratulations to our Issaquah Hall of Fame inductee and our Issaquah Community Awards honorees!
Our community gathered May 16, 2017, for Issaquah’s annual awards celebration, presented by the Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce.
Issaquah Hall of Fame
Joe Forkner — former City Council member and longtime community volunteer — is our 2017 Issaquah Hall of Fame inductee.
Over the years, Forkner has worked with numerous government and nonprofit organizations to make Issaquah a better place, including the Downtown Issaquah Association, Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park and Sunset Hiway Cruisers — a local group that collects funds and toys for local charities.
Forkner’s leadership roles for the City of Issaquah include serving on the City Council, Civil Service Commission, Development Commission, Planning Policy Commission and Park Board. He also served as chairman of the Central Issaquah Plan Task Force, which worked with the community for more than a year to re-envision Issaquah’s commercial areas along Interstate 90.
Forkner’s volunteer efforts include helping to plan and execute Fenders on Front Street, one of Issaquah’s signature events.
Sportsperson of the Year
George Whitehouse — who has been coaching a basketball team in the winter and a softball team in the summer for our program since 2014 — is our 2017 Sportsperson of the Year.
During his time as a coach, Whitehouse has taken a leadership role with the organization of coaches and coordinators with both our Parks & Recreation Department, as well as Special Olympics Washington.
Whitehouse has also been an advocate for the increased participation of youth in Special Olympics programming.
Volunteers of the Year
For working to brighten our Issaquah Senior Center with handmade holiday decorations, Jeannette Hudson and Diane Setterholm are our 2017 Volunteers of the Year.
Hudson and Setterholm enliven the Senior Center on holidays and special occasions by working tirelessly to decorate the facility for the enjoyment of patrons, staff and other volunteers.
The pair works together to find and create holiday decorations and then transform the Senior Center space themselves.
Youth Leadership Award
For serving as a dedicated and enthusiastic volunteer, Anna-Lena Ball is our 2017 Youth Leadership Award recipient.
As a Youth Advisory Board member, she worked to build projects that were educational, service-oriented and gave youth a voice in our community.
As chair of the board’s Teen Advocacy Committee, she spearheaded the State of Mind conferences, which attracted more than 220 attendees to learn more about youth behavioral health.
In the fall, she will attend Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.