NEWS
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Community Award Winners Announced
Sunnyvale, CA -- Mayor Fred Fowler and member of the Sunnyvale City Council announced the winners of the community awards at the annual State of the City event on Saturday, May 25. The event, which commemorated people in service, began with a patriotic mini-parade followed by a picnic and music in Washington Park.
Nominees for the annual awards are solicited from a broad range of community organizations, businesses, schools and citizens. The awards selection committee was comprised of Sunnyvale citizens and business representative appointed by Mayor Fowler.
"We had a great group of nominees this year, and it was very difficult for the selection committee to choose between them," said Fowler. "Every one of the nominees had made great contributions and had achieved remarkable goals. It is too bad that we don't have more awards to give out. Each one of them ought to be a winner."
The award categories and recipients are:
Distinguished Citizen of the Year: Laura Babcock
Laura Babcock was nominated for Distinguished Citizen of the Year for her tireless effort to create a Sunnyvale History Museum. Laura is currently working with the Sunnyvale Historical Society and City staff to move or build a historic house at the Community Center to serve as a quality history museum.
Laura has worked almost full time on this museum project since last year, and in the words of her nominator, “is making a difference by inspiring everyone she works with to contribute time or talent to the development of this museum.” She is successfully rising to meet the management and financial challenges that a project of this magnitude entails.
Outstanding High School Seniors: Michael Parenteau and Tiffany Tang
This year the members of the Mayor’s Awards Selection Committee recognized two Outstanding High School Seniors: Michael Parenteau and Tiffany Tang.
A member of the Fremont High School Class of 2002, Michael Parenteau has managed to achieve more than most of us can aspire to in a lifetime. Throughout his studies, this highly motivated student has held himself to very high standards, attaining not only academic excellence but exemplifying what it means to be a leader and to contribute to the community.
Michael’s many volunteer activities include building houses in Mexico, serving as a consultant to the establishment of East Palo Alto High School, and tutoring math students who attend Fremont’s feeder schools. He has also been active in sports – from cross country to soccer to track and field – and served in leadership roles in many organizations on and off campus. He has accomplished all of this while enrolled in several advanced placement courses and maintaining a 4.0 grade point average.
Tiffany Tang is a senior at Wilcox High School, where the Career Center Coordinator described her as follows: “This is a focused young lady who really knows what she wants to do with her life. She sets goals for herself and accomplishes them.”
Tiffany loves kids and gives freely of her time to work with them. She has worked with children with disabilities at Therapeutic Recreational Services, tutored children at Millikin Elementary School, and taught young kids about the Bible through her church. Her educational goal is to study medicine and become a pediatrician.
Tiffany has also played piano for 12 years, served as captain of the varsity cross country team, participated in countless community and school activities, held various part-time jobs, and won ten awards. She ranks first in her class, with a 4.0 grade point average and a full load of advanced placement courses.
As her nominator said, “It amazes me that someone so young can do so much and still maintain such fabulous grades.” Tiffany has clearly balanced school, church, and community service activities with great success.
Outstanding Businessperson of the Year: Bruce Paynter
Bruce Paynter is the Senior Director of Applied Materials’ Sunnyvale campus. At Applied Materials, he has created a management model that integrates safety, security, facilities, wellness/work life balance, administration, and community relations that has become the benchmark in the corporation.
His many accomplishments include establishing a “zero tolerance” culture that resulted in zero Notices of Violations from all of the campuses’ regulators. He also reduced theft reports by one-third in one year and cut the cost of moving within the site by 40%. He redesigned the traffic, parking, and delivery plan which led to more carpooling, and set up a Wellness Center where employees can play volleyball and enjoy a barbecue.
When it comes to community service, Bruce’s record is extraordinary, especially given his responsibilities running a large corporate campus. Though not in his job description, Bruce has become a one-man Community Affairs Department for his campus, involving hundreds of employees in Sunnyvale community and non-profit activities. Remarkably, Bruce has been involved in 145 community events in two years, and his involvement has resulted in significant volunteer, financial, and in-kind support for a wide variety of non-profit, education, and civic organizations, such as the Sunnyvale Leadership Development Institute, Sunnyvale Community Services, and the Chamber of Commerce.
As written in the nomination, “In a world where lots of people just talk, Bruce puts words into actions. His commitment to the community of Sunnyvale is outstanding. We are so fortunate that Applied Materials appreciates Bruce enough to allow him to be our champion. His humanity, generosity, professionalism, and humility are trademarks of a true leader.”
Outstanding Community Volunteer Award: Sew What Club
The recipient of the 2002 Community Volunteer Award was the Sew What Club, which is comprised of the following individuals: Manuela Rodriguez, Josie Garcia, Ann Brown, Gertie Bernal, and Frances Walias. These five ladies, age 73 to 81, have dedicated over 40 years to helping others through the magic of their sewing abilities. They have dressed dolls for the Salvation Army, and made lap robes, bibs, slippers, and tote bags filled with toiletries for hospital patients.
This volunteer group has organized fundraisers like the annual Day at the Races and Reno Bus Trips that have raised thousands of dollars for the Shriners and Lucile Packard Childrens Hospitals, the Blind Babies Foundation, Saint Judes Children Foundation, and the Fremont High School Alumni Association Scholarship Program. They also volunteer at Sunnyvale Community Services and serve as board members on various Sunnyvale clubs.
Award of Excellence: Elena Anderson
The Award of Excellence is a special award, given at the discretion of the Mayor, to recognize people or organizations that have made an extraordinary and unique contribution to this community. This year the recipient was Elena Anderson, longtime resident and vice president of the Lakewood Village Neighborhood Association.
Elena has set an example of personal commitment to the community for many years. For the sake of her neighbors, she has done everything from organizing free tennis lessons for kids to cooking hamburgers at the neighborhood picnic, from leading a force of volunteers who hand deliver 1,600 newsletters each month to helping organize the city's only Holiday Parade. She is a tireless advocate for youth and serves as the hub of an informal support network that identifies and fills youth needs wherever it can.
"Elena personifies the very best that Sunnyvale has to offer. She sets an example for all of us to show with deeds rather than words our own commitment to this community. I am very happy to recognize her many achievements with the Mayor's Award of Excellence," said Mayor Fowler.
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