Ellie Ortiz and I met at the start of our adult lives at Saddleback Valley College. Soon after, life took us in different directions and we lost touch for years. One afternoon in 2010, as I was looking through a magazine in my office here in town, I came across an article with pictures of her and her husband and learned she and her family had recently returned from a three year travel around Europe.  Within minutes we were back in touch. There she was as energetic and engaging as I always remembered her. Over the years since then, I watched Ellie jump into the role of Woman’s Club President at a time when others were stepping down.  In this role, she has made significant contributions to the club by celebrating history of Laguna through the Historical Wall, facilitated improvements to our beautiful club house, increased number of members, and brought energy and excitement to this organization and all its events. Ellie has also managed to contribute to Soroptomist International of Laguna Beach, another wonderful charitable organization. What I truly appreciate about Ellie is that she has always been respectful, and understanding of varying points of views she has been presented within her role. Ellie’s delicate mediation skills have helped many Laguna Beach residents through difficult situations and some unfortunate life events. As a Laguna Beach resident and business owner, she gives every bit of her efforts in every way back to the community with open heart and big smiles.

A list of the other 8 nominees are below.  They are all amazing women and I am honored to be listed among them...

Vivian Clecak is being nominated for her leadership and long term devotion to improving lives of women and children affected by domestic violence. Without Vivian and her small group of committed founders, Human Options shelter would not be in existence. First developed in 1981 out of a small duplex in Laguna Beach, it has grown to include a larger facility and transitional housing units.  She tirelessly worked at fundraising in the early years and now can take pride in the larger support Human Options receives from a number of generous donors. For all of Orange County, Human Options provides emergency shelter and long term assistance for battered women and children who are in a dangerous situation due to an abusive relationship. Services offered include: Emergency Shelter and Transitional Living programs, including: safe housing, counseling, legal advocacy, case management and job readiness training for abused women and their children. Long-term support helps rebuild lives through the Children and Families Counseling Center. Community education for youth grades 6-12 inspires a new generation to live free of violence. Violence prevention training programs are available for business, medical and criminal justice professionals to motivate building a safer community. Vivian is a great example of someone who has enriched the lives of her community, put her passion into action and well-deserves this recognition.

 

Angela Irish, a resident of Laguna Beach since 1973, began volunteering in the high school theater in 1993 by sewing, laundering, mending and organizing what has become the treasure trove of costumes for the high school theatre groups.  She serves as costume designer and manages back stage for all the HS and Thurston theater productions (6-8 per year) and LBHS dance shows.  She supervises the theater box office, ticket sales and volunteer parents.  She covers for parents so they never have to miss their student’s performance.  She has volunteered for the Friends of the Library since 1975. She serves on the Board and volunteers weekly in the bookstore.  She has been a member of Laguna Tunes Community Chorus for many years and assists the Director organizing membership and music for their yearly programs.    Angela is the proverbial unsung hero whose quiet passion to give has touched the lives of countless residents who value our library and performing arts.  She has given countless hours of her time to support the parents and many hundreds of students in the various drama productions at both schools, serving as their role model, mentor, counselor and supporter for over 20 years.

 

Marion Jacobs, has served the community in many capacities, many related to her profession as psychologist and her desire to foster harmonious relationships both personally and within the community.  She first came to Laguna Beach in the early 1970s and was director of Counseling at UCI.  Then for 18 years she directed the Psychology Clinic at UCLA.  Now she is in private practice.  She serves on the Board of Directors of the Laguna Beach Community Clinic and on the Patient and Family Advisory Committee for Mission Hospital, Laguna Beach.  She donated counseling services to assist victims of local disasters.  She wrote “Take-Change Living: How to Recast Your Role in Life… One Scene at a Time.” And has offered community presentations and guidance based on the themes of that book.  She is a member of AAUW and through that organization she offered a workshop on personal communication.  Fees paid to participate in the five sessions were donated to a girl’s scholarship fund.  Appointed to the Design Review Task Force by the City Council in 2004, Marion contributed insight that was critical to accomplishing the goal of the task force – to reduce contentiousness in the Design Review process.  “As an expert in human behavior, Marion added an extra dimension to the work of the group,” according to its chair, Matt Lawson, who added appreciation for the work she did preparing drafts of the group’s reports to the City Council.  Marion Jacobs is a diligent, thoughtful and faithful contributor to the Laguna Beach Community.

 

Cheryl Kinsman, a resident of Laguna Beach for 40 years, has been actively involved with the City and many community organizations for many years.  She served on the City Council for 8 years, including one year as mayor and four years as mayor pro tem.  She also served on the Planning Commission for five years, the Parking Traffic and Circulation committee for two years, and is currently serving as a commissioner for the Laguna Beach County Water District.  Cheryl was also the President and Board member for the North Laguna Community Association for 4 years, a member of the El Toro Reuse Planning Commission for 6 years, and Treasurer of the Laguna Beach Neighborhood Water committee for 8 years. She has served as Vice-President of the Woman’s Club and is currently its Treasurer, and was a volunteer auditor for the Laguna Beach High School PTA for 3 years.  Along with Jane Egly, Cheryl was largely responsible for keeping South Coast Hospital in Laguna Beach, which she regards as perhaps the most important among her many civic accomplishments. 

June Neptune is an icon in the Laguna Beach community. As the business owner of Tivoli Terrace and Tivoli Too, she is well known for her willingness to donate use of her venues for fund-raising events, memorial services and non-profit events. She has helped many organizations raise hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past 40 years. Her most recent venue donation was for the R Star Foundation which provides goats to women in Tibet enabling them to become more self-sufficient. A few of the other groups that have benefited from June’s generosity are RUFF (Rescue Unwanted Furry Friends), Laguna Canyon Conservancy and AAUW Laguna. Tivoli has even catered some of the Woman’s Club events in the past at reduced rates. June would be a very worthy recipient of the Woman of the Year award.

 

Verna Rollinger deserves to be recognized as Woman of the Year.  She has been involved in the Laguna Beach community since arriving here in the early 1970s.  Her first volunteer commitment was to work toward the passage of the citizen’s initiative limiting building height to 36’.  The overwhelming voter approval of this measure has prevented Laguna from being overwhelmed by high-rise buildings. Verna was a founding member of the Friendship Shelter and Dialog on Schools, and served on the Board of Directors of the Laguna Greenbelt and Village Laguna.  Verna believes that being a leader means more than going to meetings and setting policy.  She works hard to implement programs of the organizations she supports.  For example, she is one of the volunteers who regularly prepares and serves meals at the homeless sleeping center.  Verna was the town’s elected city clerk for 29 years, creating a climate of accessibility and openness and pioneering computerized access to city government. From 2008-2012 she served on the City Council, representing neighborhood-compatible development and advocating for park and open space protection, the Marine Life Refuge, and preserving and improving Aliso Creek.  She formed a task force to discover ways to assist local business during the economic downturn.  Her leadership in chairing the Laguna Canyon Flood Control task force resulted in specific improvements that reduce the impact of flooding in the downtown and canyon.  Verna Rollinger is dedicated to our community, and her work and leadership on social, educational, environmental and planning issues is exceptional.

 

Gayle Waitedevotes many hours to philanthropic community activities along with her active real estate business.  For the Laguna Beach Woman’s Club, Gayle has served as President and Vice-President, along with other positions, and stepped into the Property Manager’s role when that slot was vacant but in dire need of filling.  She recently organized the Woman’s Club 90 year anniversary celebration.  Gayle is active with the Laguna Beach Board of Realtors, serving on the committee for the Taste of Charity, and started the Board of Realtors’ relief fund.  She is also active in the Laguna Canyon Conservancy and other local organizations.  Gayle puts her whole heart into whatever she takes on for the community.

 

Sandi Werthe has been nominated many times before for her long running service as an organizer and treasurer for the Laguna Beach Patriot’s Day Parade. She and her husband Hal (he passed away about 2 years ago) are credited with starting and maintaining this local annual tradition enjoyed for decades by residents young and old. It takes work all year long to pull the details together to present the parade. Sandi also handles collecting all the advertising for the parade program.  In addition to working on the parade, Sandi has been a longtime volunteer and supporter of the American Legion Veterans of Foreign Wars group. She can be found volunteering at all patriotic services like Memorial Day, Veterans Day, etc. and at Legion Hall.  It is a good time to recognize Sandi for her many, many years of volunteer service and show her how appreciative the city of Laguna Beach is of her.