Palmer Chamber honors ‘Pioneer Award’ winners

PALMER — Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce bestowed its highest honor on two of its own Feb. 27.

Established in 1986, the list of those honored with the prestigious Pioneer Award reads like a Who’s Who directory of city movers and shakers.

Individual winners of the last 27 years include Bill Tull, Henry Guinotte, Chuck and Penny Griffin, Janet Kincaid, Craig Thorn, Kay Slack, Helen Munoz, Cherie LeBlanc-Shue — and last year’s winner Stacie Stigar. Past businesses honored include Mat-Su Miners, Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau, Musk Ox Development Corp., Matanuska Telephone Association, Mat-Su Supply and Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union.

Honored with this year’s Pioneer Awards were individual recipient Denise Statz and business winner First National Bank Alaska.

Past Pioneer Award winner and committee member Penny Griffin said committee members may honor an individual and a business winner each year, although it has been more than 20 years since both awards were given in the same year.

She said committee members were adamant that First National Bank had more than earned recognition as a Pioneer Award winner.

“We felt very, very strongly about First National Bank,” Griffin said. “I would not give a Pioneer Award unless I really felt like they were deserving.”

Beyond active membership in the Palmer Chamber since 1984, she said First National encourages its employees to volunteer at the community events it sponsors — including parades, Relay For Life, Red Cross, Boys and Girls Club, Rotary, Mat-Su Plunge, Junior Achievement, Palmer Pride and United Way of Mat-Su.

“This nominee supports Palmer and the state of Alaska community finically, in kind and with volunteers,” according to the Pioneer Awards committee.

Stigar, last year’s individual Pioneer Award winner, had the honor of sharing some of Statz’ history in the community and presenting her award.

She said Statz began her career as a small business owner in 1989. She moved to Palmer in 2002 and opened Non-Essentials.

“As business leaders in this community we often find ourselves saying, ‘I should: I should volunteer more, I should do more for my community, I should make a bigger difference in individual’s lives; I should, I should, I should,’” Stigar said in presenting the award to Statz. “The 2013 Pioneer Award recipient says, ‘I will: I will volunteer more, I will do more for my community, I will make a bigger difference in individuals’ lives; I will, I will, I will.’”

Statz was recognized as a vocal advocate for downtown Palmer, its businesses and the community at large.

“Denise volunteers hundreds of hours of her own time, and often significant personal financial resources in her efforts that elevate the whole business community, not just her own business,” Stigar said during the ceremony.

Her fingerprints can be seen in such well-known community events as Colony Days, Colony Christmas, Friday Fling, Second Saturday, Palmer Cash Mob and the annual Who Let the Girls Out event.

Her most recent push is a petition requesting that the Alaska Legislature approve $1.2 million to restore the railroad tracks from the Alaska State Fairgrounds into downtown Palmer, which would provide an economic boost for the city and its small businesses.

“She’s the first to say ‘yes’ when the Palmer Food Bank sends an urgent message that shelves are bare and need to be restocked,” Stigar said during the ceremony. “You’ll find her organizing food drives in the business community, picking up donations and delivering them. … Denise Statz is a wonderful example of ‘Palmer — Alaska At Its Best!’”

Ralph Renzi, executive director for the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce, said the committee keeps its picks secret until the awards are presented. He said the committee reviews nomination packages and picks a winner, but does not tell him.

Renzi said he’s known Statz since he moved to Palmer in 2011 to work as the chamber director.

“She’s just one of the nicest people I know,” he said. “She’s always willing to lend a hand.”

Palmer Pioneer Award recipients

1986 Bill Tull

1987 Melinda Kolivosky; Mat-Su Miners

1988 Kathy and Andy Simasko; MSCVB

1989 Henry Guinotte; Musk Ox Development Corp.

1990 Dan Pollock

1991 Chuck and Penny Griffin; Mat-Su Supply

1992 Wendy Anderson; Palmer Pride Committee

1993 No award given

1994 Janet Kincaid

1995-96 Craig Thorn

1997 Bill Mitchell

1998 Jeff Johnson

1999 Cecilia Hidalgo

2000 Paul Campbell

2001 Service Oil and Gas

2002 Kay Slack

2003 Matanuska Telephone Association

2004 Mary Combs

2005 Cindy Bettine

2006 Helen Munoz

2007 Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union

2008 Sara Jansen

2009 John Douglass

2010 Marcie Bentti

2011 Cherie LeBlanc-Shue

2012 Stacie Stigar

Contact managing editor Heather A. Resz at 352-2268 or heather.resz@frontiersman.com.