Press Releases
08.24.17

2017 Stan Black Award and Pat-on-the-Back Award Recipients Announced

2017 Stan Black Award and Pat-on-the-Back Award Recipients Announced

The Community Foundation presents the annual Stan Black and
Pat-on-the-Back awards to local community leaders.

Every year, the Community Foundation Boulder County presents two Community Leadership awards: the Stan Black Award and the Pat-on-the-Back Award. Today, the foundation announced Pamela Malzbender as the recipient of its 2017 Stan Black Award, and Karina Orona as the recipient of its 2017 Pat-on-the-Back Award. Each honoree will receive $1K to be directed to the Zonta Foothills Club, and Friends of the Longmont Youth Center, respectively.

See photos of our 2017 honorees in our Facebook photo album. 
 

Pamela Malzbender   

The Stan Black Award honors one of the founders of the Community Foundation. Now retired, Stan Black continues to actively participant in a number of causes – both in Boulder County and overseas. In addition to support from individual donors, award sponsors include the law firm of Hutchinson, Black & Cook. 
 
Like Stan Black, Pamela Malzbender – Project Co-Chair of Zonta EducateZ, supporting at-risk women and girls through education and empowerment – has given a lifetime of “time, treasure and talent” to the community. Malzbender was nominated for the Stan Black Award by Tommie Atanasoff, Board President-elect, Zonta Foothills Club of Boulder County. 
 
According to Atansoff, “Pam is passionate about helping young women ‘dream the impossible dream’ of being the first in their families to attend college and be leaders in their community. Her dedication is seen in the hours of support that she gives to individual students on everything from school assignments, paper editing, discussing assignments, and just providing encouragement. She also works tirelessly writing college recommendations, helping with college essays and financial aid applications.
 
“Pam nurtures, tutors, and encourages the young women in our clubs to become leaders in our community. Under her guidance, the clubs volunteer on international and local projects […]. The Z Club ‘adopted’ an all-girls school in rural Guatemala and sent books, video greetings, and personal notes to the elementary school-age girls.
 
“Locally, Pam organized girls […] to use their Spanish skills as volunteers in ‘Get out the Vote’ for the November 2016 election. The young club members were trained on voter rights and registration requirements – and then, with adult chaperones, provided over 150 service hours going door-to-door in Boulder County registering voters.”
 
Among many other accomplishments and distinctions, Malzbender started the Zonta Foothills Club “Culture of Respect” initiative to raise awareness about violence against women and girls, and to focus the community on forming healthy, respectful relationships with and among our youth. Along with other Zonta Club members, Malzbender has also worked to engage the Boulder Valley School District to adopt a K-12 curriculum that supports a “Culture of Respect” for students, and encourages healthy relationships. 
 
Additionally, Malzbender worked with the Presidents Leadership Class at the University of Colorado to explore the relationship challenges that college students feel unprepared to address when they arrive on campus. The project resulted in a survey of 260 CU women and men, and a student-produced video on the topic. 
 
Malzbender’s passion and dedication to helping women realize their dreams and their potential has further resulted in the creation of three Zonta Foothills-sponsored scholarships. 
 
Beyond her community leadership and service, Malzbender founded RPM Frontline Solutions to help organizations improve their frontline performance by providing support in project management, marketing and promotion strategy and implementation, group facilitation, event planning and management, board and volunteer management, and more.
 

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Karina Orona

The Pat-on-the-Back Award honors Patricia Ford Shoemaker (July 4, 1920-October 18, 1998), and recognizes other individuals who have given extraordinary – but often unsung – volunteer time in caring for the community.
 
Like Pat Shoemaker, Karina Orona – a student at Skyline High School who expects to graduate in 2018 – demonstrates extraordinary dedication, and behind-the-scenes commitment and caring. Orona was nominated for the Pat-on-the-Back Award by Karen Moreno, Youth Program Specialist, Longmont Children, Youth & Families. 
 
According to Moreno, “I have never met a youth as passionate about their community as Karina Orona. She has volunteered with Children, Youth & Families for a little over a year, and has accumulated a total of 157 hours of service to our center.
 
“Karina exemplifies leadership and commitment to the center’s mission and values. She is an inspiration to our youth, and she empowers other youth to be responsible members of our society by strengthening their connection with the community.
 
“Karina has also served her community as a translator for parent-teacher conferences at Skyline High School.” Additionally, Karina volunteers as a reading buddy for elementary school-age children.
 
Continued Moreno in her nomination letter, “Karina always finds ways to stay involved and makes time to give back to her community. […] I have been able to witness her passion, reliability, optimism, and kind-hearted personality. […] She has become an essential asset to our department.”
 
Congratulations, Karina and Pam! For more information about this year’s award recipients, visit commfound.org/about/awards.