Since the 1990s, Renne Emiko Brock has made her presence felt both in the real and virtual worlds, celebrating art, creativity and community collaboration.
Last week, a thankful Sequim community lauded her for those efforts.
Brock was awarded the Sequim-Dungeness Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 Citizen of the Year by a committee of former winners at the chamber’s annual awards luncheon on Feb. 27 at The Cedars at Dungeness golf course.
Named a finalist in mid-February, along with Carol Labbe and Pauline Olsen, Brock was unable to attend the ceremony as she is traveling in Europe.
“I know Renne well — she’s a good friend of mine — and I know she would be humbled by this experience and grateful to accept this award,” chamber executive director Beth Pratt said at the ceremony.
Pratt said she tried to get Brock on the phone to give a kind of “call-in” acceptance speech but as it was about 9 p.m. where the awardee was (in Switzerland), it “wasn’t quite possible.”
For nearly two decade years, Brock produced and sponsored Sequim’s First Friday Art Walk and served as director for the North Olympic Fiber Arts Festival.
Photo courtesy of Renne Emiko Brock Renne Emiko Brock, pictured here “yarn bombing” in 2019, was named the Sequim-Dungeness Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 Citizen of the Year.
Laura MacMurchie, Brock’s nominator who was also unable to attend last week’s awards luncheon, said that “Renne puts Sequim ‘on the map’ in terms of art.”
Brock also is involved with the Sequim Botanical Garden Society, has volunteered for the Sequim-Dungeness Chamber of Commerce, the City of Sequim’s Sunshine Festival, and the Sequim Irrigation Festival.
She was lauded for being “an excellent teacher, a community advocate, and a great role model for women” in one of her letters of support.
Pratt on Tuesday read aloud the nomination letter by MacMurchie, who noted that Brock “dreamed up an artist economy where one did not exist.”
Brock is also the Multimedia Communications Program Coordinator at Peninsula College, and since 1993 has taught fine art, fiber arts, digital arts, social media, multimedia web, video, personal and professional branding, marketing, collaborative community building and art enterprise with Peninsula College, Monterey Peninsula College, at conferences and independently.
At the college, she has taught a variety of courses that encompass digital storytelling, multimedia web studies, infographics and data visualization, digital video, 3-D design, social media marketing and more.
Brock earned her bachelor’s degree of science in art from Lewis & Clark College, a master’s of fine art degree in visual art from Vermont College at Norwich University, and she graduated from the first pioneering class of the University of Washington Certificate in Virtual Worlds program.
Since 1995, she has served on several nonprofit organization boards and community committees.
The finalists
Labbe was nominated by Kyra Humphrey and described as “one of those ‘behind the scenes’ angels for our community.” After three decades working in the Sequim School District, Labbe worked with the Sequim Guild for Seattle Children’s Hospital to funds for uncompensated care and research for children.
In 2023, the Sequim guild raised more than $75,000, and more than 1,000 Clallam County children were seen during fiscal year 2022-23 at Seattle Children’s.
Labbe’s work, chamber representatives said, has resulted in creative partnerships, new relationships with other organizations, and new ways to connect with donors.
She said afterward that Children’s Hospital had played a significant role in her life more than once: she was born with “blue baby syndrome,” a condition where there is not enough oxygen in the blood. But Labbe said she was able to get a blood transfusion at Children’s.
“I like to say they saved my life twice,” she said. “I want to pay it back.”
Olsen founded the senior support organization Lois’ Legacy, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of care both in nursing and assisted living facilities, Lois’ Legacy also provides resources and information to seniors who wish to age in their own home and to direct their own care.
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Pauline Olsen, a finalist for the 2023 Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber Commerce’s Citizen of the Year award, talks with attendees of the chamber’s award luncehon on Feb. 27.
Finding inspiration in her own career, and the care needed for her sister and husband as they aged, Olsen founded the senior support organization Lois’ Legacy. Dedicated to improving the quality of care both in nursing and assisted living facilities.
Lois’ Legacy also provides resources and information to seniors who wish to age in their own home and to direct their own care.
According to nominator Petra Reninger, Olsen is “a wonderful role model to other retirees in how to thrive while aging gracefully.”
Reninger in Tuesday noted that Lois’ Legacy served 268 local seniors in 2023, and it now boasts 17 volunteers and a six-person advisory council.
The organization will celebrate its 10th year of service, Reninger said, and “Pauline’s leadership is a big reason for that.”
Sound Publishing was the Sunshine Sponsor of the event, and chamber board president Eran Kennedy presented the award alongside Lorie Fazio, Citizen of the Year committee chair.
For more information about this or other chamber events, see sequimchamber.com or contact Pratt at director@sequimchamber.com or 360-683-6197.
Sequim Citizens of the Year (since 1992)
1992 — Bud Knapp
1993 — Paul Higgins
1994 — Rand Thomas
1995 — Rochelle McHugh
1996 — Esther Nelson
1997 — Annette Hanson
1998 — Jim & Cathy Carl
1999 — Bill Fatherson
2000 — Robert Clark
2001 — Don Knapp
2002 — Gil Oldenkamp
2003 — John Beitzel
2004 — Emily Westcott
2005 — Lee Lawrence
2006 — Bob & Elaine Caldwell
2007 — Stephen Rosales
2008 — Walt & Sherry Schubert
2009 — Tom Schaafsma
2010 — Jim Pickett
2011 — Dick Hughes
2012 — Kevin Kennedy
2013 — Gary Smith
2014 — Cliff Vining
2015 — Louie Rychlik
2016 — Dave Bekkevar
2017 — Judy Reandeau Stipe
2018 — Don, Clare Manis Hatler
2019 — Deon Kapetan
2020 — First responders
2021 — Jean Wyatt
2022 — David Blakeslee
2023 — Renne Emiko Brock
