Ruthie Snyder, a City of Olympia code enforcement officer whose focus has been on downtown the past three years, is the Olympia Downtown Association’s 2012 Person of the Year.
The award was announced Monday night as part of the ODA’s annual meeting. Snyder joins a growing list of winners who have been chosen for their contributions to downtown. Past winners include downtown business owners, a state employee and a developer. Past winners choose who the next winner will be, Bonaventure shoes owner Jeanne Carras said. She was Person of the Year in 2005.
In addition to Person of the Year, the organization also announced a Volunteer of the Year, Courtyard Antiques owner Mary Corso; and a Business of the Year, 94.5 FM Roxy Radio.
“They all earned and deserved the awards they got, big time,” Carras said, adding that Snyder deserved the award in part because she’s going to retire soon, but also because she’s played a key role in leading an effort to improve downtown’s public spaces. She also works as a city liaison with the Parking and Business Improvement Area.
Snyder, 67, said Tuesday that she plans to retire in June after five years as a city code enforcement officer. She also previously was a city councilmember, mayor, and ran a hardware and general store in Mill Valley, Calif., for 14 years before moving to Olympia, she said.
Every year, the ODA tries to keep the Person of the Year winner a secret, and this year was no different. Snyder was invited to the annual meeting but was not asked to participate in a presentation on addressing downtown’s public spaces – something she has been closely involved with the past year.
Little did she know that was a deliberate move by the ODA to make her Person of the Year announcement more of a surprise, Carras said.
“I can’t believe they’re leaving me out,” Snyder thought to herself at the time. Then she tried to calm herself as she silently stewed during the meeting. “Whatever,” Snyder said. “It’s really not about me.” When Snyder was announced as the winner, she burst into tears and called it extremely surprising.
Rolf Boone: 360-754-5403
rboone@theolympian.com
www.theolympian.com/bizblog
PERSON OF THE YEAR WINNERS
2012: Ruthie Snyder.
2011: Phil Rollins.
2010: Janis Dean.
2009: Ray LaForge.
2008: Blake Lindskog.
2007: Larry Kessel.
2006: Kerry McHugh.
2005: Jeanne Carras.
2004: Jeffrey Trinin.
2003: Steve Cooper.
2002: Tim Koehler.
2001: Chris Gowdey.
2000: Paul Seabert.
Source: Olympia Downtown Association
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