Ricky Brennan has never missed a day of work in over a decade.

“He always charges after things,” his father, Tim, said after a surprised Brennan came to the front of a packed room to accept the Caring Community Award during the 37th Annual Issaquah Community Awards on Tuesday at the Hilton Garden Inn.

The go-getter has worked at Costco for 16 years and, as a member of the Kiwanis Aktion Club, regularly volunteers to help set up the food booth at the summer-long Concerts on the Green. He is known for volunteering at Salmon Days events and has for many years volunteered with the finish line duties at the soap-box derby-type Challenges Races held each summer.

Brennan is a long-term resident of the Rose House in Issaquah, one of three adult family homes built and maintained by Life Enrichment Options (LEO), which sponsored the award, along with AtWork!

“Ricky is proof that each of us have the ability to give back to the community in our own way,” said Fred Nystrom, executive director of LEO.

During the event, awards were given to recipients from the Rotary, Kiwanis, Issaquah Education Association, city of Issaquah, Issaquah Parks and Recreation, Salmon Days, Greater Issaquah Chamber and more.

The following awardees were also honored for their contributions to Issaquah:

• King and Queen of Issaquah: Larry Wood and Sandy Marshall

During a coronation ceremony of sorts at the event, outgoing king, Ed Pingul, and queen, Pat Rhea, roamed the audience and surprised Wood and Marshall by placing crowns on their heads.

Already known as local royalty, Marshall has been referred to as the “Treasure Queen” at her job at the Gilman Antique Gallery. She has been an illuminating presence with the antique dealers and coworkers that have worked with her for years through the gallery.

Wood has traveled internationally and lived abroad prior to settling down with his family in Issaquah. His day job is with Aflac Insurance and he is an active member of the Chamber Ambassadors.

“I really don’t know what to say,” a speechless Wood said.

And Pingul said there was really only four words left for him to say.

“King and queen — out,” he said to a room of laughter.

• Key Clubber of the Year: Adam Newton

“Most of what I’ve done in high school is not homework, but Key Club work,” Newton said during his acceptance speech.

Newton has been a Key Club member for four years. As a new advisor to Key Club, he assisted with beginning of the year transitions in a professional manner, was organized and engaging to all other key clubbers, according to Carrie Dugan, Key Club advisor at Issaquah High School.

• Golden Apple Award: Cornell Atwater

The Issaquah Schools Foundation recognized Atwater for her direct influence of Issaquah School District students. As the owner and director of the only Washington branch of Learning Rx, her mission is to help children and adults strengthen the brain and build the mental skills to make learning easier, faster and more efficient.

Atwater is a current member of the Rotary Club of Issaquah – helping in many capacities, with a focus on working with Issaquah High School students in overseeing community service projects.

She has been a member of the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce for many years, most recently serving as chairperson for the Education Committee. It is in this specific capacity the Issaquah Schools Foundation highlighted her direct service to our students.

On the committee, Atwater has led the efforts for the past three years for the Great Careers Conference — a collaboration between the Issaquah School District, the Issaquah Schools Foundation, the Issaquah business community and local technical colleges.

Through these efforts, students participated in a one-day conference each year, geared to help those who may have interest in an alternative path to a four year college degree.

• Community Builder Award: ArtEAST

The Issaquah Highlands Council presented the award to Karen Abel for her recently past leadership role and to Carla Villar, artEAST’s new executive director.

Highlands Council chose artEAST as its first Community Builder  award recipient as officials were thankful for the partnership that blossomed when the two organizations came up with the idea to use Blakely Hall as a gallery space for local artists. Over the last four years, artEAST curated a variety of exhibits (they change every 60 days or so), as well as complimentary free and open to the public artist receptions, lectures, workshops — even field trips for the local elementary school kids.

• Spiritual Values Award: Our Savior Lutheran Church

The Kiwanis Club of Issaquah present the award to church officials for the congregation’s role in helping homeless individuals and families in need.

The church has long been a provider for the Community Meals Program and is stepping up to fill the holes in the schedule created as the rules for food preparation have become more restrictive.

They are also the host site for the Lunch for the Break program that provides food for children who will not have access to the hot lunch program at school during the school breaks.

• Parks and Recreation Volunteer of the Year: Kiwanis Club of Issaquah

For many years, Kiwanis Club members have helped secure sponsors for the city’s summer Concerts on the Green, supported the city’s Youth Scholarship Fund — which provides opportunities for youth to participate in recreational programs — and helped other recreational programs succeed.

In the past year, the Kiwanis Club provided food and refreshments for the reopening of the renovated Julius Boehm Pool, and worked with the Parks and Recreation Department, Influence the Choice and Skate Issaquah to host a skateboarding competition at the Issaquah Skate Park. The event raised awareness and funding for a planned skate park at Tibbetts Valley Park.

Traditionally, the Issaquah Park Board recognizes an individual as its Volunteer of the Year, however, the board made an exception this year and honored an entire group of volunteers.

• Youth Volunteer of the Year: Sophie Marts

The Issaquah Parks Board honored Marts, a senior at Issaquah High School, who has served on the Issaquah Youth Advisory Board for the past four years — two of them as co-chair of the Teen Advocacy Committee. As a board officer, she is a poised leader that younger members look up to.

In addition, she has headed up the board’s Teen Poetry Slam for the last two years, which highlights talented teens and their written works.

Earlier this year, Marts worked with the Issaquah Schools Foundation’s Healthy Youth Initiative to bring mini-conferences about teen mental health to our community. Overall, more than 185 community members attended conferences at Issaquah, Liberty and Skyline high schools.

In addition to her Youth Advisory Board service, she is also the youth representative on the City’s Park Board and Human Services Commission.

After graduating from Issaquah High School, Marts will attend Santa Clara University this fall.

• Sports Volunteer of the Year: Chris Fryar

For more than six years, Fryar has served as a volunteer coach with the city’s youth basketball and youth soccer programs. Along the way, he has positively influenced hundreds of young athletes.

“I have no doubt that the enthusiasm and positivity Chris exemplifies has kept a number of young players interested in sports,” said Jared Behl, a recreation specialist in the Parks and Recreation Department. “There is a reason that parents and players ask every year if they are lucky enough to have Coach Chris for another season.”

Fryar said receiving the award was his “proudest moment in sports.” The next best moment was finally seeing one of his young athletes he has worked with for several years make a basket during a game.

• Students of the Year: Kyle Thomas, Tiger Mountain Community High School; John Paul Hayes, Liberty High School; and Erin Ball, Issaquah High School

Not only the Rotary Club of Issaquah selected these students for the award, but the rigorous process was also conducted by each school’s teachers, administrators and counselors coming to a consensus on the one single student who represents the very best of their graduating class.

Thomas was selected because he has consistently shown dedication to completing his education at Tiger Mountain. He is a caring and empathetic friend. He also has an infectious enthusiasm for life and laughter.

He is diligent in his schoolwork, having successfully completed all his required coursework.

His humor and artistic skills have brought an energy and happiness to both his peers and his teachers. He is sensitive to his peer’s emotional needs and always has a kind word or a shoulder to lean on for those around him.

Thomas was granted a position in the Northwest Youth Corp’s Back Country Leadership program.

Hayes’ educational and career goal is to become an athletic coach, school assistant or personal trainer. He is widely recognized by many of the school staff as being sensitive, compassionate, cooperative and socially nimble. He enjoys positive relationships with a wide variety of school athletes, students with special needs and with many school staff members. He is always recognized for having a smile on his face.

Hayes’ life-long experience of participating and volunteering with Special Olympics and other supportive programs has taught him to appreciate all children and young adults as unique and individual people.

Ball is respected by students and staff alike because of her infectious energy, thoughtfulness and creative thinking. She is actively involved in the school community participating in athletics, a demanding academic schedule and is also the senior class president.

Ball has had a major impact on the school’s culture treating others with kindness, respect and understanding, and she challenges her peers to do the same.

• Salmon Days Volunteer of the Year: Rasa Turkes

The Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce recognized Turkes, the festival’s parking chair, for going above and beyond the call of duty.

She “grabbed the fish by the gills and started swimming — upstream,” said Robin Kelley, director of festivals, and Eileen Barber, festival chair, who presented Turkes with a ceremonial orange cone during the event. Turkes has lived in Issaquah for over 12 years and works at Microsoft. This was her first year volunteering for Salmon Days.

• Issaquah Education Association Educator of the Year: Stephanie Mayo

Association president Doug Jones honored Mayo, who began her teaching career in the Central Kitsap School District before coming to the Issaquah School District. She spent her first year teaching at Sunset Elementary and has taught at Briarwood Elementary for the past 24 years.

Mayo has been involved in a variety of district committees, which has helped provide her with a broad view of the great demands on the educational system.

“Most recently, as I became more incensed at the workload put on teachers at the expense of student learning, I chose to become more active,” Mayo said. “My experience on the Workload Committee was my true awakening. Our voices can be heard. Honest, thoughtful communication can create positive change.”

• Citizen of the Year: Kristi Tripple

The Issaquah Chamber recognized Tripple for providing support and input for the organization’s Governmental Affairs Committee. Her “wisdom and thoughtfulness” make her a voice that is sought out by most in the city, according to the Chamber.

Tripple is vice president for community development at Rowley Properties, Inc. She manages Rowley Properties charitable contributions and in that role interacts with the Issaquah Historical Society, Downtown Issaquah Association, Issaquah Chamber of Commerce, Village Theater, Issaquah Schools Foundation, ArtEast and many others.

Throughout her life she has always helped others and gravitated toward positions where she could help make a difference. Her most recent accomplishment was helping the Rowleys lead the public negotiation and successful achievement of a 30 year development agreement with the city of Issaquah.

The development agreement covers 78 acres and enables re-development from single use/suburban properties into two new neighborhoods (Hyla Crossing and Rowley Center) that will be mixed-use, complete, compact and connected.

• Business Person of the Year: Dan Rowe

“Dealer Dan” as he is known in the community has been in the car business since 1984. Rowe and his family moved to Issaquah in 1998 as he bought into Evergreen Ford.

He then turned a failing business into a profitable, well-respected dealership and has grown the Evergreen name over the last 18 years, according to Issaquah Chamber officials. Rowe also started Evergreen Family Foundation, which supports kids in need. He supports all the local high schools as well as recently-sponsored events with Eastside Baby Corner.

• Innovation in Issaquah Award: Karl F. Hirsch

The Chamber also recognized Hirsch, who started his company, Tin Man Systems, Inc. in Issaquah in 2010 to provide intuitive software technology for real-time visual design of artificial intelligence. This is then embedded into medical devices, robotics, smart homes, unmanned systems, smarter energy systems, biometric devices, etc. He has over 25 years of experience as a technology entrepreneur and as a software developer. Hirsch has personally written the software that now has over one million lines of source code, and is used by over 1,000 customers worldwide, spanning commercial, government and academic institutions.

Most recently, Hirsch extended the platform to include technology for real-time sensor data fusion and visualization to realize value from the exploding Internet of Things (IoT).

To foster innovation, Hirsch recently offered to all major U.S. universities up to $30,000 in software as a donation. Within the first 48 hours, over 40 universities requested participation. He is in the process of fulfilling these requests, and looks forward to helping college students throughout the country to realize value and insight from his company’s software tools.

• Kiwanis Volunteer of the Year: Russ Levy

The Kiwanis Club of Issaquah recognized Levy for his enthusiasm and dedication as a volunteer with the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust. Kiwanis President David Bleiweiss, who presented the award, said Levy has dedicated over 320 hours towards caring for natural areas in the community.

“Well, one — I’m shocked,” said Levy during the event. “And, two, this is probably the cleanest you’ll ever see me,” he smiled, noting that his volunteerism reminds him of how lucky he is to live in this area.

• Hall of Fame inductee: Rowan Hinds

During the event, Hinds began to excuse attendees with closing remarks as the final speaker. However, Issaquah Council President Stacy Goodman grabbed the microphone and interrupted him.

“Wait — wait,” Goodman said.

In a surprise twist, she introduced Hinds as a Hall of Fame inductee.

Serving as mayor from 1990-97, Hinds led the community during a pivotal era in its history, as Issaquah started a decade of growth from a small town into a small city. Before being elected as mayor, Hinds served on the City Council. Under his leadership, Issaquah prepared for the future and expanded the services it offered to residents and visitors, notably by opening the Issaquah Community Center.

When the state threatened to close the historic Issaquah Salmon Hatchery during his tenure as mayor, Hinds led the charge to protect the hatchery. He even came up with the name for the hatchery’s nonprofit partner: Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, or FISH.

Hinds continues to volunteer for many groups and organizations, including the city’s Traffic Task Force, Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank, Issaquah History Museums, Issaquah Nourishing Network and more.

Hinds was emotional as he thanked his wife for supporting him for 54 years. He also noted that the award recipients in that room were the embodiment of community.

“The city’s motto has always been, ‘A special place where people care,’” Hinds noted. “And it’s obvious from tonight that we all care — and we care a lot.”

Photos by Carrie Rodriguez, Issaquah Reporter; and courtesy of David Jackson, Issaquah Chamber.