To acknowledge excellence and commitment to King County history, we bestow the AKCHO Awards each year in the spring at our annual Awards Program. The Awards are given for projects that have been completed by December 31 of the previous year. The AKCHO Awards Program is a perfect way to acknowledge those special people, programs, or projects that have made our county’s history shine.
2019 AKCHO Awards
More than 170 folks from the King County heritage community turned out Tuesday, April 30, at the Northwest African American Museum for the 36th annual AKCHO Awards event and the accolades weren’t limited to just the awards. Simply put by the happy attendees, it was the best darn party we’ve thrown in years!
It was a night to honor those whose activities and contributions keep King County heritage and history alive for this generation and those to come. After remarks by 4Culture Executive Director Brian Carter and host venue’s LaNesha Debardelaben, AKCHO President Alice Stenstrom got the program off to an excellent start, presenting the Board Award to the National Nordic Museum and the Board Legacy Award to Colleen Wagner, co-founder of The Center for Wooden Boats.
Energetic emcee Rod Dembowski of District 1 and chair of the King County Council took over presentation duties with a great supply of both puns and historical fact. First up to the stage was Aurora Bennett to accept the Charles Payton Heritage Advocacy Award for her dad, John Bennett. She was followed by MOHAI’s Emily Turner, Erik Johnson of Photographic Center Northwest and Youth View Project instructor Adam Jabari Jefferson, accepting the Heritage Education Award.
Paul Dorpat and Jean Sherrard bantered with the emcee and the audience as they accepted the Virginia Marie Folkins award for their oversized book, “Seattle Now &Then: The Historic Hundred.” University of Washington Libraries Sandra Kroupa accepted the Willard Jue – Staff Award while the Willard Jue – Volunteer award went to Woodinville’s Kevin Stadler.
NAAM Executive Director DeBardelaben, Jackie Hendrix of Experience Hendrix and guest curator Jackie Peterson received the Exhibit Award for NAAM’s exhibit, Bold As Love: Jimi Hendrix at Home. Maida Ingalls stepped up to take the Long-Term Project award for the Tolt Historical Society. Executive Director Lisa Kranseler bore away the Technology Award for the Washington State Jewish Historical Society’s efforts at using online resources to make their 50th anniversary activities available to many.
Andrew Harbison of the Seattle Public Library accepted one of two Single Impact Awards for the symposium “Beyond the Frame: To Be Native”. Elmer and Aaron Dixon led a contingent of members of the Seattle Chapter of the Black Panther Party in accepting the other Single Impact Awards for the Chapter’s activities in celebration of its 50th anniversary.
So many people worked to make the evening so great. We are always grateful to our sponsors: 4Culture, Historical Research Associates, Richaven Architecture & Preservation, MOHAI and The Center for Wooden Boats. Pat Filer and her Awards Committee and Judie Romeo, assisted by AKCHO Trustees Virginia Wright, Alice Winship, Alicia Barnes, Hilary Pittenger and Kim Owens and volunteer Jessie Cunningham put together a wonderful event. Chris Glanister of Pilgrim Media Services produced a spectacular PowerPoint presentation, Jordon Pipkin snapped a host of photos, and Seattle’s JAE Awards produced elegant award plaques as they have done for more than a dozen years. Let’s not forget That Brown Girl Cooks! which set out a very tasty buffet. It was a whale of a lot of fun.
Photos by Jordon Pipkin
Top: 2019 programs
Middle: Washington State Jewish Historical Society’s Executive Director, Lisa Kranseler receives the Technology Award.
Bottom: Aaron Dixon (at podium) and Elmer Dixon (behind Aaron) shared their happiness at receiving the Single Impact Award.
