Turtle Awards
City Club of Eugene provides the Turtle Awards to honor civic-minded residents who stick their necks
out for the good of the community. Other criteria for the award include:
- Fostering creative problem solving in Eugene’s public affairs.
- Stimulating constructive action.
- Forging cooperative relationships.
- Honoring diverse perspectives.
An unwritten criteria is that the person may be underappreciated by the public.
History of the Turtle Awards
The Turtle Award was created by an original City Club board member, Jean Tate. The original Turtle committee, which nominates Turtle recipients for City Club board approval/action, was Tate, Gerry Gaydos and Bob Moulton (also original Board members). Since then, the committee has consisted of the original members plus the award recipients. John VanLandingham has chaired the committee since 1994, when he was a City Club board member and the first Turtle Award winner. The committee meets in February and nominates 1 to 3 recipients to the board, which must approve the nominations. Recipients must be present to win and the award(s) are usually presented at the annual meeting. The Order of the Turtle is given posthumously and recipients are honored in the written portion of the program.
Recipients of Turtle Awards (and their presenters)
2023: Dr. Johnny Lake (Greg Rikhoff), Brian Obie (Otto Poticha), and Bev Smith (Nancy Golden) Listen to or watch the presentations!
2022: Lisa Arkin (Mary O’Brien) and Eric Richardson (George Russell)
2021: Betty Snowden (Rebecca Larson and Sue Prichard) and Mo Young (Marion Malcolm and Greg Rikhoff) Listen to or watch the presentations!
2020: Our Children’s Trust, represented by Julia Olson and Kiran Oommen (Kitty Piercy), Derek Johnson (Nancy Golden) and Kaarin Knudson (Brittany Quick-Warner and Jean Tate)
2019: Michael Carrigan (Dan Bryant and Marion Malcolm) and Kitty Piercy (Dave Funk, Bill Morrisette and Molly Stafford)
2018: Tom Bowerman (Robin Quirke), Erik de Buhr and Fay de Buhr (Tod Schneider), Charles Martinez (9/18) (Colt Gill, Guadalupe Quinn, Greg Rikhoff, George Russell and Carmen Urbina)
2017: Anita Johnson (Derek Johnson) and Otto Poticha (Jerry Diethelm)
2016: Nancy Golden (Colt Gill) and Susan Sygall (Marshall Peter)
2015: George Russell (Barb Bellamy and Carmen Urbina) and Colt Gill (Ron Chase, Bill Morrisette and Greg Rikhoff)
2014: Craig Smith (Beth Gerot) and Lauren Regan (Jean Stacey)
2013: Darryl Larson (Ron Chase and Jean Tate) and Peg Morton (Michael Carrigan, with long distance help from Marion Malcolm)
2012: Munir Katul (John Brown and Ib Hamide) and Art Farley (Steve Gordon)
2011: Carmen Urbina (Guadalupe Quinn) and Dan Bryant (Marion Malcolm)
2010: Don Bishoff (Don Kahle and Bill Morrisette) and Kappy Eaton (Jean Tate)
2009: Guadalupe Quinn (Francisca Johnson and Carmen Urbina) and Ruth Bascom (Jean Tate)
2008: Ibrahim Hamide (Marion Malcolm and Greg Rikhoff), Sue Prichard (John Brown) and Hugh Prichard (Harris Hoffman)
2007: Bob Dritz (Ron Chase) and Steve Moe (Bill Morrisette)
2006: Cynthia Carlson (Chuck Dalton) and Susan Ban (Jean Tate)
2005: Terry McDonald (Robin Johnson) and Greg Rikhoff (Chuck Dalton)
2004: Steve Gordon (Jim Carlson)
2003: John Brown (Jim Torrey) and Gretchen Miller (George Russell)
2002: Mary O’Brien (Kevin Matthews)
2001: No awards
2000: Emily Schue (Mike Gleason) and Ken Tollenaar (Peter Watt)
1999: Gerry Gaydos (Minalee Saks)
1998: Dorothy Anderson (Susie Smith) and Ron Chase (Greg Rikhoff)
1997: Jon Stafford (Richard Guske) and Molly Stafford (Carol Hildebrand), Chuck Dalton (Pastor Allidees Beckham)
1996: Marion Malcolm (Guadalupe Quinn) and Annabel Kitzhaber (Kay Robinhold)
1995: L.L. “Stub” Stewart (Orlando Hollis)
1994: Jean Tate (Hugh Prichard) and Mike Gleason (Emily Schue)
1993: Bill Morrisette and Dick Miller
1992: Margaret Nichols (Gerry Gaydos)
1991: John VanLandingham (Gerry Gaydos)
Recipients, Order of the Turtle (and their presenters)
2023: Lawanda Joyce Manning (Lisa Arkin)
2022: Norton Cabell and Sally Sheklow
2004: David Joyce, William Loy, Larry Maves
2003: Bob Booth, Chapin Clark, Dick Crawford, Lyle Hatfield, Frances Howard, Ken Kesey, Steve Overton, Bob Straub
1995: John Amundson (Bob Frazier), Ed Cone (Ray Hawk) and Chuck Pressman (Ted Baker)
1994: Jim Saul (Steve Gordon), Oakley Glenn (Robert Clark) and Nancy Hayward (Charlie Leistner)
1991: Maurie Jacobs and Jill Heiman
