Polk County
Living
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • February 24, 2016 10A
Outstanding Organization
CALEB WALLACE / for Itemizer-Observer
“It is a privilege for us,” said Ken Braun, one of the city of
Dallas’ chaplains of the group’s work for the community.
Ag Business
CALEB WALLACE / for Itemizer-Observer
Bob Brannigan, left, with his wife, Lori, after he was presented with Dallas’ 2016 First Citizen Award. Brannigan
moved to Dallas in 2010 as West Valley Hospital’s administrator. He retired in 2015, but continues to serve.
Celebrating Courage
Community Awards on Friday showcase Dallas’ best and brightest
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Bob Branni-
gan hasn’t lived in Dallas
long — since 2010 — but
you would never know it
reading through the list of
his accomplishments.
Brannigan, the recently
retired West Valley Hospital
administrator, was present-
ed with the First Citizen
Award at the 59th annual
Dallas Community Awards
on Friday.
The award is “given to an
individual with wide ranging
exceptional community
service during the year,” said
award presenter Gene Hen-
shaw. “If you look up the
term ‘exceptional communi-
ty service’ on Wikipedia, you
would see Bob’s picture right
next to it.”
Henshaw said when Bran-
nigan was named the hospi-
tal’s administrator in early
2010, rural facilities like West
Valley were struggling.
“Facing that challenge, he
not only kept West Valley
Hospital viable, but initiated
and supervised an expansion
that included a state of the
art surgical unit and imaging
and technical department.”
Those improvements at-
tracted more health care
providers to work in Dallas,
Henshaw said.
“His legacy is a health
care community that we all
rely on for the best of care,”
he said.
Brannigan retired in 2015,
but he wasn’t done.
He’s on the Dallas Area
Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors and
chairman of the chamber’s
finance committee. In addi-
tion, Brannigan is on the
Dallas Rotary Club board
and serves on the Polk
County Health Care Adviso-
ry Board. Not finished yet,
Brannigan belongs to the
CALEB WALLACE / for Itemizer-Observer
Daryll Combs, Daryll’s Nursery owner, said customers
helped save his business during last summer’s drought.
Courtesy of Dallas Chamber
Ron Lines was given Life-
time Achievement honors.
CALEB WALLACE / for Itemizer-Observer
Oregon State Credit Union Branch Manager Bonnie Beck
accepts the “Business of the Year” award on Friday.
The winners …
Outstanding Organization — City of Dallas Chaplains
Small Business — El Pique
New Business — West Valley Taphouse
Ag Business — Daryll's Nursery
Business — Oregon State Credit Union
President's Award — Dallas Economic Development
Commission
Lifetime Achievement — Ron Lines
Good Samaritans — Jim Rodriguez & Colby Hamilton
Excellence in Arts — John Beck
Junior First Citizen — Jeremey Santee-Malloy.
First Citizen — Bob Brannigan
Dallas Economic Develop-
ment Commission and
served on the Dallas Resi-
dential Street Taskforce.
Brannigan said he was
surprised to be singled out
for the honor.
“I’m extraordinarily hon-
ored at having been select-
ed,” he said. “I never
thought that I would receive
such an award when there
Junior First Citizen
are so many other men and
women who give of their
precious time and energy to
the betterment of our com-
munity. That’s what makes
Dallas so special.”
Brannigan asked that
everyone try to serve in
some manner, and to keep
doing so even if they fail the
first time.
“Our world today has
made our lives busy and
very complex,” he said. “But
now is when our nation
needs dedicated, engaged
individuals to volunteer to
improve the communities in
which they live.”
Like Brannigan, Oregon
State Credit Union, Dallas’
Business of the Year, didn’t
take long to make its pres-
ence known in Dallas.
The credit union has been
involved in the community
since 2003, and a year later
opened a branch in Dallas.
Since then, the business has
donated more than $50,000
to organizations and causes
in Dallas and $277,000 in
Polk County said award pre-
senter Jeff Laeng.
“ T h i s c re d i t u n i o n’s
demonstrated their values in
a myriad of ways, but espe-
cially in education, commu-
nity and the development of
our youth,” he said.
Laeng listed several or-
ganizations Oregon State
Credit Union has supported
over the years, including
Polk County Drug Court,
Dallas High School all-night
senior party, and Dallas Ro-
tary Club.
Beck said it is an honor
for her and her employees to
give back.
“It’s been a pleasure to
give both our time and our
dollars and to work toward
contributing to putting the
unity in our Dallas commu-
nity,” Beck said.
Good Samaritans
Small Business
CALEB WALLACE / for Itemizer-Observer
“Joe just wanted to make tacos,” said El Pique co-owner
Selma Salcido about her husband’s dream business.
Excellence in Arts
CALEB WALLACE / for Itemizer-Observer
John Beck, with presenter Ami Pope, was awarded Excel-
lence in Arts Friday night during the Community Awards.
New Business
CALEB WALLACE / for Itemizer-Observer
CALEB WALLACE/ for Itemizer-Observer
CALEB WALLACE / for Itemizer-Observer
Jeremey Santee-Malloy of Citizen’s Bank said he was “kind
of speechless” about being named Junior First Citizen.
Dallas police officers Jim Rodriguez, left, and Colby Hamil-
ton were honored for saving Polk deputy Shon Latty.
Suzanne and Sam Dufner, owners of West Valley Tap-
house, were named “Best New Business” for 2016.