HomeMy WebLinkAboutCD Citizen of the Year 2009; Phyllis ThelanAgenda Item No:
Meeting Date: March 16, 2009
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Department: Commu�►. Development
Prepared by: ,7City Manager Approval: �J
Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Resolution approving recipient of the Richard P. O'Brien and Mary
Ferrario O'Brien Citizen of the Year Award
RECOMMENDATION: Adopt the attached resolution conferring the Richard P. O'Brien and Mary
Ferrario O'Brien Citizen of the Year Award to Phyllis and Max Thelan for outstanding community
service.
BACKGROUND: In March, 2001, J. Michael Mahoney established an endowment in honor of former
Planning Commissioner Dick O'Brien and his wife, Mary Ferrario O'Brien, to fund an annual "Citizen of
the Year" award. The intent of the award is to recognize an individual in the San Rafael community who
has made exceptional contributions to the City, making it a better place to live or work. In addition to
public recognition, the endowment also provides for a cash award in the amount of $3,000.
At its meeting of September 4, 2001, the City Council approved procedures for the awards program,
including appointment of a Selection Committee to review nominations from the public and recommend
an award recipient to the Council. The Selection Committee includes two Council members, two Planning
Commissioners, a member of the O'Brien family, and representatives from the Chamber of Commerce
and the Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods.
A total of sixteen nominees were considered for this year's award. The Selection Committee
unanimously recommends the selection of Phyllis and Max Thelan as the recipients of our eighth award.
The arts community in San Rafael would not be what it is today without the vision and tireless
involvement of the Thelans. They have fostered financial support for fledgling artists, created venues to
highlight local artisans, and been the catalyst for cultural education, including the creation of Marin Ballet.
Their establishment of the Arts Works Downtown has been a key component of our downtown
revitalization efforts.
Phyllis Thelan has also been active in our governmental promotion of arts and culture through her tenure
on the Cultural Affairs Commission from 1993 to 2001 and her participation on the General Plan 2020
Steering Committee.
If approved by Council, the Thelans will be recognized at this year's State of the City dinner.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact to the City since the award program was privately funded.
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
File No.:
Council Meeting:
Disposition:
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2
OPTIONS:
• Approve the resolution conferring the Citizen of the Year award to Phyllis and Max Thelan.
• Return the recommendation to the Selection Committee for reconsideration.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Nomination for Phyllis and Max Thelan
2. Draft resolution
'"'3
City of San 12afaef
WjchardP.. OOrien andMaryTerrario OMrien
Citizen of the TearAward
presented to
Pfiiyffs and llayTfiiefan
MI EREAS, the Wichard2. 0 rBrien and Mary Terraria O rBrien Citizen of the TearAward is intended to
ackowledge residents of San 12afaelwho, through their dedicatedandsedfdess efforts, have hada
significant effect on the quality of fife in their community; and
UNIgE AS, Thyllis andMaK4hedan have been serectedas the recipients of the 12ichardp.. O�Brien and
Maty Eerrario 0Mnen Citizen of the Year award due to their community involvement andaccompltshments
ill promoting arts, culture and education, and
'WJITREAS, the (Iherans' community contr 6utions 6egan in 1963 with theirfounding of Marin Oaddet
which, over the years, has trainedthousands of Marin children in ballet anddance arts, and
MIIEPy-flS the 7hedans were founding members of the Marin Arts Counadwhich financially supports and
promotes locadartists, and
` NEP,EAS, the Thefans were founders of the Art Works Downtown, providing afforda6de studio space
anda gallery for localartists, affordabre housing, andcontri6uting to the revitalization of Downtown San
12gfae6 and
UNTPE A,S, 2hyddis servedfrom 1993 to 2001 on the San 1gfaelCulturadAffairs Committeee, including
four terms as chair, promoting the use andpreservation of the TadkrkCudturalCenterandpreservation of
other historic structures throughout the City, and
UNE12EAS, Phydlu served on the Cjenerandan 2020 Steering Committee 6etween 2000 and 2004 andwas
instrumental in the inclusion of a Culture andArts (Element, and
UWEPffA , the gfiiedans' community involvement has been characterized by their dove of the arts and desire
to share cultural advantages with the entire community of San Xafaed,
XO W, VIEXEeTOU, (BE IT U SOLVED that the San (PafaelCity Council expresses its appreciation of
Phyllis and Max 4hedan's efforts on behalf of their community and hereby awards them the c$ichard 2.
0r1trien and9Vlary (Terraria 0tBrien Citizen of the TearAward
COUNCILMEMBERS
CITYMANAGER
ATTESTED BY MY HANDTHIS
DAY OF
105 Bay Way
San Rafael CA 94901
February 23, 2007
Nominating Committee
Richard P. O'Brien Citizen of the Year Award
c/o Community Development Department
City of San Rafael
P. 0. Box 151560
San Rafael CA 94901
Subject: Nomination, Citizen of the Year Award
Gentlemen, Ladies,
I wish to nominate Phyllis and Max Thelen for the 2007 Richard P.
O'Brien Citizen of the Year Award.
They are eminently well known in the City of San Rafael, let alone
throughout Marin County. Their activities over many decades are
documented on the attached pages.
While I can think of many persons qualified for nomination, I can -
imagine only a few who have such a long record of service to the
community, and who have served in such a multiple number of areas.
When I began to narrow down the list, the Thelens stood alone.
I trust you will consider this couple when you prepare to name the
2007 recipient of this prestigious award.
Richard P. O'Brien Citizen of the Year Award
Nomination Form
Nominee
2t"
Address: �/J _��� !i tom/!'%
Phonei
Nominator
Name:
Address: Sandy Greenbfat
105a
San
W
an Ra aef A 94901
Phone:
On an attached sheet, please answer as many of the questions below which
apply to the candidate you are nominating:
1. What contributions has this individual made to the community that are
beyond the scope of normal civic responsibilities?
2. What impact on the community did this individual's activities make? How
has this person made a difference?
3. Discuss the time and energy this person has devoted to community
projects or efforts.
4. Discuss the challenges met and overcome by this individual.
5. To what extent has this individual's efforts been previously recognized by
the community?
Nominations must be returned to the Community Development Department
(P.O. Box 151560, San Rafael, CA 94915-1560 or FAX: 485-3184) no later
than February 28 2007. Questions may be directed to the Community
Development Director at (415) 485-3090.
Qualifications
Max & Phyllis Thelen
Richard P. O'Brien Citizen of the Year Award
1: What contributions have they made to the community that are
beyond the scope of normal civic responsibilities?
• For starters: Ann Brebner recalls the Thelens hosting a picnic
and swim party at their home for the cast of the first Marin
Shakespeare Festival back in 1941! That was just the beginning.
• They founded the Marin Ballet in 1963. Phyllis remained on the
board of directors for thirty years. They headed up the
committee challenged with raising funds to continue the ballet
company's operations in those tough, early days and
subsequently to purchase and equip their own building.
• Along with several other interested parties, they founded the
Youth in Arts. Phyllis served as its first President.
• As above, along with several other interested parties, Phyllis was
a founding member of the Marin Arts Council.
• Phyllis also served on the San Rafael Cultural Commission for
many years, overseeing, among other things, the operation and
promotion of the Falkirk Cultural Center.
They served on the original construction and visioning program
committee addressing the planning for the Marin Civic Center.
They continue to serve to this day on the "Re -Visioning and
Master Plan Development" Committee.
• They have both served on Dominican University's Community
Development Committee, and have assisted in several other
areas when called upon. They were recently awarded Honorary
Degrees from Dominican in recognition of their decades of
service.
Phyllis was a founding member of Artisans (Mill Valley), and
served on its board. Artisan's is now located in San Rafael.
• Phyllis and Max, along with several friends they enticed to join in
with them, were the founders of Art Works Downtown. "AWD"
was instrumental in anchoring the revitalization of San Rafael's
Fourth Street under the provisions of the 1993 Downtown Plan ,
and in particular, the area west of C Street.
• AWD continues to operate to this day, hosting about fifty
resident artists and a like number of associate artists, staging art
at six week intervals. AWD is generally recognized as Marin
County's premier art center. Their building also contains
seventeen apartments permanently dedicated to low income
housing.
• Phyllis was a member of the General Plan 20/20 Steering
Committee, was involved in a multitude of meetings and
workshops over three years of planning "20/20". She co-
authored the original draft of the Art and Cultural Element of
General Plan 20/20.
• Phyllis has been an exhibiting artist extraordinaire for fifty years
and continues to produce and exhibit art work to this day. She is
also responsible for the program that brought art work to store
windows throughout the downtown.
2: What impact on the community did this couple's activities make?
How have they made a difference?
• Innumerable. Their efforts in the world of art alone continue to
this day. The organizations they founded or co-founded all
continue to operate to this day.
• Marin Ballet alone has trained thousands of Marin's children in
ballet and related dance for decades.
• Phyllis' imprint on the art and culture in San Rafael will live
forever through the continuation of Falkirk, AWD, and inclusion
of the Art and Cultural Element in General Plan 20/20.
As an aside, since these subjects were not included in the form:
Max graduated Valedictorian of his class at U.C.Berkeley.
He went on to gain a law degree at Harvard, and served in the Navy in
World War II.
He has been a guest speaker at the Commonwealth Club of California
and a life time member of the law firm, Thelen, Marrin, Johnson &
Bridges, a famous law firm to say the least.
Phyllis graduated from Stephens College in Connecticut. She also
managed the Student Association Speaker Series at the
Commonwealth Club, and that's how she and Max first met!
this 27th day of February, 2007.
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