Roseburg’s 2019 First Citizens and a number of businesses were honored at the awards dinner and membership meeting of the Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce on Thursday night.
Residents gathered in Douglas Hall at the Douglas County Fairgrounds for the 66th annual event.
Alex Palm was named the male First Citizen. Palm, is a Principal and a civil engineer at i.e. Engineering. Palm’s community involvement has included serving on the boards of the Umpqua Community College Foundation, and the Roseburg Country Club, and on Mercy Medical Center’s Family Advisory board. He has also served on the boards of the Umpqua Water Basin Association, and Rogue Credit Union, and has been a member of the City of Roseburg Economic Development Commission. He served for eight years on the Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce board, including time as the group’s chair.
Renee Coen was selected as the female First Citizen. Coen came to Roseburg in 1985. Coen has worked as a nurse and a mentor to nurses. She has been on the boards of the Boys & Girls Club of the Umpqua Valley, CASA of Douglas County, and the UCC Foundation. She has also been a volunteer with the Festival of Lights, UCC’s Legacy Ball, the Fir Grove School library, the YMCA and at St. George’s Episcopal Church.
Sherm’s Thunderbird Market was picked as the large business of the year. Riverview Terrace was named the medium-sized business of the year. Wintergreen Nursery was honored as the small business of the year. Chamber board chair Allen Pike was announced as the volunteer of the year.
The innovator of the year award went to Rogue Credit Union. They recently opened a branch at Umpqua Community College.