Five Citizens Chosen as Fernando Award Finalists

Five Valley citizens were chosen June 11 as finalists for the Fernando Award given annually to honor volunteerism. Finalists chosen at the 51st Annual Jesse McHam Fernando Nomination Luncheon were Stanley Bryant, Fred Gaines, David Honda, Joel Simon and Pauline Tallent. The Fernando Award Winner will be chosen from that group of five and announced at a dinner on Sept. 11. Ten people were nominated for the award and were recognized at the Thursday luncheon at the Hilton in Woodland Hills. The other Fernando nominees were Jeanette Capaldi, Lois Curran-Klein, Jean Jauck, Vena Ricketts and Joe Vitti. Stanley Bryant is the retired President of NIA Insurance Group. He founded the first YMCA Trailblazer program. He has also worked to support developmentally challenged adults by serving with Tierra del Sol and New Horizons. He is currently active in the North Valley YMCA. Fred Gaines is a managing partner of Gaines & Stacey, LLP, He is a Past Chairman of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA) and is also a member of the Calabasas Chamber of Commerce; is on the Executive Committee of the Valley Economic Alliance, and serves as the President of The Executives. David Honda is President of D.S Honda Construction, Inc. He has been involved with and held leadership positions in a variety of San Fernando Valley organizations, including the Valley Economic Development Center, the North Regional Valley Chamber of Commerce, the United Chambers of Commerce and the Valley Economic Alliance. Joel Simon has been practicing law in the San Fernando Valley for thirty years. Simon serves as a Director, and was a Chairman of the Encino Chamber of Commerce, is the United Chambers of Commerce of the San Fernando Valley’s CFO and is on the Executive Board of the Valley Economic Alliance. Pauline Tallent is the proprietor of Tallent & Associates Realtors headquartered in Winnetka. She is a member of the Southland Regional Association of Realtors and the Winnetka Community Foundation which sends deserving 5th and 6th graders to summer camp. Tallent works annually with the United States Marine Corps “Toys for Tots” program and is a member of the US Marine Corps Combat Correspondents organization.