DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
DOUG WALLICKDoug is an amazing community member for the City of Ceres. He steps up and leads and is very active in supporting the Ceres Community, especially through the Ceres Lions Club. Doug has been a Club member for 10 years and is actively involved in every event the Club has. He has been a Club officer and is currently Club President. He is chairman of the Fair parking which financially supports many of Ceres' Youth Groups. He is at the fair tirelessly for the 10 day run supervising the parking activities and usually last to leave at midnight. He is active in the Lions' pancake breakfast which supports the Cub and Boy Scouts programs. He collected pull tabs for recycling to support the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Doug is chairman of the Lions' BBQ crew which supports through their cooking efforts at many school functions, fundraisers, community events such as Love Ceres, memorials and other causes for individuals in need. Doug has supported the Ceres Education Foundation and voluntarily works the bar area at their annual dinner. He has been a supporter of Relay for Life through the Lions' cooking team. Doug is very active in the Ceres Street Faire and served as chairman for this years 2024 Street Faire. Doug very rarely turns down an offer to help in Ceres. You can count on Doug to show up and get things done. He is usually first to arrive and last to leave. There are many other activities and events Doug is involved with in the Ceres and ajoining areas. Just recently Doug and the Lions cooking crew cooked upwards of 40 turkeys for the Turock Salvation Army's annual Kettle Kickoff Dinner.
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
CORTNEY MANN
KAYLA MARTINEZ
PERSEPHONE GUILD OF CERES
NASSON SANCHEZ
CORTNEY MANN
Cortney is the Vice President of the PTC at Patricia K Beaver elementary school where she also sits on the school site council and the wellness committee. Cortney has been involved in the community since she was a young girl. She is always willing to help in any capacity at her boys school. She attends all activities and serves on planning committees for many of the activities such as Fall Festival, Breakfast with Santa and 8th grade dance, just to name a few.
KAYLA MARTINEZ
Kayla volunteers at many events in Ceres through multiple organizations, including Soroptimist, Ceres Chamber of Commerce events, youth sports organizations, as the City's treasure and more! She has been a representation of both business and recreational fun in the community, always stepping up when needed at events and business forums. Kayla never fails to show up and give a helping had where needed. She pushes to be the best possible example of any organization she's a part of. Kayla has 3 young boys and a husband and through the joys of motherhood and family matters she is still able to be a great contributor to the success/growth of Ceres. She helps make Ceres a better place to be!
PERSEPHONE GUILD OF CERES
A women's volunteer organization established in 1938 serving the Ceres area. They provide scholarships for the Ceres high schools, groceries for families at Thanksgiving, and donate monies or items to local charites. Persephone Guild bought bullet proof vests for the Ceres Canine Unit, a cement park bench at Persephine Park, books to the local library, made blankets for our local vets, provided backpacks for the older kids leaving foster care, and so much more. These ladies usually make a quilt and sell tickets for a drawing and an occasional drive thru fundraising dinner. They all have big hearts and are dedicated to the betterment of our community.
NASSON SANCHEZNasson is a gem for the community of Ceres. Nasson organizes several events throughout the year and has shown interest in helping with Love Ceres. He organizes a neighborhood National Night Out, organized a group and attended the Ceres Chamber of Commerce Movie Night and organized the Halloween Neighborhood Pumpkin Carving Contest at Ochoa Park. He also organizes various car shows throughout the community. He is always ready to help when asked. He and his wife Sonia attend many events in the community even if they are not organizing it themselves. They are wonderful people and I'm very glad to have them as part of our community.
YOUNG CITIZEN OF THE YEAR
EVETTE GARCIA
She is involved in her school activities at Central Valley High School such as leadership and different clubs being NHS (National Honors Society), the Secretary of CSF, and H&M, in these clubs we work together to help improve different areas of the school for example in CSF we work to fundraise money for scholarships for deserving hard working members of the club. along with being apart of the Colorguard winter team at Central Valley High School. She is also involved in outside school activities such as a volunteer for Kaiser permanent hospital where we work with the families of patients and patients one on one to hopefully give them a better experience at the hospital and is an Intern for the Khair internship witch revolves around the jakara movement, a movement meant to bring drug awareness to our community and bring awareness to recourses such as narcan and suicidal prevention recourses, in this internship we also work with the community in different ways such as participating in things such as the suicide prevention walk and participating in town hall meetings. In the leadership program at Central Valley High School she is the class president for the class of 2026 and through this we've worked with other things in the community such as volunteering for events held at different elementary's in the ceres district to host events like their fall festivals and leadership trainings with younger students as well as the program stand together to help middle school students whom are suffering with mental health in finding resources and people they can comfortably talk to. She also has volunteered at the Cogir seinior living center of Manteca and hosted an event for Christmas that was building gingerbread houses with the residents and later in the summer hosted a separate event with the residents working with them and building puzzles. Has Volunteered for the Red shield to participate in the candlelighting ceremony for the homeless people whom have passed away within that year, and other smaller community events such as the Annual Crab feed.
JAIME PADILLA
In 2021, Jaime helped organize and decorate for the annual Modesto vigil, which honored homeless people in the Stanislaus County who passed away. He made decorations, including candles and tapestries. The vigil took place at The Salvation Army’s Berberian Shelter and remembered 121 people who died in 2020 and 2021. His goal was to reflect and raise awareness about homelessness, especially during the pandemic. As a repeated participant in our school district school shooting simulation events, Jaime has collaborated with local first responders, school staff, and students to enhance emergency preparedness. By simulating realistic scenarios, he contributed to raising awareness of safety protocols, helping schools refine their crisis response plans. As a proud member of the international thespian society and CV theatre program, Jaime has hosted events for middle schoolers as a welcome and introduction to the environment of our campus. He coordinated games of prompted improv, and organized interactive workshops that encouraged creativity and teamwork. He is consistent in weekly voluntary tutoring in the AVID program at my high school, Jaime provides academic support and mentorship to students. By helping them with their studies, I foster an environment of learning and collaboration. His role involves preparing materials, offering one-on-one assistance, and encouraging my peers to achieve their academic goals. Jaime helped run a Ceres-founded small business by managing their agua fresca stand, working 14-hour+ shifts at various events across the Bay Area. He was responsible for setting up the stand, preparing and serving drinks, handling transactions, and ensuring a smooth operation throughout the day. Being in the Leadership program has opened Jaime to various opportunities, such as participating in community service projects. He volunteered to run a food catering service at the Turlock fairgrounds, where he helped prepare and serve food in support of the Ceres mayor. Jaime also plans to partner with the Common Ground Society to support families with loved ones who have unique needs. We aim to host an event for the children, organizing games and activities to create a fun, inclusive environment, or create gift baskets for the mothers, assembling baskets with self-care and practical items to show appreciation and support. As an active member of various clubs at my high school, like AP Spanish Lit Club, Mock Trial Club, and Criminal Justice Club, he participates in events that benefit the school and local community. Jaime's involvement in the NAMI Club, CSF Club, FFA club, and Red Cross Club includes organizing and participating in donation drives, food drives, and mental health awareness campaigns, providing support to those in need. In the Environmental Conservation Club (ECC), he takes part in campus cleanups and environmental projects, promoting sustainability and a cleaner environment. Through the Student Educator Program (STEP) and Theatre Club, he engages in mentoring and educational activities that benefit younger students and the community. Jaime's participation in the Ping Pong Club, and Pet Advocacy Club includes organizing events and advocating for causes. Lastly, Jaime is the vice president of the Central Valley Ping Pong & Red Cross Club, leading initiatives that directly benefit our community. His role in the Red Cross Club includes organizing blood drives, planning community service events, and coordinating student volunteers to support these activities. I am the Social Media Manager for the Central Valley High School Theatre Club, managing the club’s online presence, engaging and informing our community. Creating and scheduling posts about upcoming performances, rehearsals, and club events. Designing promotional materials, writing engaging content.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
ALL VALLEY POOL AND SPA
This small business values community development and aims to create opportunities by hiring young high school students so they can gain practical knowledge in customer service, teamwork, and time management. ---Trunk or treat ---Local festivals. All Valley Pool and Spa strives to have a positive impact on the community. The nominee’s contributions extend beyond business services; they are deeply invested in their local community. They often support and participate in community events, sponsor local initiatives, and contribute to local causes. By building strong relationships within the community, they demonstrate that they are not just a business but a dedicated community partner. This commitment has cultivated trust, making them a reliable and respected figure in the area. Their involvement shows that they value their community’s well-being and strive to make a positive impact.
CERES PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY
The organization has shown a commitment to improving the health and lives of children in our community. Ceres Pediatric Dentistry does school screenings for Ceres Unified School District Educational programs to teach children how to properly care for their oral health. They support multiple programs in Ceres, including sports teams, CVHS and CHS boosters. Ceres Pediatric Dentistry also supports several Ceres events such as Trunk or Treat and the street faire.
K3 DENTAL
Dr. Uppal and staff attended the Healthy Aging for Senior Citizens in October 2024 to do oral cancer screenings for all seniors that attended. About 200 seniors in total. Dr. Uppal is happy to do for her community and it's citizens. When staff realized that the regular mail carrier was in need of dental assistance Dr. Uppal stepped in and provided a full mouth construction pro bono. Dr. Uppal and staff are always happy to give back to the community.
LARGE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
HOWARD PREP / HOWARD TRAINING CENTER
Howard Prep educates the community to value and contribute to people that are differently-abled. They advocate for their rights and report mistreatment, abuse or neglect. They promote successful inclusion and opportunities for people with disabilities facilitating advancement, achievement, and joyful lives. Howard Prep has been involved in many events this past year including the Ceres Chamber Mixer, River Classic Golf Tournament, Opening of Witmer Hall and more. They have recently renovated Witmer Hall as a Ceres Venue open to the public. They are available to book events for the community and the staff is very easy to work with and are community oriented.
UPS CERES DISTRIBUTION WAREHOUSE
Serving the valley and it's residents with reliable distribution they are also recognized for maintaing a divers workforce and demonstrating positive policies. They strive for employee retention through efforts of ongoing training and benefits. UPS as a whole employs an average of 500,000 employees and continues to create jobs and opportunities with an acceptional focus on veterans which earned them the 2022 Veteran Employer of the Year by the California Employer Advisory Council.
LEGACY
JACKS AUTOMOTIVE A landmark here in Ceres for almost 50 years. Ceres residents Jack and Sophie Parnoutsoukian opened Jack's Texaco Automotive in 1977 here in the heart of downtown Ceres. They continue to be a family owned and operated business serving the Ceres community with outstanding customer service. Jack's sons learned the trade by working along side thier father and since Jack's passing Jack's Automotive continues to be operated by Jack's son John and continues to give the same care and support to the community.
LOU TOSTE
Luciano Toste has been affiliated with Ceres Youth Soccer Organization for over 40 years. Most of those years he was the president of the league. He has spent countless hours, weeks and years working on bringing the Ceres River Bluff Regional Soccer Complex to Ceres. When he started with C.Y.S.O. many of the games were played at local school fields. Lou also helps with Cal North C.Y.S.A - District 8 as a Youth Referee Administrator. He and his wife Joann have been familiar faces at many events over the years. They attend many fundraisers and events to help support the community. Lou was named Volunteer of the Year by the Ceres Chamber of Commerce in 2016.
WEST-MARK
Family Owned & operated Since 1967. WEST-MARK moved to Ceres in 1969 after originating in Modesto, California in 1967 to fill a need for the manufacturing and repair of tank transportation equipment for the dairy industry. Having established a reputation for excellent workmanship and the use of light weight equipment for sanitary products, WEST-MARK diversified it’s engineering capabilities and began to produce transport tanks of all types by 1973. West Mark employs many local people to help with their business. Today WEST-MARK manufactures many different types of trucks and trailers that meet the transportation industry’s needs with the most extensive facilities of it’s kind in the western United States. WEST-MARK’s future plans include continued expansion by providing the same customized quality equipment and personal service that has won the respect and trust of their customers. Increased volume, due to customized quality equipment and dedication to customer service, necessitated that they move in 1969 to the present site in Ceres.
CITIZEN OF THE YEAR - LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
The Citizen of the Year - Lifetime Achievement winner is selected by a committee of the previous winners of the award.
Voting has ended - ballots submitted after December 31st 2024 will not be accepted
Note: Only one submission per email address will be accepted per day. All categories are required for submission.