Community celebrates 2022 Toast to Winters honorees

By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief

Family members, friends and community members gathered to celebrate the 2022 honorees at the annual Toast of Winters events on Friday, March 31.

Jesse Loren and Pat and Chris Calvert were recognized as the 2022 Citizens of the Year.

Loren summed up the “why” behind all of their nominations by telling the attendees “Anyone can be an architect for change; it helps if you don’t care who gets the credit.” This year’s Citizens of the Year have all humbly made great efforts to make Winters a better place for everyone and shined the light on others in the community.

Kathy and Wade Cowan introduced Pat and Chris Calvert, highlighting how they employed and mentored students in the Winters High School culinary program and supported the Winters FFA program by helping to process and bottle the Winters FFA’s first olive oil batches. Chris Calvert was also recognized for his support of the community through his work with the Winters District Chamber of Commerce. The Calverts have volunteered behind the scenes for various local events and campaigns.

“They did that for everyone else, and for Winters,” Kathy Cowan said.

Woody Fridae introduced Jesse Loren, noting that in the list of all of her accomplishments, it might be easier to mention the few things she did not participate in vs trying to list all of them. Fridae said Loren was always a leader just waiting for an opportunity to lead.

He highlighted some of Loren’s efforts including helping to support the creation of the Winters Community Corazón to support the Hispanic community in Winters, supporting local arts in helping the Winters Open Mic to become a nonprofit, and making sure Winters residents’ concerns were represented at the table by sitting on multiple county and regional boards where she has worked to lead efforts to make change for transportation, environmental issues and transportation issues.

“In so many ways she has gone above and beyond her role as a City Councilmember,” Fridae said.

Emarie VanGalio introduced her sister, Meika Ogando, in her creation of the 2022 Business of the Year, the Winters Collective.

VanGalio credited Ogando’s leadership and passion in being “instrumental in creating a supportive network of female entrepreneurs.”

“Meika’s vision and dedication has created a community that not only helps each other, helps individual businesses thrive, but also helps the Winters community as a whole,” VanGalio said.

The Winters Collective was nominated for its efforts to bring in many retail items to Winters that were only found outside the city limits and for being a role model to other businesses for working to network and foster relationships between the business community, nonprofits and residents.

Vicki Jacobs introduced Rob Coman as the 2022 Senior Citizen of the Year. She said although it didn’t occur to them that “senior” would be attached when they nominated Coman, she was thrilled about his recognition. Jacobs highlighted his efforts in continuing the legacy of his mother Betty Coman by documenting and preserving local history through the Historical Society of Witners, the Yolo County Archives and the Winters Participation Gallery’s summer history murals and said “Rob is truly Mr. History.” She credits Coman as a driving force in keeping the doors of the Winters Museum open when other docents aren’t available and for stepping in to ensure visitors are given the knowledge about the exhibits.

Jenni Jacobs Garcia introduced Carla Wroten as the honoree of the Theodore Winters Award. “If you know Carla, you know how much she loves Winters. She’s a tireless advocate for Winters and all the businesses and people. She gives so much of her personal time to individuals events, committees and helping anyone she can,” Jacobs Garcia said.

Jacobs Garcia said “If you’ve ever been to an event downtown, you bet that Carla Wroten had something to do with it” and noted that Wroten is a person who makes things happen and ensures that events run as smoothly as possible. Wroten and her husband Jamell run Steady Eddy’s Coffee House and the Roasting Room. She also has made strides to create collaborations with other businesses and nonprofits and has helped to facilitate networking opportunities to create a strong sense of community for Winters businesses and residents.

The Winters Chamber hosted this year’s event at the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Winters location. The Chamber introduced its new Board members and officers at the event.