Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Kris Pasey wins WCOG James Anderson Award

The Washington Coalition for Open Government (WCOG) will present its second annual James Andersen Award to Kris Passey, a founding member of the organization and a strong voice for government openness and accountability for decades in Washington state.

Passey, a Marysville resident, retired last year from publishing the Marysville Globe and Arlington Times.

"During his career as a journalist and publisher, Kris was an outstanding advocate for open government and the coalition. He advanced the work of WCOG by providing the printing of the coalition’s brochures and producing a series of eye-catching posters, as well as providing public service announcements and producing a video explaining the mission of WCOG. Kris has also contributed significant financial support", stated board member Patience Rogge in her nomination of Passey.

"Kris’ efforts in outreach have extended beyond the borders of the United States. In October 2005, Kris traveled to Santiago, Chile to participate in Pro Acceso under a U.S. Department of State U.S. Speaker and Specialist grant. There he met with journalists from Chile, Peru, Mexico and Britain and discussed access to public information and the work of WCOG.

When he presided over WCOG board meetings, Kris elevated proceedings with his readings of poetry and led the discussions with calm good humor," Rogge continued.

The award will be presented at the coalition's annual awards breakfast to be held at the Washington Athletic Club in Seattle from 7:00 to 9:00 AM on Friday, September 19. Enrique Cerna, KCTS-TV 9 program director will act as master of ceremonies, and Seattle P-I political cartoonist David Horsey will deliver the keynote speech. Past Andersen honoree Frank Garred is slated to present the award to Passey. The public is invited to attend, and a limited number of tickets for the event are available at the WCOG website, www.washingtoncog.org

The James Andersen Award was created in 2007 to annually honor an individual or organization whose outstanding efforts have significantly advanced the Washington Coalition for Open Government. The award is named in honor of retired Washington Supreme Court Chief Justice James Andersen, a founding member of WCOG.

The public is invited to attend this event. Registration forms are available from the Washington Coalition for Open Government, 6351 Seaview Avenue NW, Seattle, WA 98107-2664 or on the web at www.washingtoncog.org. For more information, phone 206.782.0393 or FAX 206.623.4474.

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