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Pam Denham named Milwaukie Volunteer of the Year for 2024
Summary
After ranked‑choice voting by council, Milwaukie selected longtime volunteer Pam Denham as the city’s 2024 Volunteer of the Year; councilors also highlighted multiple other nominees for their community service.
Milwaukie — The Milwaukie City Council selected Pam Denham as the city’s 2024 Volunteer of the Year following a staff presentation, councilors’ remarks about nominees and a ranked‑choice vote.
Jason Wax, the city’s community engagement coordinator, reviewed the history and criteria for the award and said nominations were collected via Engage Milwaukee; the council heard short summaries of several nominees before voting. Councilors praised nominees including David Aschenbrenner (longtime Farmers Market and historical‑society volunteer), Jamie Berry (Feed the Hungry/St. John’s volunteer and Bottle Drop volunteers), Pam Denham and Terry Geier Bridal (founding members of the Milwaukie Environmental Stewards and organizers of the sustainability fair), Joshua Freeman (arts committee and Juneteenth organizer), Darlene Fritsch (longtime Elks/Lions holiday food distribution), Virginia (park and Bee City advocate), Amy Arden (founder of the “Milwaukie Chat” Facebook group and other community directories), Rebecca Stenauer and Colleen Rockwell (CERT and pollinator/pathway program work), among others.
After councilors introduced and discussed nominees, the city used a ranked‑choice online ballot. Mayor Lisa Beatty announced the winner as Pam Denham; councilors said they will invite Denham to a future meeting and to the annual volunteer appreciation dinner in June.
Councilors emphasized the breadth of volunteer activity across the city and encouraged residents to continue nominating volunteers for future recognition.
