Oregon History Makers Medal Recipients Include Ann Curry
Monday, March 23, 2015
The 2015 Oregon History Makers Medal recipients recognize a national broadcast icon, two powerful business leaders whose inclusion highlights women and diversity in the workplace, as well as a longtime Oregon business known for giving beef away to customers as well as monies to the communities it serves. Here are the recipients:
Ann Curry: Broadcast Journalist
A graduate of Ashland High School and the University of Oregon, Ann Curry has forged a career as one of America's most respected and admired broadcast journalists. During her twenty-five year career at NBC News, Curry anchored almost every network morning and evening news show. The recipient of multiple Emmys and awards for excellence in broadcast journalism, Curry is widely respected for her coverage of international disasters and her exclusive interviews with foreign leaders.
Peggy Fowler: Business Executive, Community Leader, and Glass Ceiling Breaker
In 1974, Peggy Fowler began her career with Oregon's largest utility Portland General Electric, just one year after graduating from George Fox University with degrees in chemistry and mathematics. Her skills and intelligence propelled her up the corporate management ladder, and she would eventually serve as PGE's CEO from 2000-2009. Widely regarded as one of Oregon's most admired executives, Fowler continues to serve as a mentor for other women seeking to reach the top rungs of the corporate ladder.
George Puentes: Business Executive, Community Leader, and Philanthropist
George Puentes co-founded Don Pancho Authentic Mexican Foods in Salem in 1980, and his leadership has helped to propel the company to become one of the largest Latino owned businesses in the Pacific Northwest, with products that are distributed throughout the United States. A tireless advocate for education, Puentes is also the co-founder of a scholarship that enables low-income successful Latino students to pursue higher education.
Les Schwab Tire Centers: Iconic Oregon Business
In 1952, Les Schwab purchased a small tire store in Prineville Oregon, even though he had never fixed a tire in his life. Blessed with natural salesmanship and a total commitment to customer service, Schwab built a company that today is comprised of over 450 stores across the West and boasts annual sales of $1.5 billion. Over the years, Les Schwab Tire Centers has also reinvested roughly half of its profits in its employees, and has donated millions of dollars to non-profit organizations that teach lessons about responsibility, hard work, and service.
"Ann Curry, Peggy Fowler, George Puentes, and Les Schwab are all Oregon treasures," said Kerry Tymchuk, Executive Director of the Oregon Historical Society. "They are all very deserving recipients of the Oregon History Makers Medal."
The Oregon History Makers Medal will be presented at a dinner at the historic Montgomery Park building in Portland on Sunday, October 4, 2015.
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