Dale Donohoe and Kim Kurowski were named as the 2024 Santa Clarita Valley Man and Woman of the Year on Friday night at the Hyatt Regency Valencia.
The pair were selected from the largest-ever number of candidates (34), 17 men and 17 women, who were nominated by 17 community nonprofit organizations.
Donohoe and Kurowski were selected for their sustained lifetime of quiet, behind-the-scenes, dedicated volunteer leadership and service, according to a news release from the nonprofit SCV Man and Woman of the Year Committee, which is made up of all previous recipients of the titles.
“Dale and Kim are known throughout the community for decades of selfless giving of their time and talent. All the nominees were truly outstanding, but in the end, the choice was clear,” Gloria Mercado-Fortine, committee chair and 2018 Woman of the Year, said in the release.
Event hosts Don Kimball and Jenny Ketchepaw, the 2023 Man and Woman of the Year, welcomed the nominees at the Hyatt Regency Valencia Friday evening.
“Santa Clarita has so many incredible nonprofits …. We’re so lucky to have all of you,” Ketchepaw said. “Thank you for the work you continue to give to our future generations and the incredible lasting impact you make on our community.”
Kimball thanked the nonprofits, as well as sponsors that helped make the event possible.
“I think most people in this room had a lot of experience putting on large-scale events; basically, it takes a village to pull these kinds of things off,” Kimball said. “We just want to thank everybody for their efforts to make tonight another successful event.”
Donohoe was nominated by the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Foundation. “They selected Dale for his modest and sustained leadership over many years on the board of directors and for his broad range of volunteer service throughout the community including his church, his kids’ activities, and many other nonprofit boards. Dale is a generous philanthropist and has helped many charitable causes in the community for decades,” the release said.
Kurowski was nominated by Soroptimist International of Greater Santa Clarita Valley, where she has been involved in leadership of the organization’s volunteer community service for more than 16 years.
“She has been an important part of SIGSCV’s Dream It Be It program serving young girls in the community, among numerous other service activities,” the release said. “Kim is involved in countless nonprofit efforts too numerous to list, and she is a past chair of the SCV Chamber of Commerce. Her generosity is known throughout the charitable community.”
Both winners expressed gratitude to not only their families, but also to the room of volunteers who continue to implement lasting change in the community.
“Thank you, everybody. It’s been an honor and a privilege to have gotten this nomination. We all deserve this award because you guys do as much work as I do,” Kurowski said. “Thank you for my family who kept it from me and all showed up. I can’t believe you guys are all here … to actually win is like, ‘Wow.’ Thank you very much, and I will continue to do what I do until I can’t do it any longer.”
“I’m truly honored and humbled to be up here. First of all, I give all glory and honor to God. He allowed me to do the things I could do. God has truly blessed me in so many ways, and sometimes you don’t see it, but as the years go on, we do,” Donohoe said. “My wife, Tamara, she’s my rock … I think two days ago was our 17th anniversary that she gave me a kidney. My family, I can’t believe they’re all here.”
Dignitaries and elected officials such as Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth, Stephanie English, senior field deputy from L.A. County 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office, as well as Ed Masterson on behalf of Sen. Scott Wilk, R- Santa Clarita, shared sentiments with the two selectees.
“It’s an honor to pay tribute to two of our local heroes who truly are deserving — all the nominees are,” Garcia said. “This is a room of great human beings, and the Santa Clarita Valley is a bastion of philanthropy and volunteerism and charity.”
Kimball and Ketchepaw said the two nominating organizations, Soroptimist International of SCV and HMNH Foundation, will be receiving a cash donation in the names of Kurowski and Donohoe from the proceeds of the event.