Santa Clarita Valley seniors are so lucky to have an advocate like Peggy Rasmussen, who volunteers tirelessly on their behalf. Few would take on the monumental task of fundraising for a new senior center, let alone be able to successfully lead the effort.

State Sen. Scott Wilk has shown time again and again to be an individual who has the patience, dedication and leadership ability to serve the people of the Santa Clarita Valley. His character understanding and care for his hometown make him an example for public office.

Santa Clarita City Manager Ken Striplin manages an incredible staff and an amazing number of resources, and his nonstop work on behalf of city residents everyday at the top of our local government has made this community a better place to live for the last seven years.

County Supervisor Kathryn Barger is the type of leader the Santa Clarita Valley needs, who’s unafraid to be a lone voice on L.A. County’s Board of Supervisors if that’s what it takes to represent the best interests of the residents in our community.

Larry Rasmussen of Spirit Properties never seeks out credit or attention for community service, but he’s someone who’s always willing to help out and give back to an area he’s helped develop from the ground up, like many of the Santa Clarita Valley’s best developments.

Newhall Land, and its successor agency, FivePoint, will be guiding factors in the Santa Clarita Valley’s future for some time to come — and we look forward to Don Kimball, as community president for the developer, to continue to create sustainable homes for the SCV.”

“College of the Canyons Chancellor Dianne Van Hook is a leader’s leader in the Santa Clarita Valley, and someone whose lasting power and continual ability to deliver top-notch results for COC makes her work there an invaluable asset for our community.”

It would be harder to find someone who’s worked harder than Bob Kellar on behalf of city of Santa Clarita for things like veterans support, public safety and small businesses, among other issues, over the last 20 years.

“Steve Sturgeon has been a longtime supporter of Santa Clarita Valley schools, as well as a successful entrepreneur in our community. His support of the nonprofit community is also part of what makes this community so great.

Cameron Smyth is a second-generation leader here in the Santa Clarita Valley who understands the importance of keeping Santa Clarita one of the best places to raise a family that there is, and he’s demonstrated a dedication to keeping it that way for decades.

“Santa Clarita City Councilwoman Laurene Weste has been an advocate for keeping the Santa Clarita Valley’s natural setting as pristine as possible, while also balancing the needs of the business community, and Santa Clarita residents are better off for her work on their behalf.”

Superintendent Vicki Engbrecht has been a real asset for the William S. Hart Union High School District as school leaders have navigated through the challenges of opening a state-of-the-art high school from scrat in Castaic.

“Hunt Braly has long been a respected dealmaker in the Santa Clarita Valley, who’s been responsible for helping a number of developments along, as well as being a noted figure in political circles. For decades, he’s also used his influence to support a number of causes.”

“Faced with one of the most difficult jobs in the Santa Clarita Valley — keeping an entire community safe, Capt. Robert Lewis of the SCV Sheriff’s Station regularly makes sure we live in one of the safest communities in the entire country.”

In a very short time, Congresswoman Katie Hill has made a national name for herself, and able to position herself in several high-profile roles in Congress, which continues to bring national attention to the 25th Congressional District.

John Musella of Evolve Business Strategies is someone who’s helped build a network of support for Santa Clarita Valley businesses when one almost didn’t exist, and then turned it into something stronger than ever, which is one of the many reasons why he belongs on this list.

“The jury’s out: The merger of the various water districts in the Santa Clarita Valley has been a huge success, thanks to legislative work and water board leadership. A big congratulations for that goes to SCV Water Agency General Manager Matt Stone.”

As a leader for an industry that makes up one of the city’s largest economic drivers, Don Fleming of Valencia Acura has been a longtime supporter of Santa Clarita Valley businesses, using his influence to try and make his community a better place to work and live

Assemblywoman Christy Smith seems to be learning her way around Sacramento very quickly, as evidenced by some of the work she’s already been able to accomplish on behalf of Santa Clarita Valley residents. We look forward to her building on a successful first year in office.

Cheri Fleming gives constantly of herself to the community’s local nonprofits, which she’s been able to do as a longtime successful business owner of Valencia Acura, along with her husband, Don. Our leaders who care are what makes the Santa Clarita Valley so special.

Sandy Sanchez has been a welcoming community presence for FivePoint, which is planning and developing the future of the west side of the Santa Clarita Valley. Her longtime community involvement is comforting to see in a company so important to our area’s outlook.

“One of the Santa Clarita Valley’s most trusted resources is its hospital, and the man charged with the task of keeping it running has managed to add programs, funding and facilities since taking leadership, making the hospital one of the best even better.

Bill Miranda has been a strong advocate for the business community during his term as a City Councilman, re-affirming the decision made by his fellow council members when they made his appointment. Our City Council is a major reason why the Santa Clarita Valley is a great place to live.

As a member of the William S. Hart Union High School District’s governing board, Joe Messina has been a longtime voice for Santa Clarita Valley high school students, and his dedication to developing opportunities for children has been vital to our community as it continues to grow.

When you have so many interests at play when it comes to industry and commerce in the Santa Clarita Valley, it’s important to have a unifying force keeping an eye on the big picture, and the SCV is lucky to have SCV Economic Development Corp. CEO Holly Schroeder in that role.

While the Santa Clarita Valley has a host of people and interests who are looking out for businesses, it’s the job of Jason Crawford, who does excellent work on behalf of the city, making sure it’s a place where people want to live and work.

Wayne Crawford is a model citizen for the city of Santa Clarita, the way he has been extremely successful with his business in the private sector and then making a significant effort to use that success to support a countless number of schools up here.

Santa Clarita’s plan for 2020 has been one of the most ambitious around, and the city of Santa Clarita’s director of Public Works, Robert Newman, is the man the city is looking to lead the way and make sure all of the city’s state-of-the-art facilities goals are accomplished.

Joe Caso of Frontier Toyota is one of the business owners out here who frequently give generously to support community activities in the Santa Clarita Valley without ever having to be asked, whether it’s little league athletics or local high school sports teams.

William S. Hart Union High School District Superintendent Vicki Engbrecht is passing the torch to another former Canyon High School principal, and the district is lucky to have Mike Kuhlman’s experience to continue to lead one of the best districts in the state.

Marlee Lauffer’s body of work in communications and outreach with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, and the high esteem the community has for that organization, demonstrates the skill and dedication she brings to the Santa Clarita Valley.

Despite years of drought that are inevitable in a desert like California, the Santa Clarita Valley has always been able to rely on safe, clean water, thanks to years of dedication from its leaders like Bill Cooper.

Michael Berger, a College of the Canyons governing board member and senior vice president at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, provides experience and expertise that benefits the Santa Clarita Valley business and nonprofit communities in a number of ways.

Steve Kim might be considered a relative newcomer to the Santa Clarita Valley, but he has already created a vision for the east side, and his recently purchased Sand Canyon Country Club, that could bring dramatic changes to the community.

Rick Patterson has long been a supporter of Santa Clarita Valley schools and a respected member of the area’s legal community. His efforts to give back over the years have had a tremendously positive influence on the Santa Clarita Valley.

“As a leader for one of the Santa Clarita Valley’s major developers and, in the business community at large, Dale Donohoe of Intertex has contributed to the development of the SCV in a number of ways, and remains one of its most influential citizens.”

California Resources Corp. CEO Todd Stevens leads one of the largest independent oil and natural gas producers in California, which acts as an important economic driver for our region, as well as helping to keep our motors running every day.

For more than 20 years, the firm of Poole & Shaffery, and now Poole Shaffery & Koegle, has been a leading business law firm in the Santa Clarita Valley, and John Shaffery is one of the biggest reasons for that, as a founding partner of the firm.

Marsha McLean has been a voice for the city of Santa Clarita’s residents for decades, and as the mayor, has worked on behalf of the transportation, environmental and the public safety needs of the area.

“Linda Storli’s involvement in the Santa Clarita Valley, whether it’s through her work for years on community events like the Fourth of July Parade, in the classroom at Canyon High or more recently for the whole Hart District, has been a real asset for this community.”

For the more than 30 years of its existence, the city of Santa Clarita has held a reputation for being one of the cleanest, safest communities in the state, if not the country, and city Spokeswoman Carrie Lujan has played an excellent job of upholding that legacy.

College of the Canyons has been lucky to have Michele Jenkins’ advocacy on its side for the last several decades. Her long-term commitment to the development of the college campuses and curriculum for COC are part of why it’s such an excellent, award-winning community resource.

Tom Cole’s influence in the city of Santa Clarita can be seen in how he leads the city department responsible for how it plans, develops and zones property. His excellent management there is a reason why the city remains a nationally recognized place to live.

College of the Canyons remains one of the best community colleges in the country, an institution that always delivers a quality education, as well as career opportunities, and the tenure of longtime governing board members like Joan MacGregor is a big reason for that consistency.

Kevin MacDonald is someone who keeps the largest resource for Santa Clarita Valley seniors running smoothly, Bella Vida, and someone who makes sure that thousands of seniors have a meal to eat and a safe place for them to gather as a community.

“With the nation in the throes of a heroin epidemic, in addition to all the other substance abuse issues every community in the country face, the Santa Clarita Valley is lucky to have Cary Quashen and Action on residents’ side in the battle against addiction.

County Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office does an amazing job representing hundreds of thousands of county residents, and she does it with an amazing team of people like Stephanie English, who really understand the Santa Clarita Valley and are able to meet the needs of our neighbors.

Ivan Volschenk has quickly become a vital part of our business community through the network he’s played an integral role in rebuilding at the SCV Chamber of Commerce. His work on behalf of local industry has helped the area maintain its business-friendly reputation.

Brian Koegle’s legal expertise and community leadership skills have made him a huge asset to not only the Santa Clarita Valley’s largest law firm, but also to our nonprofit organizations, colleges and community resources where he’s constantly there to help.

The city of Santa Clarita relies on responsible corporate partners like Princess Cruises, and Vice President Brian O’ Connnor is a big reason why one of the world’s most successful cruise lines has such a great relationship with the community that surrounds its headquarters.

Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency PIO Kathie Martin is the voice for one of our most important resources and, just like the agency she works for, she provides top-notch service for SCV residents, to ensure water-users have the information they need.