Dale Donohoe and Kim Kurowski were named the Santa Clarita Valley’s top volunteers of the year at the 2024 SCV Man and Woman of the Year dinner celebration held Friday, May 3 at the Hyatt Regency Valencia. The event also honored all of the 17 men and 17 woman nominated for the award.

Donohoe, nominated by the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Foundation, was named the 2024 SCV Man of the year. Kurowski, nominated by Soroptimist International of Greater Santa Clarita Valley, was named 2024 SCV Woman of the Year.

Donohoe’s nomination read:

“He has helped improved the community in which he was born and raised in so many ways. On paper—and in action—his contributions are numerous and impactful, and we’ll get to those in a moment. But first we’d like to share a few things that Dale Donohoe has done quietly, without fanfare, that have made a significant impact in the lives of those around him. When an employee at Donohoe’s company, Intertex, suffered a heart attack, his staff performed CPR while they waited for the paramedics, who used defibrillation to get the man’s heart beating again. After he was stabilized, Donohoe accompanied the patient at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital where he went into surgery to receive a stent. He recovered and is alive and well today.

“The ironic thing is that Intertex built the Robert G. Veloz Cardiac Cath Lab at Henry Mayo, and that it ultimately saved one our employees’ life,” said Donohoe.

Something else not many people know is that in late 2006-early 2007, Donohoe suffered a severe infection and went into kidney failure. Fortunately his wife Tamara was identified as a donor match, and gave one of her kidneys to her husband in May 2007. Donohoe remembers that he could not receive the transplant, however, until he was completely stabilized without any trace of infection. “I thank Henry Mayo, its doctors, employees and staff for making that happen,” said Donohoe.

As a strong advocate of Santa Clarita’s community hospital, Donohoe knows firsthand, as a patient, the importance of making sure the healthcare needs of our community are not only met, but surpassed. His gifts and vision for the future expansions of the hospital demonstrate this dedication.

As a board member of Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, and a co-chair for the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Foundation’s New Patient Tower Capital Campaign, Donohoe leads by example with his volunteerism and generous donations to help the hospital to provide the best in compassionate, quality healthcare.
Donohoe’s leadership benefits his community across many areas. A local born and bred, he is active in his church and has served as a deacon and an elder. He and his wife Tamara quietly donate to local charities and to his employees and their families when they see a need. He coached all four of his children in youth sports and was an elementary and junior high basketball coach at Santa Clarita Christian School. While he has served as a board member for many for profit organizations, we are naturally the most proud and grateful of how his volunteerism and donations have benefitted Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. Our mission statement is to improve the health of the community through compassion and excellence in healthcare services, and volunteers such as Donohoe help us accomplish this, every day. We are so grateful for all he does for the community hospital.

Kurowski’s nomination read:

“Kim Kurowski, as the dedicated Dream it Be It Board Liaison, plays a pivotal role in empowering young girls in the William S. Hart School District. Kim attends conferences at all high schools and one junior high, providing essential career support. Her commitment is evident as she arrives early for set-up, ensuring each session begins with a welcoming atmosphere, complete with breakfast and balloons for every participant.

Beyond Dream it Be It, Kurowski serves as a Director, orchestrating social events that keep our members well-informed about supported activities and nonprofits. With an impressive 16 years of Soroptimist knowledge, Kurowski’s wealth of experience extends to mentoring the president and fellow board members, fostering a collaborative and supportive environment.

Kurowski’s multifaceted contributions extend beyond the Dream it Be It program, enriching the Soroptimist International of Greater Santa Clarita Valley. Her dedication to breaking cycles of poverty, violence, and abuse through education and mentorship makes her an exemplary candidate for the Volunteer of the Year Award.”

A total of 34 individuals were nomined by 27 nonprofits for the pregstigious award. The Santa Clarita Valley Man and Woman of the Year, as the title is known today, was started by the Newhall-Saugus Chamber of Commerce as the “Outstanding Citizen of the Year” in 1964. Only one person was selected for the honor. In 1972 the honor became the SCV Man and Woman of the Year award with one man and one woman named each year receive the recognition.

The SCV Man and Woman of the Year honors are presented by the SCV Man and Woman of the Year Committee made up of all former SCV Men and Women of the Year.

The event is co-chaired each year by the previous year’s honorees. The 2024 event was co-chaired by the 2023 SCV Man and Woman of the Year, Don Kimball and Jenny Ketchepaw.

Other nominees included:

Lloyd Carder nominated by SCOPE, Santa Clarita Organization for Planning and the Environment.

Steve Corn nominated by the Santa Clarita Valley Rotary Club.

Michael Fisher nominated by Samuel Dixon Family Health Center.

Jason Gibbs was nominated by the Salvation Army Santa Clarita Valley Corps.

Alexander Hafizi nominated by the WiSH Education Foundation and was also nominated by Circle of Hope and JCI Santa Clarita.

Guy Horanberg nominated by the Santa Clarita History Center.

Taylor Kellstr nominated by Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and the Max Relief Foundation.

John Knight nominated by Carousel Ranch.

Michael Mazzetti nominated by SCVTV.

Randy Moberg nominated by College of the Canyons Foundation and also nominated by the VIA Education Foundation.

Brad Peach nominated by the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Santa Clarita Valley.

Steve Snow nominated by Fostering Youth Independence.

Dennis Sugasawara nominated by Soroptimist International of Greater Santa Clarita Valley.

Dennis Verner nominated by the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley.

Ron Vanvoorhis nominated by Exclusively First Responders.

Marc Winger nominated by the Child & Family Center.

Renee Berlin nominated by Carousel Ranch.

Teresa Ciardin nominated by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

Shelby Elrashidy nominated by Hank’s Legacy Foundation.

Jackie Hartmann nominated by the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center and was also nominated by Special Olympics Southern California/Santa Clarita.

Debbie Holbrook nominated by JCI Santa Clarita.

Laura Kirchhoff nominated by Exclusively First Responders.

Julie Benson Krumrine nominated by Fostering Youth Independence.

Mitzi Like nominated by the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Foundation and was also nominated by the College of the Canyons Foundation.

Meredith McGowan nominated by the Santa Clarita History Center.

Nicole Miller nominated by the Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley.

Carolina Orozco-Hernandez nominated by Samuel Dixon Family Health Center.

Laura Peach nominated by the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Santa Clarita Valley.

Pam Ripling nominated by Single Mothers Outreach.

Liz Seipel nominated by the Salvation Army Santa Clarita Valley Corps and was also nominated by the Rotary Club of Santa Clarita Valley.

Maria Slotsve nominated by the WiSH Education Foundation.

Pamela Verner nominated by the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley.

For more information visit www.scvmanwomanoftheyear.org.