Distinguished Person Award

DISTINGUISHED PERSON 2022 Suzie johnson

Suzie Johnson has served the La Cañada Flintridge Community for many years. In 1998, she was President of the PTO of the Lighted Window Preschool, now the Lighted Window Early Learning Center. In 2003, Johnson became the preschool's director and has held this position for over 20 years. Suzie led the preschool through the challenges of the pandemic, finding creative ways to support families while being mindful of keeping the children, families, and staff safe and healthy. Serving our youngest children takes a loving, organized, and hard-working vision. Suzie is all three. Suzie knows each child by name, celebrates each one's growth, and is mindful of each child's challenges. Beyond her service at the child development center, Suzie has been active in the PTA at Paradise Canyon Elementary, served as the Cheer Mom and the Football Mom at La Cañada High School, and has been a member of the La Canada Junior Women's Club. She has served as an organizer and support person for the Miss La Cañada Flintridge Royal Court. Suzie's focus is early childhood education and the support of many local families.

DISTINGUISHED PERSON 2021 Dennis and Linda Fors

Dennis and Linda have been active La Cañada Flintridge community volunteers for decades. Most recently, Dennis’ leadership of the Kiwanis Club of La Cañada has been stellar. While he served as interim President, his wife, Linda, became a member who led philanthropic endeavors and was present and active weekly. She is a true gem regarding service in the LCUSD and LCF Community. When the Covid lockdown began, Dennis and his team reinvented the club’s ability to stay connected. Linda helped establish needed outreach opportunities for Kiwanis to remain actively involved. The Fors team was integral in creating the Annual Trails Game in partnership with the LCF Trails Council. They proposed new task force groups, recruited members, and actively participated themselves. The club is robust and has grown in membership. They do not take credit for the success, but they applaud the commitment and willingness of people working together. Their partnership is an inspiration and will continue to energize our community positively.

DISTINGUISHED PERSON 2019 DR. MICHAEL & NANCY LEININGER

Mike and Nancy were destined to be together. They attended the same elementary school, high school and both graduated from the University of Utah with degrees in education. As teachers, they had many conversations about how best to create engaging curriculum and classroom experiences for their students. While raising their two daughters, Carrie and Anne, they always found time to volunteer in the classrooms, PTA, Girl Scouts, Junior League and church. Dr. Mike began as the Assistant Principal of La Cañada High School in 1987. In 1995, he was promoted to Principal, and in 2005, he was promoted to the District Office. Nancy taught 2nd grade at Palm Crest Elementary School where she became legendary throughout the entire school district for her kind and compassionate skills. In their retirement, they have become the dynamic duo of volunteerism dedicating themselves to the welfare and uplifting of elementary, junior high and high school students. In honor of the Leiningers’ commitment to service, a scholarship was established in their names and will be awarded to a student dedicated and active in service to their school and community.

Distinguished Person 2018 Erik Ovanespour

Erik opened his La Cañada Printefex at the age of 20! And in 2018, he celebrated Printefex’s 20th anniversary.

Over the years, Erik has built a business that caters to many non-profit organizations in the area that focus on kids and education. Erik personally cares and oversees each project that comes into his business, and treats everyone as if they were his only client by discussing how to better improve the layout, wording and overall impression.

Erik is part of a rare breed having been born and raised in La Cañada. He attended preschool in La Cañada and graduated from LCHS.
Opening a printing business was a natural for Erik, as his father, brother and godfather are all printers with their own print shops. Erik just became a printing partner with Xerox and Epson and will be utilizing all the new futuristic and state-of-the-art equipment in his shop. You can dazzle your family and friends with perfectly designed greeting cards, invitations and holiday cards.

In Erik’s own words, “I am very blessed to be here because my clients have become my friends, and it is such a special feeling to come to work every day. I still really love what I do.”

Distinguished Person 2017 Wendy Wyatt

Wendy was honored for her paramount contributions to FCSF! FCSF was started in 1968 by community volunteers and has been operating in much the same way since. Wendy joined FCSF in 2004 and soon became president. Under Wendy’s leadership, she took teamwork, collaboration, and continuity to a new level for six years, increased membership, and generated new fundraising ideas.

Under her guidance, the visibility of our Foundation within the community grew, which allowed our fundraisers to contribute vastly more to the scholarship funds, thereby allowing FCSF to award more scholarships to deserving high school students in the Foothill Communities.

Distinguished Person 2016 Wes Seastrom

Volunteering is in the Seastrom blood. Wes’s mother, Jo Seastrom, was involved on the ground floor of the organization of CSF in 1964, and she served on the board of directors in various capacities. Jo and her husband, Don, actively supported their community and raised their two sons, Wes and Craig, to do the same. Wes continues his parents’ custom of serving his community by giving himself to numerous civic and professional organizations, often serving as president, chairman, and other board positions. Karen thanked Wes for being a humble, generous superstar supporter of CSF. Wes’s mother, in 1991 when Don passed away, started the CSF Memorial Scholarship in his honor. Upon the passing of their mother, Jo, in 2010, Wes and Craig continued the tradition by naming it the Don and Jo Seastrom Memorial Scholarship. Wes explained that we all undoubtedly appreciate academic excellence, but what he is personally proud of is when an equally hard-working and dedicated student, one who is not at the top tier of the academic ladder and isn’t getting a full-ride scholarship to Harvard, Stanford or USC, strives greatly and perseveres, sometimes in the face of personal hardship and family struggles, is awarded a scholarship from CSF because of their integrity, character, and tenacity.

Distinguished Person 2015 Paul Craig

Paul Craig, RN, JD, joined Keck Medicine of USC in May 2004 (from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles). When USC acquired Verdugo Hills Hospital, he talked about the expansion of the ambulatory network as they launched on a trajectory of real growth. At USC Keck Verdugo Hills Hospital, Craig was responsible for the central coordination of operations impacting the health system and leading initiatives for organizational improvement and true system integration. His duties included implementing the select insurance network that was under development, managing the Keck Medicine International Medicine Program, and assisting in onboarding the practices of the Keck Medicine of USC Medical Foundation. He provided leadership to crucial service areas to help them manage their growth. Working with past FCSF president Joel Peterson, Craig assisted the USC Foundation in awarding CSF a $25,000 grant. Craig’s professional memberships include the American Society of Healthcare Risk Managers, the American College of Healthcare Executives, and the Society of Human Resources Management.