Bob Butler and Betty Smith are the 2021 Antioch Citizens of the Year for Most Impact, Lifetime Achievement
2021 Antioch Citizens of the Year Bob Butler and Betty Smith. Source; Facebook
Antioch Chamber also announces other awards
Choose Emerald HPC owned by Keith and Iris Archuleta, strategic planning consultants as Small Business of the Year, CoCo Farms cannabis dispensary as Large Business of the Year
By Allen D. Payton
Antioch resident Bob Butler was selected as the 2021 Antioch Citizen of the Year for Most Impact, the Antioch Chamber of Commerce announced, this week. Betty Smith, also an Antioch resident and president of the Rivertown Jamboree, was chosen Citizen of the Year for Lifetime Achievement.
The Chamber also announced the winners of the 2021 Antioch Business, Non-Profit, Student and Veteran of the Year Awards. The winners will be honored at the 2022 Inaugural Gala and Recognition Dinner on March 25.
Bob Butler
Butler, a KCBS Radio news reporter, was honored by the Kiwanis Club of the Delta-Antioch with their Community Service Award, last year, for his volunteer work helping people during COVID. (See related article)
Butler has decades of experience in radio and television news reporting, writing and production. For over 40 years you may have heard his news reports on KCBS radio networks.
He has taught broadcast journalism at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University and served as President of the National Association of Black Journalists.
Butler, has been helping neighbors during the pandemic by shopping for them. When the pandemic started most of us were worried about going out and exposing ourselves to COVID-19. Going to the store and finding necessary items was getting harder, and the idea of having to bring young children and the elderly was even more worrisome.
At that time Bob stepped up to help. He shopped and delivered items to seniors, people with compromised health issues and parents with small children or children with disabilities and many people who were just too concerned to go out for fear of exposure.
Thinking of others before himself and for his effort we have named Butler the Citizen of the Year with the Most Impact.
Betty Smith
Smith has been a long-time volunteer in the community, leading the Rivertown Jamboree non-profit organization, which previously organized the annual music festival in the city’s historic downtown and more recently, the Delta Thunder speed boat races in memory of the late Councilman Gary Agopian.
Smith hit the community running, as soon as she, her husband, and three children arrived at their new home in Antioch in March of 1984. She commuted to Auburn with the telephone company for three more years, before concentrating on Vancat Enterprises and her family. She wanted her three children taught how to live in a neighborhood. She started by joining Soroptimist International of Antioch, she served on the boards of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce, the Delta Learning Center, Metro-One Credit, which is now Travis Credit Union, The Rivertown Jamboree, Delta Memorial Hospital Foundation and Save a Life Sister.
She is still setting an example for her grandchildren by continuing her service in Soroptimist International of Antioch, the Rivertown Jamboree, Delta 2000/Rivertown Resource Center, Luncheon for the Antioch Police Department with the help of Chuck’s Wagon Catering, Saint Anna’s Episcopal Church Bishop Committee and Episcopal Church Women.
Betty said of her service to the Antioch Community, “With tears in my eyes I need to thank all of my family and friends for helping me along the way. I wouldn’t be here without the grace of God and your help. This is to all that have touched my life and my children’s lives. I love Antioch and I tried to plow the fields to make a better place for all.”
The winners of the other awards are:
2021 Small Business of the Year is Emerald HPC and owners Keith and Iris Archuleta, strategic planning consultants.
2021 Large Business of the Year is CoCo Farms cannabis dispensary.
2021 Non-Profit of the Year is the Rotary Club of the Delta (Antioch).
2021 Student of the Year is Gio Terrones of Antioch High School.
2021 Lifetime Veteran of the Year is Tom Menasco.
2021 Veteran of the Year is Gerald “J.R.” Wilson.
The Chamber will also be celebrating posthumously the lives of Antioch music teacher and musician Romano Marchetti and Tom Guarino of PG&E, who did so much for our community through their dedication and service to Antioch.
This premier event will be held on Friday March 25 at the Lone Tree Golf Course and Event Center. If you would like to join in and celebrate with the winners, you can purchase tickets at www.antiochchamber.com.
A request was sent to the Chamber asking for more details about each of the winners, but a response was not received as of publication time. Please check back later for any updates.
Dr. Sean Wright, CEO of the Chamber and Ana Cosovic contributed to this report.
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Bob Butler & Betty Smith FB
