Anne Levinson named the first Nancy Nordhoff Civic Leadership Award Recipient

CityClub is proud to announce community leader, Anne Levinson, as the first recipient of the Nancy Nordhoff Civic Leadership Award. Levinson will receive the award at CityClub’s 30^th Anniversary Gala on Wednesday, June 6, 2012 at the Seattle Westin.

The Nancy Nordhoff Civic Leadership Award recipient reflects CityClub’s mission of civic service as exemplified by Nancy Nordhoff’s example. One of the eight CityClub founders, Nancy epitomizes community building through vision, leadership, generosity and collaboration. “CityClub is pleased to recognize Anne Levinson with this first award. Anne works tirelessly for justice and equity. She is wise and generous. She leads by example and inspires others. She shares so many qualities exemplified by Nancy Nordhoff,” said CityClub Executive Director, Diane Douglas.

About Anne Levinson

Since 2010, Judge Levinson (ret.) has served as an independent advisor to the City of Seattle with regard to police accountability. As a judge, she served on the Seattle Municipal Court, where she founded and then presided over one of the nation’s first mental health courts, designed to divert mentally ill individuals out of the criminal justice system and instead connect them with treatment and services. Before joining the bench, she was Chair of Washington State’s Utilities & Transportation Commission where she was a leader in the state’s fight against energy deregulation during the Enron years. Previously, she served in several roles in the Norman Rice administration and was a Special Assistant to the Mayor in the Charles Royer administration.

In 2007 and 2008, Levinson led the effort to keep the Seattle Storm from being moved to Oklahoma by confidentially reaching out to the out-of-state owners, negotiating the acquisition of the team, putting together an ownership group to purchase it and negotiating a 10-year lease at KeyArena and a long-term partnership with SPU for a practice facility so that the team could remain in Seattle for the long-term.

Levinson also served for 10 years on the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Community Mandated Treatment, an interdisciplinary panel studying the effectiveness and policy implications of community mandated mental health treatment and as Special Counsel to Washington State’s Select Committee on Adolescents in Need of Long Term Placement, helping DSHS design system improvements for foster children.

Levinson has provided counsel and leadership for many civic efforts and political campaigns, and brought together groups across traditional lines to collaborate on community priorities.  She was one of the state’s first openly LGBT public officials. She has served on the board of directors for dozens of charitable organizations, including the founding boards for the Seattle Girls’ School, the Center for Children & Youth Justice, the Privacy Fund and Hands Off Washington.  She served on the search committee for Seattle’s new police chief, the Seattle Girls’ School Head of School and co-chaired the selection committee for Dow Constantine’s position on the County Council.  She is the recipient of numerous civic and community awards, and was named by the UW Women’s Center as one of 100 Washington Women Pioneers, by the students at Seattle University as one of five leaders to be recognized in the Hall of Leaders Display at the Pigott Leadership Center, and as one of the top 100 notable alumni of the University of Kansas.

About Nancy Nordhoff

Nancy Nordhoff grew up in the Seattle area in a family with a long history of generous philanthropy. In 1954, Nordhoff graduated from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Carrying on her family tradition of community service, Nordhoff generously puts her money, time, and energy into visionary projects.  Her sense of achievement comes not only from funding and building, but from having an idea and taking action to make it happen.

Early in her life, Nancy developed a career in volunteerism, fund raising and philanthropy and served on local, state and national boards of social service agencies, United Way and hospitals. Highlights of her volunteerism include: She is one of eight women who founded CityClub; she was founder and president (1982) of Pacific NW Grantmakers Forum, now Philanthropy Northwest; and she co-authored of Fundamental Practices for Success with Voluntary Boards of Non-Profit Organizations.

In 1988 Nancy founded and opened Hedgebrook, a 48 acre retreat on Whidbey Island for women writers where room and board are provided to women from around the world. Nancy has been involved in other major philanthropic efforts, both in the Seattle area and on Whidbey Island.

Nordhoff’s sense of community is also reflected in her high regard for taking care of the land, for preserving the environment and historic sites. In 1999, to help foster this work, she founded Goosefoot Community Fund, a not for profit corporation, which works to sustain the rural character of Whidbey Island through historic and environmental preservation, sustainable development, affordable housing, and the support of the rural economy. 

Nordhoff’s philanthropy is a testament to how vital an individual’s support can be to empower individuals and organizations. When asked, Nordhoff eloquently said, “Yes, I consider myself a philanthropist. I am not convinced that being a philanthropist is determined by the amount of money given, but by a generous heart giving as much as possible.”

CityClub’s 30^th Anniversary Gala

The public is welcome to attend CityClub’s 30^th Anniversary Gala which includes the presentation of the Nancy Nordhoff Award to Anne Levinson, a dinner and a conversation with General Colin Powell about his new book “It Worked For Me: In Life and Leadership,” moderated by KING 5 Jean Enersen. Individual tickets are $150. For ticket information call 206-682-7395 or visit www.SeattleCityClub.org