Valleywide : 13 Nominated for the Fernando Award

Among the nominees for this year’s Fernando Award honoring public service in the San Fernando valley are two well-know figures-- former Los Angeles Police Chief Ed Davis and current president of Cal State Northridge, Blenda J. Wilson.

Award officials say Wilson is the first African American woman to be nominated for the award. There were 13 nominees for this year’s award, to be presented on Nov. 3 at Warner Center.

Since 1958, the Fernando Award has been given annually to recognize an individual for a lifetime of community service in the Valley.

Valley chambers of commerce and past recipients nominate candidates and vote.

The award is a statuette of a young Native American, which is meant to represent a dedication to the community.

A 6-foot, 11-inch replica of the statuette has been standing at the Van Nuys Civic Center since 1968, bearing the names of all the award winners.

Also on this year’s list are several previous nominees, including Bud Brown, a retired district manager for GTE, Kenneth C Banks, a North Hollywood insurance broker, and John F.Weitkamp, a Granada Hills attorney.

Rounding out the list are first-time nominees Dr Avrum Z Blumming, the founder of Free Net; Nancy Schmidt, manager of the Sherman Oaks branch of American Pacific State Bank; William Slater,president of Apex Electronics in Sun Valley; Walter W. Mosher Jr., president of Precision Dynamics Corp.; Rickey M. Gelb, managing general partner of Gelb Enterprises; Bernward Thorsch, owner of Studio City Camera Exchange; Ron Feinstein, president of All Valley Washer, and Robert L. Scott, a San Fernando Valley lawyer.