Fernando Nominees Tell of Work in Community

Rose Goldwater likes to say that if you’re the right person for a job, you’ll get it done. That is true of the community activist herself, who was the first woman to serve as president of the Woodland Hills and United Chambers of Commerce.

“I like to put the fire under projects, to get them going, but honestly, I couldn’t have accomplished what I have without the help of others,” said Goldwater, 68. “The people who work with me share my dreams.”

Goldwater’s tireless work for countless organizations has earned her one of five finalists’ slots for this year’s prestigious Fernando Award, which annually honors one Valley person for outstanding community service.

The eight-time nominee for the award--which will be announced Nov. 5 during a banquet--serves as chairwoman of the West Hills Hospital Community Advisory Board and helped create the hospital’s chapel.

The Woodland Hills resident, a retired businesswoman, also helped launch construction of a $1-million activities building at Pacific Lodge Youth Services in Woodland Hills. It houses a weight room, gymnasium and art room and serves about 200 teenage boys a year.

“Knowing that I’ve made a positive difference gives me great satisfaction,” Goldwater said.

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Bob Scott is not one to complain about problems in his community. He likes to roll up his sleeves and find solutions.

“Local empowerment is the key to local accomplishment,” the political activist said. “To have a responsive local government, people must get involved.”

Scott, 53, has been a prolific supporter of local causes for 26 years. The West Hills resident and lawyer co-founded the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley, which brought together dozens of community groups to aid in the economic recovery after the 1994 Northridge earthquake. He also has served as president of the United Chambers of Commerce of the San Fernando Valley.

The five-time Fernando Award nominee is president of the Los Angeles Planning Commission and is vice chairman of the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn.

“The people in the Valley suffer from something of an identity crisis,” Scott said. “They need to develop a sense of place and community. If we can create a responsive local government, people get involved.”

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Ten years ago, Robert D. Voit, another Fernando Award finalist, started thinking about ways he could help improve his West Valley community. He organized a neighborhood forum, where homeowners’ groups and civic leaders were asked to prioritize the area’s most pressing needs.

The overwhelming response led to the creation of an after-school program for local children, Voit said. Through his efforts, the West Valley Boys & Girls Club opened its doors six years later at Calvert Street Elementary School in Woodland Hills.

Voit, 59, whose company developed Warner Center in Woodland Hills, helped launch the Valley Cultural Center. He also co-founded the Warner Center Assn., an organization that brought ride sharing to the West Valley in 1980.

“I’m deeply pleased that people would want to enter my name alongside those who have been so important to the Valley in terms of their volunteerism,” Voit said.

The other two finalists, Lee Kanon Alpert and Ruth Richter, were profiled last week.