Atascadero citizen Barbie Butz named ‘Champion of the Community’
Barbie Butz pictured here with Atascadero Mayor Tom O’Malley. Photo from tomomalley.net.
–The California Parks and Recreation Society (CPRS) has selected Barbie Butz as Champion of the Community for 2017.
The CPRS Champion of the Community award honors those who have made “significant efforts to improve the quality of their community through parks and recreation, and recognizes the contributions of those who volunteer and provide support and services in their community that furthers the mission and quality delivery of park and recreation services, programs and facilities in their community.” Through the years, Barbie has been and continues to be a dynamic and energetic force for good causes; she’s seemingly a tireless worker for our community.
Barbie Butz has a very long history of service to Atascadero and the surrounding communities in numerous capacities, which, in part, includes her service on the City’s Parks and Recreation Commission beginning back in 1992, where she served as a very active commissioner continuously for over 22 years. Through her service as a commissioner and as founder of the Atascadero Recreation Center Committee, Barbie played a key role from beginning to end in the planning and development of Atascadero’s Colony Park Community Center, with the Center opening its doors to the community in 2007. In addition, Barbie participated in the fundraising efforts to help modernize the furnishings at the City’s Pavilion on the Lake, a premiere local wedding and event venue. Barbie has also served as chairperson of the Atascadero Lakeside Wine Festival Committee, which directly supports renovation of the Charles Paddock Zoo as well as providing donations to many other charitable non-profit groups in the community.
Barbie has served on the boards of the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce, the Atascadero Youth Task Force, the Atascadero Printery Foundation and the Colony Days Committee, to name just a few. Barbie is also on the Performing Arts Center Committee, which is working to build a Performing Arts Center in Atascadero.
She also has served on the boards of countywide agencies such as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and the Assistance League of San Luis Obispo County, through which she helped to develop Operation School Bell. She was also the driving force behind the Coats for Kids program of SLO County, which is in its 29th year of distributing new and used coats and sweaters to those in need each year. As a founding member of the Assistance League of San Luis Obispo County in the early 1990’s and serving as Chapter President, Barbie and was instrumental in the formation of the non-profit organization which is dedicated to recognizing the potential of volunteers in helping less fortunate individuals to achieve a better, more meaningful life in SLO County.
Barbie has lived in Atascadero for over 30 years. Barbie is truly a gem of the community, one who continually and consistently gives so much of herself to assist others.
The CPRS Champion of the Community award will be presented to Barbie during the Awards Banquet at the annual CPRS State Conference in Long Beach in March 2018.
