December 13, 2020
Faith Pettis and Denise Stiffarm Recognized for Community Leadership
Pacifica partners Faith Pettis and Denise Stiffarm have been recognized for their leadership and extraordinary community contributions.
Pacifica partners Faith Pettis and Denise Stiffarm have been recognized for their leadership and extraordinary community contributions.
Faith Pettis was awarded The Senator Scott White Regional Leadership Award by the Seattle Chamber of Commerce at its 2018 Regional Leadership Conference, for her leadership in bringing together a broad group to address the challenge of housing affordability in Seattle. The Senator Scott White Award honors individuals who build bridges between competing interests, demonstrate a willingness to take on big problems, and move policy issues from discussion to action. First presented in 2012, the Award recognizes the life and work of the late Senator Scott White, who exemplified a collaborative, servant leadership style.
As co-chair of the City of Seattle’s Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) Task Force, Faith was instrumental in building consensus and developing HALA’s ten-year plan to generate 50,000 new net homes—20,000 affordable homes and 30,000 market rate homes – in our community.
Recently, the Chief Seattle Club celebrated its 50th year in providing services and programs leading the way home for hundreds of urban Native people, and awarded Denise Stiffarm the inaugural Stiffarm Visionary Leadership Award. The Club honored Denise as a pivotal leader for her decades of service on Chief Seattle Club’s board of directors and commitment to Seattle’s urban Indian community, and also honored the leadership of her uncle, the late Benjamin Stiffarm Sr., one of the original Club founders.
Introducing the Stiffarm Visionary Leadership Award, the Club noted the respect in many Native communities for the Eagle, and it’s representation of strength, courage, guidance, and vision. As board member and then board chair, Denise (Aaniiih Nation – Gros Ventre) led the organization in the move to its first permanent home. She worked to expand the Club’s services and budget, focusing on the Club’s mission, its members, “their well-being, their humanity and their importance in the Native community.” The Club noted that she shined in her service to members, volunteering with her husband Marc, knowing members by name, spending many hours sharing stories and tea, experiencing and embracing our mission to provide sacred space for beloved relatives.
Faith and Denise have made a difference in our community, demonstrating a model of leadership that finds strength and courage in moving forward together.
