2 public servants surprised with Kennewick Man and Woman of the Year awards

The Kennewick man and woman of the year each have held key local government positions, but have gone beyond their required public duties to make Kennewick a better place to live.

Marie Mosley, the Kennewick city manager since 2011, was named the 2019 Kennewick Woman of the Year, and Rick Corson, the former Benton County coroner, was named the 2019 Kennewick Man of the Year.

Winners were announced Monday night at a banquet at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick.

The awards are presented annually by Soroptimist International of Kennewick-Pasco and the Kennewick Past Men of the Year Club to residents who embody the civic spirit of the community.

Volunteer service is the prime consideration in giving the award, but professional merit and activities also are considered.

Kennewick Woman of the Year

Mosley started her work as manager of Kennewick by developing its new motto, “Leading the Way” through integrity, inclusiveness, stewardship and communication.

“The motto and core values are not just words on a plaque, but are words that Marie lives by,” said retired Kennewick Councilman Paul Parish and Kennewick Police Chief Ken Hohenberg, who jointly nominated her.

She has worked not only to develop exceptional customer service in city government, but has built partnerships across city and county lines that benefit Kennewick and other Tri-Cities residents, the nomination said.

She recognizes that economic development brings vibrancy to the Tri-Cities and has championed ways to work with the Port of Kennewick.

The city and port were recognized by the Washington state governor’s office for the past two years for their partnership on projects in the Vista Entertainment District and Kennewick’s historic waterfront, helping to bring in production wineries, tasting rooms and public artwork.

A native of the Tri-Cities, Mosley donates her personal time and finances generously to community programs, her nomination said.

She was board chairwoman of the United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties in 2014 and 2015 and was named the distinguished volunteer of the year in 2017.

She’s also involved with Junior Achievement, her church, the Kennewick Police Foundation’s Community Cares Fund and the Tri-Cities Cancer Center.

Kennewick Man of the Year

Corson was Benton County coroner from 2007 until retiring in 2011 after a career that also included 20 years with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, including being the youngest undersheriff in the state.

He also taught classes at Columbia Basin College.

He has devoted a significant amount of time to civic and charitable organizations, said his letter of nomination, submitted by Tim Doyle, who was Kennewick Man of the Year in 2013..

“Rick’s passion for helping people in need has and continues to be a fundamental tenet of his life and an example to us all on the importance of being a part of something bigger than ourselves,” his nomination said.

With the Kennewick Kiwanis, he developed a flag football program for students at Amistad Elementary.

Students must earn the privilege of joining the football program, with a focus on academics and respect for their peers

“He is successfully using football to instill ... the importance of academics, kindness to classmates and respect for authority figures,” the nomination said.

Corson also led Kiwanis work in developing and coordinating another children’s program, Ignite Youth Mentoring. Volunteer mentors are assigned to students with problems that can include depression, drug abuse, being bullied or attempts to harm themselves.

He’s provided support to the Tri-Cities Cancer Center, including serving as chairman for the center’s annual golf tournament.

He also gives help without fanfare to people in need, his nomination said.

He has purchased bikes for families that could not afford them, bought Christmas presents for a family headed by a single mother who was struggling financially, gave a washer and dryer to a CBC student and has had rent-free Decembers to allow his tenants to have merrier holidays.