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The Annual Discover Burien Dinner and Silent Auction, and City of Burien Annual Awards Ceremony was well-attended Friday night, March 1, at the Burien Community Center. Nearly 150 attended. Food was featured from local restaurants. Hosting and presenting awards were Discover Burien President Brian Frederick of Cox Financial, LLC, and local filmmaker and entrepreneur Steve Edmiston who mentioned his soon-to-be-released film, "The Maury Island Incident" about the UFO sitings there 66 years ago.

The 2012 Leadership awards were selected from nominations from the community and voted upon by the Discover Burien Board of Directors.

Brothers Tim and Ken Robinson, of Robinson Newspapers, presented their 7th Annual "Robby Award" to Lynda Isernio, Vice President , Branch Manager,
Sterling Bank in Burien. She was honored for both her professionalism and community activism. Tim and Ken's father and publisher, Jerry Robinson, could not attend. However, in his place, a soft foam sculpture of his likeness joined his sons at the podium.

Before they presented the Robby, Tim and Ken sang an original tune penned by their uncle 70 years ago about skinny-dipping. The closing line mentions that someone stole his underwear hanging on a willow tree branch "and left me with a smile."

The Leadership Award recipients included "Business Leader of the Year" – Scott Schaefer, SoKing Media/B-Town Blog, Student Leader of the Year – Sierra Flanagan, Senior, Highline High School, Discover Burien Volunteer of the Year – Denise Ferguson. Team Clean Sweep Recognition of the Year – Alestaire Echavia, and Non-Profit Leader of the Year – NAVOS.

"I'm excited for the turnout," Discover Burien Executive Director Gina Bourdage told the Highline Times just prior to the award presentations. "This is probably my fifth year attending the dinner, my third working with Discover Burien. I'm very proud of all the positive growth, and all the new faces coming in."

Burien Little Theatre's Managing Director, Maggie Larrick, had a table at the reception to promote their new production, Jesus Christ Superstar, which runs through March 24 with live band and all-female cast set in the future.

Navos CEO David Johnson, who accepted the award for NAVOS, shared his pride about their new facility on Ambaum with the Highline Times. Johnson just received the Just received the National Behavioral Health Care Council's Visionary Leader of the Year award.

"We've just completed the large mental health center on Ambaum. Our next project is very large building project on our Ruth Dykman children's services campus. We sold the Seattle Childrens Home Campus in Queen Anne and are investing every penny of that into developing the Ruth Dykman Campus, to create more services for children in need.

"Navos has worked really hard to position ourselves for the new world of health care reform," he said. "The new campus on Ambaum integrates a primary health care clinic right inside the behavior health care center and that building is getting national attention for being state of the art. Life is far more stressful than before in many different ways. People try to cope with that combination of difficult life events and whatever our genetic predisposition is. Burien has been an incredibly gracious partner to us."

Burien Attorney at Law and Discover Burien Board Member Joseph A. Breidenbach said he likes to be called "DUI Joe."

"A lot of people think that if they don't drink they can't get a DUI," he told the Highline Times. "That's absolutely not true. If your driving is (negatively) affected by prescription, and non-prescription drugs, anti-depressants or sleeping pills you can get a DUI."

A colleague at his table quipped that while he can't guarantee that he can keep the worst offenders out of jail, "He definitely will visit you there."

Debra George, who seemed to be at three or four places at once working the event, received a standing ovation. She is Discover Burien Events Manager, Co-owner of Mark Restaurant and Bar, and Director of Burien C.A.R.E.S. Animal Control Center.