Virginia Swanson, who has chaired the City’s Special Events Committee for more than 25 years, has received the Big Bertha Landes Award from the Fremont Chamber of Commerce. The award recognizes “women who take charge and take action.”

The award is in recognition of the assistance Swanson has provided over the years in support of Fremont special events, such as the Red Bull Soap Box Derby, Fremont Fair and Solstice Parade, Fremont Trolloween and Fremont Oktoberfest.

“We, the small businesses of Fremont, realize our events make us a happening place,” Suzie Burke, board member of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, said in a press release. “Virginia has made Seattle a happening place for years. We are so lucky to have her.”

Past award winners include former Seattle City Council member Jane Noland, Jeanne Muir, Jamie Shanks, Susan McClosky, DeeDee Footer and Lillian Tangen.

Bertha Landes was mayor of Seattle from 1926 to 1928 and was the first female executive of a major American city.

Prior to her mayoral term, she served as city council president, during which one of her responsibilities was to be acting mayor during then-Mayor Edwin J. “Doc” Brown’s absences.

While Mayor Brown was in New York City at a Democratic Convention, Landes famously made national headlines by firing his police chief for failing to rid his department of corruption.