Doris Nelson recognized with Funds Honoree Award-2024.

Each year, AAUW National conducts a fundraising campaign to raise the funds
needed to do the research and advocacy work to meet the mission of AAUW. They
commission studies, hold events, and advocate nationally to achieve the vision
of Equity for All.
Each AAUW member is encouraged to make a contribution toward the national
campaign. If branch members contribute over $500, the branch is eligible to select an Honoree.
The determination of who is honored is done by a committee that is led by the
previous year recipient. This year, we are once again eligible to select an Honoree
and the award has gone to Doris Nelson. Doris was selected to be honored for her
years of dedicated service to the branch many of which were as the branch
photographer.

Doris joined in 2006, and has been very active in helping the branch with community
focused events and helping to manage the AAUW on-line presence.
Doris was presented the award by Susan Pierce, a past recipient. Bonita Smulski-Bizeau
serves as the Tillamook branch Funds Chair and organizes the local fundraising campaign.

Past Honoree’s

Carolyn Ollikainen Named Funds Honoree for 2023

After many years of service to the Tillamook branch, Carolyn Ollikainen was voted into the Educational Funds Honoree group by fellow past honorees.

AAUW Funds Foundation Named Gift Honoree for 2021

It is an honor to present our 2021 Gift Funds Honoree, Nora  Cox Coutant. Nora has been an active member of Tillamook  Branch AAUW since December 2010. She earned both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts Degrees from the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma. She spent many years as a teacher in the Neahkanie School District as well as teaching overseas.  Her worldly travels added to her teaching ability and to our Bookworms Book Club discussions over the years. For example, our book club was recently discussing Jodi Picoult’s book Leaving  Time. The book discusses a woman’s extensive research about the behavioral patterns of elephants. Nora was the only member who had ridden both Asian  (in Thailand) and African elephants (in Botswana) and could articulate the differences she experienced with these massive creatures. The baby elephant at the Oregon Zoo, who Oregon school children named Packy, didn’t quite have a  similar level of expertise! 

Nora’s activities in our branch include many experiences with refreshment tables over the years. When the AAUW State Convention was in Garibaldi, Nora served as the leader of the refreshment committee. She played an active role in our Spelling Bee by managing the refreshments table for participants from all three school districts. The Tech Trek Camp required an extensive kitchen crew. I always saw Nora helping as we fed the preteen girls attending this exciting week of learning. Nora revealed her leadership and organizational skills at our Annual Rummage Sales. As the chair of this event for several years,  she streamlined the rummage sale process making it easier to collect, layout items, and clean up. Nora has supported the branch for over 10 years by working to set up, decorate, feed, and clean up for multiple events including our Wine &  Chocolate event. This was the first year that our branch hasn’t had several of these events to raise funds due to the pandemic. Maybe after 10 years, it was time for Nora and the rest of us to have a break. Now, Nora’s multiple book club memberships have kept her busy reading during the interim.  All the Best, Nora, and Congratulations!!

—By Jean Mong, AAUW of Tillamook Funds Chair