3 people, 1 firm to receive leadership awards

SCOTTSDALE - Three Scottsdale residents and one business will be honored Friday at Scottsdale Leadership's ninth annual Spirit of Community Leadership Awards luncheon at Hilton Scottsdale Resort & Villas, 6333 N. Scottsdale Road.

Honorees include William "Bill" Soderquist, former Scottsdale City Council member; Kurt M. Brueckner, past president of the Scottsdale Bar Association; Theresa Kyte, honors student at Desert Mountain High School; and Scottsdale Insurance Company, the first Corporate Leadership Award recipient.

An active community leader for almost 50 years, Soderquist will receive the Drinkwater Leadership Award, presented by Merrill Lynch. The award goes to a community member who most exemplifies the leadership and community service exhibited by Scottsdale's former Mayor Herb Drinkwater.

Previous winners include Jim Bruner, Art DeCabooter, Paul Messinger, Sam Kathryn Campana, Marion Saba and Frances Young.

Elected to the City Council in 1986 and re-elected in 1990, Soderquist endorsed programs that reduced air pollution. He took an active role in economic development programs, served on commissions that brought spring training baseball to the city, and served as president of the Scottsdale Railroad & Mechanical Society, overseeing the major renovation of McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park.

The Frank W. Hodges Alumni Achievement Award, presented by Prestige Cleaners, recognizes a Leadership alumni who has made a significant contribution to the community, as demonstrated by Class I graduate Hodges.

Previous honorees include Sen. Carolyn Allen, Bob Howard, Virginia Korte, Eileen Rogers, Tom Silverman, Diana Smith and Doug Sydnor.

Hodges honoree Brueckner, a former chairman of the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce, is a Class II Leadership graduate. He's a founder of the Titus, Brueckner & Berry P.C. law firm, and, in 2007, he received the Scottsdale Bar Association's Award of Excellence.

Brueckner has served on several boards and commissions, including chair of Scottsdale's Transportation Commission, vice-chair of the Redevelopment Board, and a member of the Endowment Advisory Board.

The Youth Leadership Award, presented by Scottsdale Active 20-30 Foundation, recognizes a youth who exhibits leadership skills at school and in the community.

Honoree Kyte, a co-founder and president of the non-profit Kids Caring for a Cause, was named Miss Arizona National Junior Teenager in 2006. She's a volunteer with ChildHelp USA, at Maggie's Place, and with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The new Corporate Leadership Award, presented by The Dial Corporationrecognizes a company that promotes and exemplifies leadership and community service.

The recipient, Scottsdale Insurance Company, has employees engaged in volunteering throughout the community as board members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale, the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce, Scottsdale Leadership, Valley of the Sun United Way, Junior Achievement, Scottsdale/PV YMCA, Phoenix Symphony, and the American Red Cross.

In addition, the company has won recognition for its community service efforts, including the 2008 American Red Cross Circle of Humanitarians Award, the Sterling Award for Big Business in 2005, and the MLK Diversity Champion Award in 2006.

The luncheon, sponsored by Arizona Public Service and Scottsdale Republic/The Arizona Republic, with the city as a supporting sponsor, begins at 11 a.m. Friday. Individual reservations are $85. For information, call 480-627-6710.

Lois McFarland is a correspondent for the Scottsdale Republic. She can be reached at loiswrites@aol.com.