At the Awards of Excellence ceremony held June 16, 2016, President Ana Mari Cauce awarded Sandra Motzer the 2016 UW-UWRA Distinguished Retiree Excellence in Community Service award.

The award recognizes Motzer’s significant contributions to her Lake City community, focused on making Lake City a better place in which to live, work and recreate.

Motzer founded the Lake City Emergency Communication Hub, which is now considered a model for other communities. Emergency Hubs serve as gathering places to facilitate the sharing of information between the city and residents in the event of a natural disaster such as an earthquake. To fund the Hub, Motzer secured a Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Neighborhood Matching Fund grant, which she paired with land she negotiated with commercial agencies to obtain. She is leading the Hub effort to obtain IRS nonprofit status.

Through her work with the Hub, Motzer became more aware of the needs of the Lake City community. The area lacks infrastructure that is present in the rest of Seattle, from sidewalks to ADA compliance at the community center. There are insufficient parks and green spaces for the number of residents, and outdoor sports courts and sports fields are limited. There is no senior center in the area.

The Lake City Neighborhood Alliance (LCNA) was formed in 2013. It includes representatives of 28 community organizations working to improve the quality of life in Lake City. Motzer started working with the LCNA as a representative of the Hub and volunteered to serve as a member of the initial LCNA steering committee. She was elected its first chair, a position she still holds.

Together, the LCNA board and member organizations have already compiled a long list of accomplishments. They communicate Lake City’s needs to the mayor and city council, hold open monthly community meetings, and write letters and participate in forums on issues affecting Lake City.

They have partnered with Lake City Greenways to drive the Lake City Way Traffic Safety Corridor project, moved the City Council to examine improvements at Lake City Community Center, and participated on the community team that successfully worked to save a street-end public beach that was in danger of being taken over by adjacent property owners.

Motzer’s City Council testimony helped lead to the first funding for senior services in the Lake City/Northgate areas.

As an emeritus professor in nursing, Motzer has a particular interest in her community’s health care needs. She continues to collaborate with the UW School of Nursing and the de Tornyay Center for Healthy Aging on bringing senior services to Lake City.

In summary, her nominators wrote, “Dr. Motzer has followed her distinguished academic career with extensive work in support of her community. Her efforts have had significant impact on the quality of life for the residents of Lake City and beyond.“

Sandra Motzer retired from Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems in 2008 following more than 30 years of UW service. UWRA is proud to have her representing UW retirees as this year’s distinguished retiree award winner.