Hamann Wins Service Award

WAITSBURG - Ross Hamann was led to the Commercial Club meeting recently under false pretenses.

Hamann was told his mother, Jan Kronkite, was again to receive the club's annual Community Service Award. But, as Tom Baker was describing the recipient, Hamann realized his mother hadn't been the force behind the new press box and isn't serving on the Waitsburg School Board. He does those things. Robbie Johnson, the club's president, said as Hamann realized that indeed, the person they were describing was him, his whole face turned red.

"They got me good," Hamann said with a laugh. "I was fooled."

In addition to working on the press box and serving on school board, Hamann has been part of the group that revitalized downtown Waitsburg and is a member of the Lions Club and president of the school's booster club.

"In the short time we have lived in Waitsburg, we have seen the selfless dedication of Ross to the restoration and development of downtown Waitsburg," said Larry and Deanne Johnson in their letter nominating Hamann for the award. "One can only imagine the countless hours Ross has spent on this wonderful project. Understanding these things are not always easy to accomplish it's amazing that he has continued with his drive to see the project through to fruition."

The Community Service Award is awarded to those who are most deserving in the community. Robbie Johnson said all community members are invited to nominate residents who have made a difference and the club's board reviews and selects the person to be awarded. Last year, the award was given to Karen Mohney and Skip Carpenter.

"I enjoy being part of the projects and trying to get the press box up," Hamann said. "I'm just very passionate about our community and our schools."

Hamann was actually born in Cedarville, Calif. When he was in high school, his mother remarried and she liked Waitsburg best in the Walla Walla and Touchet valleys. So, in 1977 he and his family packed up and moved to town.

"I was not happy because I left my friends," Hamann remembers. "It didn't take too long before I realized we came to a pretty special place. I was welcomed."

Hamann said he always felt like he belonged in Waitsburg. He played all of the sports he could including football and basketball, played in the band, was part of pep band and was class president.

"Being involved and included made me feel part of the community," he said. "It never really left me."

In 1980, he graduated from Waitsburg High School and attended Washington State University and Spokane Falls College studying computer animation. He married Vickie, who he had gone to high school with.

Later, he was a marketing manager for a scoreboard manufacturer in Spokane. But when he and Vickie started a family, they packed up and moved back to the town they grew up in.

"When we were going to raise our family, we (knew we) would be moving back," he said.

And upon the couple's return in 1997, He jumped into the Lions Club and was the chairman of the Revitalization Committee.

"It was like I never missed a beat," Hamann said.

He has also been Booster Club president since 1998, and on the school board since 2004. He's also been a part of the Town Hall Association.

Hamann has been working for the state penitentiary since 1999. Now, he's the human resources consultant. He said even though he went to school for the artistic side of him, he most enjoys the business side and like managing and supervising.

He and Vickie have two daughters, Valerie, 21, and Kimberly, who is a sophomore at WHS. Valerie is a junior at WSU.

His mother Jan Cronkhite is still in town and was the city's library manager for 30 years. His brother Fred Hamann, a 1982 WHS graduate, also lives in Waitsburg and works at the prison. Vickie's parents are still in town, too.

In addition to having so much family around, Hamann said being in a small town like Waitsburg means the work he does really makes a difference.

"I just enjoy it," Hamann said of his volunteerism. "I get a deep sense of community pride and accomplishment."