Nevada City's mayor a finalist for Nau’s ‘Grant for Change’

Photo by Bob Lickter Reinette Senum was sworn in as mayor of Nevada City on July 8 along with Vice Mayor Robert Bergman (far right). City Clerk Niel Locke administered the oath of office.

The company let voters pick five of the 10 finalists. Nevada City Mayor Reinette Senum, who had 1,004 votes, is one of the top five vote-getters. The Grant for Change Leadership Panel selected the other five finalists. The next step is for the leadership panel to interview the 10 finalists. The winner will be announced on Oct. 6.

Nevada City Mayor Reinette Senum is one of 10 finalists for the $10,000 Nau “Grant for Change,” the company announced today. She received 1,004 votes for the second highest total.

A Nau spokesperson said 294 nominees were competing for the grant, which recognizes individuals who bring positive change to their community.

The company let voters pick five of the 10 finalists.The Grant for Change Leadership Panel selected the other five finalists.

Tonya Danielly's Hearts and Hooves for the Handicapped program was the top vote-getter with 1,050.

The next step is for the leadership panel to interview the 10 finalists. The winner will be announced on Oct. 6.

"Our mission for this project is to find everyday people who are giving back to the community and who can truly moved the needle with both financial support and added public awareness," said Gordon Seabury, president and CEO of Nau, a clothing designer based in Portland, Ore.

Senum was elected in June 2008 to the City Council and sworn in as mayor for a one-year term earlier this year. She is the director of the non-profit Power-Up NC and one of the founding members of APPLE, or the Alliance for a Post-Petroleum Local Economy.

She was a driving force behind the Nevada City Farmers Market, which is held every Saturday from May to October on Union Street in downtown Nevada City. More recently, she organized the Community Congress that was instrumental in getting a $40,000 grant for the Center for Sustainable Living on Commercial Street in downtown Nevada City.

According to a company press release, the grant winner will be a guest of Nau for three days and two nights in Portland and receive a $300 gift card that is good at nau.com. In addition, the winner will have a blog on the company’s web site.

"We hope our support and the additional exposure we will provide for their stories on our web site, blog and through our media channels will all serve to accelerate their impact on society and inspire others to join the movement for positive change," Seabury said.

To learn more about all 10 finalists, visit www.nau.com/collective/grant-for-change/