Staff Report
The Buellton Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau recently installed its new board and presented its 2017 Vincent B. Evans award to Ron Anderson for his commitment to Buellton.
The award is presented each year in honor of the late Vince Evans, who was a very active member of the Buellton community and an established leader in the Santa Ynez Valley.
At its January mixer, the chamber installed President Tessi Martinez of First American Title; Vice President Janeen Bouslaugh, Firestone Walker Taproom; and Treasurer Mark Mendenhall, Mendenhall Construction.
Also installed were board members Ron Anderson, Ron Anderson Real Estate; Sonia Jimenez, Rabobank; Chris Merz, Santa Ynez Valley Marriott; Camden Wirick, Hampton Inn & Suites; Amber Schmaeling, Chumash Casino Resort; and Rudy Henderson, Military Affairs.
In bestowing the Evans award the chamber noted that Anderson, a local commercial real estate broker and life-long resident of Buellton, has been instrumental in a multitude of projects and events and has volunteered time for community betterment.
In 1965, Vince Evans bought Pea Soup Andersen’s Restaurant and continued to improve on what was already a thriving business.
However, on April 23, 1980, Evans and his wife and daughter were killed in the crash of a small plane just minutes from the Santa Ynez Valley Airport.
