Novato Has a New 'Citizen of the Year': Kathy Nickel

The following was submitted for publication on behalf of Novato’s ‘Paint the Town Red’”

While growing up on an apricot ranch in the hills above San Jose, Kathy Del Ponte helped nurture the fruits of nature to blossom and grow. In the 37 years since the whirlwind now known as Kathy Nickel has been in Novato, her reputation as an inspirational community leader has blossomed and grown to the point at which her adopted city just had to coronate her.

Based on her efforts to preserve Novato’s heritage by running the popular Fourth of July Parade and her many other contributions, Nickel has been chosen as the 2014 Novato Citizen of the Year.

Nickel was surprised by the announcement Saturday night at the annual Paint the Town Red gala, which celebrated Novato’s 55th birthday as well as the centennial of the Novato Chamber of Commerce. The event, at the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company ballroom, drew nearly 300 revelers.

Nickel’s husband, Bernie, and their son, Heinz, and daughter, Heather, were there with other loved ones to lead the cheers after Kathy was introduced as the guest of honor by Citizen of the Year Committee Chair Dietrich Stroeh.

Bernie Nickel, a retired Allstate Insurance agent, said his wife of 47 years is known best for recruiting volunteers and rallying them for important causes.

“Her philosophy has always been quality over quantity,” he said. “Whenever she commits herself to something, she really pours a lot of time into it. You can be on 25 different boards if you want, but if you don’t have enough time to really make an impact, you might not be helping that much. With Kathy, if a real need exists, she is going to take up the challenge and inspire others to do the same.”

Mike Read, a former Citizen of the Year who has worked with Kathy Nickel on the Fourth of July Parade Committee and other endeavors, said Nickel’s ideas, guidance and enthusiasm have spurred the parade to more success each year. “She’s always been instrumental in a behind-the-scenes capacity,” Read said. “She makes it fun to be on a committee because everyone is going to get along. She’s very hard-working.”

The parade is one of the Bay Area’s favorite Independence Day events, attracting as many as 20,000 spectators. Nickel started working on the parade committee in 2003 and nursed it through a time of transition. “She was basically elected the event chair a few years ago and did that, but then she wanted to give it up and let someone else do it,” Bernie Nickel said. “She did such a good job that everybody wanted her to keep doing it, so they didn’t let her step down.”

After moving to Novato with her family in 1978, Kathy’s volunteer efforts revolved around her kids’ schools and various youth groups. Starting in the early 1980s, she got involved with as a room parent, PTAs, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and soccer teams. She served on committees to hire new principals, chaperoned on field trips and helped plan and host grad night events.

Later Nickel’s time donations centered more on civic organizations. She was one of the initial instigators in the movement to renovate and reopen the long-shuttered Novato Theater back in the 1990s – a movement that has caught a second (third? fourth?) wind in the past few years. She played several key roles for the Novato Chamber of Commerce, including an ambassador, chair of the Novato Business Showcase, graduate of the Chamber’s Leadership program in 1996, and a longtime volunteer at the Novato Festival of Art, Wine & Music. She advised the Novato Rotary Sunrise on its annual Oktoberfest bash, helped the City of Novato sell commemorative bricks for the renovated City Hall starting in 2009 and served on the steering committee for the City’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2010.

Since then, it’s mostly been about the parade. She continues to work as an office manager in the San Rafael insurance office of her son, Heinz, while orchestrating year-around monthly meetings to plan the parade.

“The people who have worked with her value her sensitivity, her sense of cooperation and how she gets everyone to rise to the occasion,” Bernie Nickel said. “She has a great skill, and she makes sure everyone else’s contributions are appreciated. People know they’re part of a team.”