Meet the SAMMI Nominees for Business: Keenon Kennedy and Scott Moore

The SAMMI Awards will be held on March 18 and event organizers are inviting the community to attend the annual event to honor people who have contributed to life on the Sammamish Plateau.

To honor the nominees and give the public a brief introduction to them, Sammamish Patch will be running profiles and photos of each person until the event doors open.

The written introductions and photographs were supplied by the SAMMI Awards. Sammamish Patch and other sponsors have contributed to the annual event.

"The people we honor have made unselfish contributions to the quality of life in our city, and in doing so they inspire all of us (to) give back," SAMMI Awards Executive Director Cary Young wrote in a letter to the community.

"This type of award ceremony is truly unique to Sammamish, and reflects the values that make our city one of the best small cities in America."

The awards ceremony will be held at 7 pm at Eastridge Church at 24205 SE Issaquah-Fall City Rd. in Issaquah. The doors open at 5:30 pm. The event is open to the public. But organizers would appreciate a $5 per person donation.

On average, about 400 people attend the annual event.

Here are the nominees for the 2011 Business category:

Keenon Kennedy

• As the Director of the Bellewood Retirement Center, Keenon has provided leadership to what she calls "a community within a community." Through her guidance, the Bellewood community remains fully connected to the Plateau community. The facility is used by Sammamish residents for countless community meetings and events from Sammamish Rotary to scholarship interviews for high school students. Keenon also helps the Bellewood residents connect with local charities so they may get involved in a positive way. These connections have empowered the Bellewood residents to show younger folks that they are a vital part of the community and are capable of making a difference.

Scott Moore

• In 2004, Scott Moore left his cubical job in accounting to follow his dream and opened with his brother Troy. For the past seven years he has been sharing his passion for music and his drive to follow one’s dreams with local children and adults. In addition to providing a musical community for budding young artists, Scott was instrumental in the , which will be equipped with a stage and recording studio. He actively promotes the business community in Sammamish through his support of the Farmers Market, and championing the needs of local retail with the Chamber of Commerce and the . Scott’s efforts have inspired numerous musical careers as well as a more vibrant small business community in Sammamish.

Editor's note: Sammamish Patch is a member of the Sammamish Chamber of Commerce.