Invested: Tracy Jones chosen for 2013 Distinguished Service Award

By Mary Owen

Community involvement was high on the list of accolades that earned Tracy Jones the Stayton/Sublimity Chamber of Commerce’s 2013 Distinguished Service Award.

“Tracy has been very active in the chamber,” said Richard Stewart, who nominated Jones along with Don Eubank, Jack Fiske and Cari Sessums.

“She is a member of the Stayton Lions Club, and has chaired many projects in the Stayton-Sublimity area,” Stewart said.

“She is very well known for her ability to work with people in the community and has contributed many hours making Stayton/Sublimity a better place to live in.”

Jones has volunteered for many community causes, including the Stayton Relay for Life, Santiam Heritage Foundation, Meet Me on 3rd Avenue Concert Series committee member, a chamber board member, SummerFest, and delivering food to people during the annual community Thanksgiving dinner put on by the Covered Bridge Café.

Jones has been married to her husband, Dan, for 24 years, and the couple has two grown daughters that work full-time and go to college.

Jones began her employment with NW Preferred Federal Credit Union in October of 1987 as Tigard branch manager.

In January 2001, a year after graduating from Linfield College with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, she transferred to NW Preferred’s Stayton branch as branch manager.

Her current role is vice president of NW Preferred’s branch operations at the Stayton branch.

A career highlight for Jones is “all of the wonderful people that I have met in the community and have worked side-by-side on many projects. There are a lot of people in this community that are giving of their time and want to see their community be a better place to work and live in.”

Jones said she was surprised to have earned the 2013 Distinguished Service Award.

“When I first heard, I was humbled and in disbelief that I was chosen,” she said. “Everything that I have done or every project that I have served on in the community was done purely because I wanted to and found it rewarding to give back to the communities that are so deserving.”

Jones called Stayton, Sublimity, Aumsville, Lyons and other Santiam Canyon towns “great communities!”

“It has been a pleasure to be a part of the many communities, and I can’t thank enough all the people that I have met over the years,” Jones said.

“Everyone has been very gracious and welcomed me into their community. I feel very blessed to have met all of the people I have met.”