The Ron Fisher Lifetime Achievement Award is not awarded every year, in fact it has only been given 4 times in the past 20 years, because it’s not every year that we have a nominee that is befitting the honor.
This year we have a very deserving recipient. Ron Fisher had an amazing career beginning as a U.S. Congress staffer for a Washington state Senator, he was a gambling EAP counselor in Las Vegas, he was an addiction counselor, and HIV preventionist in Washington state. In the late 1980s Ron moved to Oregon and began working in the behavioral health field, including; Cedar Hills Hospital, Tuality, Columbia County Mental Health, and Oregon Health Authority. Ron Fisher served as a MHACBO(Mental Health and Addictions Certification Board of Oregon) volunteer, Case Presentation Examiner, Board member, and Board President over a span of 20 years. Ron was a strong advocate for competency-based certification and Gambling Counselor Certification. Ron left an indelible mark on the field and was the primary catalyst for MHACBO’s gambling certification, peer certification and Jurisprudence exams. No matter where he was or what his title was, Ron Fisher was well loved and respected in the addiction treatment & recovery communities. His irreverent and infectious enthusiasm was admired and will be remembered by all who knew him.
I am not sure if there is a person in this park tonight that does not know the person receiving this award. She is well loved and respected in the prevention, treatment & recovery communities. She has been known to have an irreverent sense of humor and an infectious enthusiasm for her work. She is admired and cherished by all who know her.
Please give a big hand for the recipient of the 2024 Ron Fisher Lifetime Achievement Award: Judi Trask!
With this being the 20th Anniversary of Hands Around the Park, and Judi just retiring earlier this year after almost 20 years at Lifeways, we thought that it was very fitting that Judi is honored with this award tonight. I have known Judi for 10 years now. She is the type of person that you like as soon as you meet her! She is warm, kind and caring and it shows. Judi began her career at Lifeways in 2005 as an addictions counselor who worked specifically with youth. She came to this role because of her personal passion for helping people find recovery. Judi has helped loved ones through their battle with addiction, helped with the treatment, and supports them in their recovery every single day. In 2017 she joined the prevention team, ready to make a difference for our youth before they needed treatment.
In May of this year Judi retired, although I don’t think anyone told her that, because she is still working part time in prevention, heading up the TIC committee and supervising the Recovery Navigator position at Lifeways, helping care for her father and babysitting her new great-granddaughter. Somewhere in there she still finds time to be a huge BSU fan! Judi has an uncanny ability to accept without judgement, understand without enabling, and help people see their worth. Judi goes above and beyond every day for everyone. Whether that is a friend, family member, employer, or stranger. As a level 2 Certified Alcohol & Drug Counsellor, Judi has always believed in her clients ability to gain recovery and pushed them with just the right balance of caring and reality. Don’t let all of these kind words fool you though, I have seen Judi fight like a dog with a bone to advocate for what is right and fair, especially if it is for a client.
