LAKEPORT>>> The Lake County Record Bee would like to congratulate Olga Martin Steele on her award for Hometown Hero as she continually gives back to the community, making volunteer work a priority. Nominated for her tireless efforts and involvement across several non-profit organizations Steele has left a lasting mark on Lake County.
Having lived in Lake County for 20 years after deciding to build their dream retirement house here, Steele originated from Ukiah but traversed the entire state of California as she worked various jobs in law enforcement and management in many different state departments.
Steele said, “Along the way I finalized a bachelor’s degree in business management, ultimately landing several leadership jobs including two governor level appointments.” She added, “Toward the end of my career, I left state government and worked for several years in Silicon Valley for the Santa Clara Valley Water District where I worked in management, ultimately serving as CEO.”
Now she finds her days packed with volunteer and non-profit work, starting with her position as President of the Board of Directors for KPFZ 88.1 FM community radio, where she also programs and hosts multiple radio shows – Voices of Lake County, The Vet Hour, and The Parallax View. KPFZ Program director Chloe Karl shared “Olga has run the board for a very long time, she gets things done.” Noting her work with local businesses Karl shared “She is efficient and has good business experience and awareness. She is creative, and what she has done with the silver foundation is very important.”
Steele also is the president of the Soroptimist International of Clear Lake, which according to Steele is “Dedicated to helping women and girls achieve economic empowerment through education and training.” Steele noted that on March 26, their club is hosting a “Live Your Dreams” awards luncheon during which they honor and make cash awards to women who are turning their lives around through hard work and education.
Steele is also the Secretary and Co-founder of the The Lake County Silver Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the lives of Lake County Seniors and elders. This group features events and projects like The Senior Summit, the Pet Companion Projectand the Isolated Seniors Holiday Gift Project. Lastly Steele is Chair and Co-Founder of 1Team1Dream, which helps the local economy through a unique small business competition and also works on the press side of the Annual Catfish Derby, what Steele called the “biggest derby of its kind west of the Mississippi.” She shared that all proceeds go back into the community to support schools, youth, seniors and other programs.
In regards to spending the $500 prize money associated with her awarad Steele said, “I will pass along the award money to the North Shore Fire Protection District in honor of the life saving efforts of first responders.”
Steele discussed her reasoning for all of her charity work. She said, “Early on I learned that giving back to the community and helping the less fortunate was a duty. My parents set the example and I followed.” Originally starting out on the school boards of her children’s schools, Steele shared “When I retired to Lake County, the needs seemed endless so I dove right in, initially joining the Lake County Women’s Political Caucus, managing a few local political campaigns, and joining the local Soroptimist Club.” Steele will continue her work as it provides “A sense of duty, purpose and the idea that in some small way my efforts are making a positive difference in the lives of others.” She continued “It’s also a way of giving thanks for the opportunities I had growing up and throughout my career.”
Congratulations again on your Hometown Hero award and thank you for all of your community minded progress.
