I don’t recommend this if you’re driving a car but New Year’s is a great time to look back while you’re moving forward. As I look back over 2009 I can see we’ve made significant progress.

You know Rita Weist is ready to lead when she dons her favorite white hat.

It started for this retired Bellevue resident when she oversaw members of the Boeing Ski Club during a trip. Back then, it was a way to stand out for the group.

The final bulb blitz of our Project Porchlight Puget Sound campaign took place in Olympia, WA on October 27, and it was our best-attended Washington blitz to date!! More than 50 volunteers showed up to help us distribute free compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs throughout the area.

For Judy Ann Bergvall (pictured here), contributing to her community isn’t a choice; it’s an obligation. “Volunteering is important,” says the Olympia, WA resident. “We all have a responsibility to give back in whatever way we can. We all are responsible for making our communities better places to live.”

For as long as she can remember, Rita Weist (pictured here) has been passionate about three things: staying active, giving back to the community, and protecting the environment. “I think from the time I was a 10-year-old Girl Scout I had the impression that you’re supposed to help if you can,” says the Bellevue, WA resident.

On October 22, Olympia, WA’s Verle Ketchum (pictured here, right, with his daughter Lerae) showed up for his weekly Rotary Club of Lacey meeting. But that Thursday’s meeting was different from others.

When the batteries on their children’s Power Wheels run out, most parents plop the batteries into a charger and plug the charger into the wall. Not Lacey, WA’s Randy Robinson (pictured here). When his son Zachary’s toy runs out of juice, Randy just hops on his bike.

Victor Berg (pictured here) knows electricity. The retired commercial wireman spent more than 30 years working for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). He has a keen appreciation of how important it is to conserve energy and make smart choices when it comes to electricity.