Delta Leadership Foundation recognizes Delta Champions in the following categories:

Delta Preserver – Achievement in historical or environmental preservation

Delta Promoter – Achievement in tourism, agriculture, education, commerce, and/or the arts

Delta Improver – Achievement in Delta health, community, and/or quality of life

Delta Legacy Family – A family that has contributed to the Delta for at least 100 years through multi-generational professional and volunteer activities that have enhanced the quality of life of the region.

Delta Lifetime Achievement – Lifetime achievement in preservation, protection and promotion of the Delta

2024 Delta Champion recipients are:

Russell van Loben Sels (Delta Preserver) Russell’s clear, thoughtful and compelling representation of Delta water issues has made him a leading voice in protecting our region’s vital resource. In addition, over 32 years at his own expense, he has single-handedly restored the wood duck population in the Clarksburg region, creating and tending approximately 85 nesting boxes that support the fledging of more than 1,200 wood ducklings per year.

Pear Fair (Delta Promoter) Recently marking its 50th Anniversary, this famous Delta event attracts thousands of visitors to Courtland each July to celebrate the region’s bountiful pear crop. This iconic event offers guests the opportunity to step inside a small-town Delta community and celebrate agriculture in a wholesome and fun-filled environment.  This all-volunteer led event contributes all its proceeds to support the Courtland Volunteer Fire Department and scholarships for deserving students.

Rio Vista Food Pantry (Delta Improver) Starting with 4 volunteers in 1994, the Rio Vista Food Pantry has by necessity grown into a vital community organization with 120 volunteers that annually volunteer over 10,000 hours of their time to provide food and clothing to the less fortunate in their region.  Serving 150 families each month, the Food Pantry provides a safety net for local families, allowing them to focus on other critical needs for themselves and their children.

Dutra Family (Delta Legacy Family) The Dutra family began dredging in the Delta in 1878 and the family business has grown into a highly respected national company that still considers the Delta and Northern California as their home.  As they protect our levees from flooding and their Dutra Museum of Dredging in Rio Vista tells the story of their family’s contribution to the Delta, they are also committed to supporting regional education and heritage organizations.

Gilbert Labrie (Delta Lifetime Achievement) Gil’s distinguished career includes 54 years of dedicated professional service and his selfless devotion of time, talent and resources that have contributed to the betterment of the greater Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and its citizens. His leadership in Delta architecture, flood control, community planning and policy development, combined with his lifetime of charitable work and civic involvement, have significantly improved the quality of life in the Delta.

The awards will be presented at a September 18 dinner at Delta Diamond Farm in Isleton.

To purchase tickets, please go to:  https://givebutter.com/HZzVis