This year’s Nextie awards will recognize the contributions of four influential locals. One directs a technology nonprofit, one directs a nonprofit that supports the homeless, one facilitates mountain biking trips for kids (nonprofit, of course) and one is a CEO. This Saturday Santa Cruz Next, the civic group for young movers and shakers, will dole out honors to Jacob Martinez of Watsonville Technologia-Educacion-Comunidad Program, Monica Martinez of the Homeless Services Center, Mark Davidson, founder of Trips for Kids Santa Cruz and NextSpace’s Jeremy Neuner.
They’re a sweet thing, these Nexties. Says Ryan Coonerty, former mayor and a founder of Santa Cruz Next, “We just recognized that there was a lot of talent in this community, and commitment, and we wanted to figure out a venue where we could highlight it.”
It’s such a nice sentiment that you almost want to give Coonerty and his Santa Cruz Next co-founder, Caleb Baskin, an award just for thinking of it. Luckily, with the selection of Neuner, they are effectively doing that themselves.
The reader will be forgiven for confusing Santa Cruz Next, the nonpartisan civic group, with NextSpace Santa Cruz, the co-working facility. Coonerty and Baskin founded the nonprofit Santa Cruz Next in 2007, shortly before Coonerty, Baskin and Neuner opened their business, NextSpace Santa Cruz, in 2008. “But they are not affiliated,” says Coonerty. Got it.
Besides the name and the founders they share, Santa Cruz Next once counted Neuner as a board member as well. He left the board the year before the organization began giving out the Nextie awards, says Peter Koht, present chair of the Santa Cruz Next board.
“If you look at the cumulative impact his business and his work has done in Santa Cruz, as well as their expansion in California in the last year and their general cheerleading for all things Santa Cruz,” says Koht, who by day serves as the city’s Economic Development Coordinator (a position Neuner held until Koht took it over in 2008), “we really didn’t want to ignore that anymore.”
None of this is to say that Neuner, an accomplished and likeable guy, doesn’t deserve a pat on the back (the award is strictly ceremonial; no cash is awarded), nor that the cozy relationships he enjoys with several of the Santa Cruz Next board members influenced the organization’s decision to honor him.
Of the 24 individuals who were nominated for a Nextie during an open call in October, the list was winnowed to four by last year’s winners. Their selections were then approved by a vote by Santa Cruz Next’s 10-member board. Both Coonerty and Baskin sit on the board of Santa Cruz Next but, Koht assured us, neither was present for the vote that ratified this year’s winners.
That’s a relief. But may we suggest that for its, ahem, next enterprise, whatever it may be, Team Coonerty-Baskin break out the thesaurus to add some variety to the mix.
The Definitely-Not-Coordinating-with-NextSpace-Santa-Cruz Awards will be held this Saturday at the Museum of Art and History.
The Third Annual Nextie Awards, 7pm Saturday, Jan. 28 at the Museum of Art and History, 705 Cooper St., Santa Cruz. Tickets $40 in advance, $50 at the door, available at SantaCruzNext.com
