2014 Rancho Cordovan of the Year

Everybody knows the famous Wizard of Oz scene where Dorothy performs Glinda the Good Witch's simple magic spell.

All she has to do is click the heels of her magic ruby slippers and say "There's No Place Like Home."

He was an officer of PTAs at both Rancho Cordova Elementary and Mills Middle School, and led Cub Scout and Boy Scout dens and troops - even organizing the Pinewood Derby.

As his community involvement grew he at one time or another served on the Mather Air Force Base Rancho Cordova Coordinating Committee, was a member of the American River Grange, represented Rancho Cordova on the Sacramento County Alliance of Neighborhoods, a county committee for tree mitigation and another on homelessness.

He served on the Cordova Community Planning Advisory Committee (CORPAC), including a year as chairman, is a charter member of the Rotary Community Corps, member of the Rancho Cordova Historical Society, a bunch of church groups, is a graduate of Leadership Rancho Cordova and believe me, the list goes on and on from here.

It's an impressive body of work, to be sure. But if you ask George to identify the most satisfying of all his volunteer adventures, he does not hesitate:

"That's easy," he said. "Rancho Cordova Incorporation."

With Bob McGarvey, George Burnash was an early crusader for cityhood for Rancho Cordova. At one time or another over a 25 year period, sometimes it was ONLY Bob and George.

In the end, these true believers, working with a movement that caught fire, prevailed. And we sit in this beautiful building and steer our own destiny as a result.

Here's what George had to say:

"We have built such a wonderful city. We have elected a city council who may not have known how to run a city at the start, but are all good people. They picked a great city manager who trained them and now we are an example for the whole region. I consider it our greatest accomplishment."

It is characteristic of George that he shares the credit for his many accomplishments with others around him, but the fact remains that there is no place like home because of people like George Burnash.

It took a lot more effort than putting on a pair of ruby slippers, clicking our heels and repeating "there's no place like home” to build a wonderful Rancho Cordova.

But in traveling the Yellow Brick Road, it has been good to have a guy like George Burnash in the lead.

George, thank you for your dedication to Rancho Cordova. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition as "Rancho Cordovan of the Year."