January 2001

Board of Governors Recognizes Local Heroes

Kennewick lawyer Fran Forgette and Clallam County Court Commissioner William G. Knebes were recently honored with "Local Hero" Awards.

Mr. Forgette, a partner in the firm of Rettig, Osborne, Forgette, O'Donnell, Iller & Adamson, received the award for outstanding service to the Bar and the residents of the Tri-Cities area. He has been active in the Tri-City Mid-Columbia Education Alliance, is a past-president of the Tri-City Area Chamber of Commerce, and immediate past-president of the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Board of Directors.

Commissioner Knebes received the award for his service to the bench, bar and residents of Clallam County. Serving Clallam County for nearly 20 years, he developed and implemented a unified family court system, to ensure one judge handles all cases involving a particular family. He was founder of the Peninsula Dispute Resolution Center, and serves as the center's advisor. Commissioner Knebes also developed and implemented the Clallam County Court Appointed Special Advocate Guardian Ad Litem Program. He established the Clallam County Domestic Violence Task Force, and he works with the Clallam County Pro Bono Lawyers' Courthouse Facilitator Program to assist those without an attorney.