Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef was named Sacramentan of the Year, one of the region's most prestigious honors, during a Jan. 28 ceremony in downtown Sacramento.

The Sacramento Metro Chamber recognized Vanderhoef at the group's 110th annual awards dinner. More than 900 members and guests attended the event at the Hyatt Grand, which featured celebrity Jesse Ventura as the keynote speaker. Vanderhoef was chosen the 37th Sacramentan of the Year, while Businesswoman of the Year went to River City Bank Chief Executive Jeanne Reaves, and Sleep Train founder Dale Carlsen was named Businessman of the Year.

Vanderhoef, upon accepting the award, said, "I cannot tell you how much this award means to me -- and to my many UC Davis colleagues and friends here tonight. I know that this award recognizes, as well, their many contributions to this region of which we are so proud and so fond."

He acknowledged being "flabbergasted" to learn of his selection for the award. "Flabbergasted because, through this award, I would be joining the ranks of such luminaries as Joe Serna, Muriel Johnson, Fred Teichert, Joyce Raley Teel, Peter McCuen and Donald Gerth."

Vanderhoef expressed his appreciation to Matt Mahood, the chamber's chief executive officer and president, for involving the university as a full partner in chamber initiatives. "He recognizes our desire -- and ability -- to contribute significantly in so many ways to the capital region."

The chancellor thanked the audience and chamber members "for seeing bridges -- not boundaries -- as all of us … work together to secure the brightest of futures for this place we all call home.

"Without a doubt, the chamber and UC Davis have much in common. Our visions overlap and our aspirations align. We are visible across our communities, and we are working together."

Vanderhoef noted that UC Davis' presence in the regional community includes the campus, the medical center in Sacramento and its physician groups throughout Northern California, the Graduate School of Management's One Capitol Mall location as and UC Davis Extension's downtown center as well as UC Davis' research program at McClellan and partnership with St. HOPE Academy.

"We share a passion for this region - for ensuring its quality of life, its economic vitality, its role as a leading contributor to the prosperity of this state and nation."

Vanderhoef has been chancellor since 1994. Highlights of his tenure include: the rise of the UC Davis Medical Center as a premier regional medical facility; a program that brings together school superintendents, college presidents and university chancellors to find ways to ensure that disadvantaged youths can go to college; and the establishment of the renowned Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts.

"When he assumed leadership of the Davis campus, he set the tone within which we could all work together," retired California State University, Sacramento President Donald Gerth said of Vanderhoef.

In 1984, Larry Vanderhoef was hired by then-Chancellor James Meyer at UC Davis as the executive vice chancellor and one-person governing board for the UC Davis Medical Center Campus in Sacramento. As executive vice chancellor, he established the Office of University Relations and in 1994 the UC Board of Regents named Vanderhoef the fifth chancellor of UC Davis.

During the Jan. 28 event, the chamber also recognized active UC Davis community members Tom and Meg Stallard, owners of the Woodland-based Rose Colored Glass Company and recipient of the chamber's Small Business of the Year award.

The Stallards recently completed seven years on the Cal Aggie Alumni Association's board of directors. Stallard has been restoring Victorian era commercial property in Woodland since 1980. The name of the business was coined by Meg, who claims that "Tom sees the world through rose-colored glasses."