Kim Eichorn - 2019 (Citizen of the year)
There is no shortage of worthy causes in Yolo County.
Nonprofit and advocacy organizations focused on everything from preserving habitat to rescuing abandoned dogs to feeding families in need all thrive thanks to local residents generous with both their time and money.
But few have likely contributed to as many different causes as Kim Eichorn.
A lifelong Davis resident, Eichorn entered the real estate business with her mom, Peggy Eichorn, who always bought her clients a gift when escrow closed.
But who really wants a vase from their real estate agent, Eichorn remembers thinking.
She began asking her clients to pick a charity to which she could contribute instead.
“I started doing that and it just felt so good, and a much more meaningful way to honor them than buying them a fruit basket,” said Eichorn.
“There are so many amazing organizations and causes, you never feel like you can do enough,” she added.
Her donations to local charities on behalf of clients have frequently topped $15,000 a year since Eichorn became a Realtor in the mid-1990s.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her contributions to Davis.
“For years, Kim has quietly supported countless non-profits, community events and worthy projects,” said Davis resident Kate Bowen.
“In fact, she will often call me and ask, ‘How can I help?’ when I am planning an event.
“Kim’s support to our community is unwavering. I frankly can’t recall an event where she didn’t make a contribution or donation on behalf of the cause,” said Bowen.
That’s why Bowen nominated Eichorn for the C.A. Covell Award earlier this year, and why Eichorn will receive the award during a celebration in January.
The Covell Award is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding service to the community, over time, in a number of areas. Initiated by L.N. Irwin, it was first awarded in 1944 to C.A. Covell, longtime mayor of Davis, for whom the award is named.
In nominating Eichorn for the award, Bowen noted Eichorn’s contributions to the community date back to her time as a Davis High School student when she served on student government every year and was awarded the True Cup — the school’s highest honor — for her loyalty, service and commitment to the school.
“A commitment that continues today,” said Bowen.
Eichorn’s roots run deep in Davis. A third-generation Realtor, she entered the business in 1994.
“My mom invited me into the business … as a way to escape the challenges of being a stay-at-home mom while giving my then-retired dad, Art Eichorn, some exclusive grandpa time with my two young daughters,” Eichorn recalled earlier this year.
Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine becoming so involved in the real estate business that she would become the county’s top agent in 2018.
Her mother taught her the importance of reputation and relationships, she said, and seeing themselves not as salespeople but as service providers.
“People forget that it’s not always a happy time when a client decides to sell a home, and about two-thirds of my business is in the role of listing agent. Often a challenging life event or crisis occurs such as divorce, death or financial struggle which prompts the need to sell. To be able to step in to help and support a client through that process is extremely fulfilling for me,” Eichorn said.
Equally fulfilling, if not more so, is the service she provides as a community volunteer.
Eichorn currently serves on the board of directors of the Short-Term Emergency Aid Committee, spearheading STEAC’s bi-monthly food pick-up, and organizing the inaugural TopGolf STEAC event this year that raised more than $19,000 for the non-profit.
“Kim has also contributed to countless local events raising thousands of dollars for Davis and Yolo County,” said Bowen.
That includes being a member of the Founding Circle for the Davis Schools Foundation (pledging an annual donation of $5,000 per year for local schools).
For Eichorn, service to her community is a family value.
“I was raised to give back for sure,” she said. “Way back when I was a kid, we always did the STEAC adopt-a-family (program). It’s kind of in my blood.”
She says she’s found “the more you give, the more it all comes back to you in a meaningful way.”
But over the last year, she found herself wanting to do even more.
That’s why she signed on to become a volunteer with Court Appointed Special Advocates.
After completing her training early next year, Eichorn will become an advocate — and much more — for a foster child in Yolo County.
“I’ve never done something like that,” Eichorn said. “I’ve been a big donor of money, and worked on projects and event planning… but this is a bigger commitment, obviously, to a human being.”
It was during a CASA fundraiser over the summer that it hit Eichorn that as great as her checks are, “there are (hundreds) of foster youth in Yolo County and only half have a CASA…. I started asking myself, ‘How can I not do that?’
“My own kids are now grown and really thriving and I don’t have any grandchildren in my life right now, so it makes sense.”
“It’s just a few hours a week, but it really makes a difference for a child,” she added.
And that, in a nutshell, is why Eichorn will become the city’s next Covell Award recipient: because what to her is a few hours here, a few hundred dollars there, adds up to something immeasurably valuable to the community.
“And she’s only getting started,” said Bowen.
— From the Davis Enterprise - December 23, 2019. Reach Anne Ternus-Bellamy at aternus@davisenterprise.net. Follow her on Twitter at @ATernusBellamy.
