“Would you believe that this is our first chamber lunch since February 2020,” began Edmonds Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Greg Urban, as he welcomed the more than 40 attendees who packed the main section of Las Brisas restaurant in downtown Edmonds Thursday. “And I can’t think of a better way to come out of hibernation than to honor our 2022 Edmonds Citizen of the Year, former police chief Al Compaan.”

The Edmonds Kiwanis Club launched the Citizen of the Year program in 1994 with its first award to Stan and Valerie Dickison.  Other winners have included elected officials like Dave Earling (1995) and Laura Hall (1996), business owners like Rick Steves (2017) and My Edmonds News publisher Teresa Wippel (2019), as well as organizations like the Edmonds Floretum Garden Club (2015), the Edmonds Petanque Club (2016) and the Edmonds Food Bank (2020).

“Al spent his entire career – more than 40 years – in Edmonds,” said Kiwanis past president Juliana Van Buskirk. “I’m so honored to have been part of the group that sifted through the nominations and chose Al for this award.” (Read our earlier story for more details about Compaan’s career and his selection as Citizen of the Year here)

Van Buskirk was followed by another Kiwanian and selection committee member, retired Superior Court Judge John Rutter, who has known and worked with Compaan for decades and praised his “professionalism and integrity.”

Compaan spoke next.

“It is truly my honor to be here with you today,” he began. “But truly, the recognition goes to the men and women of the Edmonds Police Department. It’s the team that does the work, not me. I am so proud of each and every one of them, officers and civilians alike.

“I see many faces here that I’ve known for years, and I’m grateful for your presence,” he continued. “Edmonds is a wonderful community. We in law enforcement rely on public partnerships to do our job, and over the years I’ve been grateful for the strong support the police department has received from our city officials, business owners, community clubs, families and citizens. We earn that trust one contact at a time – it’s not a given, and it can be lost in an instant. And I see this continuing under Chief Bennett, for whom I have the greatest respect and admiration.”

In conclusion, Compaan reiterated his deep gratitude for the honor of the award, his time in the community, and all the people who work together to keep Edmonds “the most diverse, wonderful, inclusive place anywhere.”

After his remarks, there were several “unplanned” presentations, including an honorary American flag presented by Bill Keppler on behalf of the Secretary of the Army, a replica of an inscribed paving stone recognizing him as the 2022 Citizen of the Year to be installed in the Edmonds Historical Museum Plaza, and a plastic model kit of a 1973 Volkwagen bug, significant because one of Compaan’s retirement projects is to restore his 1973 bug, which still resides in his garage.

“I’ll get to work on this one first,” he laughed.

Athough he’s retired, Compaan still has his oars in the water of law enforcement. He serves on the board of the Behind the Badge Foundation, which provides comprehensive support to Washington state’s law enforcement agencies, families and communities after an officer has died or suffered serious injury in the line of duty. In addition, he is on the board of Victim Support Services, which offers peer support and advocacy for victims of violent crime.

— Story and photos by Larry Vogel

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