For his wide-reaching and creative community support, Matthias has been named Clark County’s First Citizen for 2008 by the Community Foundation.

The Foundation will honor him on June 5 with a reception and formal awards program at The Columbian headquarters in Vancouver.

Matthias, 52, is co-founder and partner of the popular Beaches Restaurant and Bar. He’s creator of green-eggs-and-ham meals gobbled by thousands of school students each year in honor of Dr. Seuss.

To Washington State School for the Blind students, he’s a leader of the annual Rod Rally in which they cruise the city in slick hot rods, volunteer drivers at the wheel.
That’s just a sample of Matthias’ work, on and off the clock.

Upon founding Beaches in 1995, he created a separate nonprofit Beaches Charity Fund, expected to reach $1 million in total donations by 2011. Beaches employees have pitched in mightily to help.

Recipients of dollars have included Share House, YWCA Clark County, the Vancouver School District Foundation, Boys and Girls Club of Southwest Washington and the Police­ Activities League.

Matthias hosts the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce “Leads and Needs” networking event. He also helped to save a traditional Christmas breakfast event for the group.

His service on the Boys and Girls Club and school foundation board of directors has brought tremendous fiscal and organizational gains.

Just this month, he collected the Vancouver Rotary Club’s 2008 Vocational Service Award for his volunteer work.

Letters of endorsement for Matthias’ honor were glowing.

“People ‘give’ in many ways, and Mark does it with grace, quietly and purposefully — but always from his heart,” wrote Ginger Metcalf, Identity Clark County executive director.

“One of the qualities I admire most about Mark is his willingness to make a personal commitment to the things he values,” wrote Jim Sork, school foundation director.

The June 5 tribute starts with a 5 p.m. reception, followed by a 6:15 p.m. awards program. Hors d’ouevres, desserts and beverages will be served.

Tickets are $35 per person. For reservations, call the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce at 360-694-2588.

John White, longtime Vancouver land-use consultant and development guru, earned last year’s First Citizen award.