There are two ways to look at the people who serve taxpayers in this area. Both ways are related to the demographics of Conejo Valley. We are well-educated with higher than average incomes.

When it comes to government services, our expectations are high. We demand the best because it fits our lifestyle and because we expect no less from ourselves, at work or at play.

Last Friday night at the Hyatt Westlake Plaza, Amgen and the Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village Community Foundation hosted the Spirit of Community Awards Celebration. Tributes were paid to the U.S. Armed Forces, police officers, firefighters and teachers.

Mike Berger was Volunteer of the Year.

Joanne Suwara was Teacher of the Year in Las Virgenes Unified School District. She works at White Oak Elementary School in the city of Westlake Village.

Two instructors won Teacher of the Year in Conejo Valley Unified School District: Juan Santos of Colina Middle School and Jessica Moore of Manzanita Elementary School.

Congratulations to everyone who was recognized.

Which brings us back to our original thought: there’s no doubt that we have better than average cops, firefighters and teachers, and our local chambers of commerce and foundations are generous with dispensing praise and recognition.

Are the recipients effective and efficient because we honor them or is it because we expect extraordinary performance? They also obviously set high expectations for themselves––and they deserve our accolades.

In any case, there’s no denying that the Judeo-Christian work ethic is alive and well in Conejo Valley.