Commissioners Honor Darcey Mann-Self for Her Lifetime Achievements to Our Community

Board of Commissioners

Wednesday, December 13, 2023, Jackson County Commissioner Board Chair Colleen Roberts honored Darcey Mann-Self with the 2023 Chairman’s Award. The Chairman’s Award recognizes a local resident whose lifetime achievements have gone above and beyond the responsibilities of good citizenship in making a profound difference in people’s lives in Jackson County.


Darcey has been a leader in the community with her decades of community service:

  • In 1989, she was only the second woman in the State of Oregon to be installed as a member of the Lion’s Club.
  • Received the Soroptimist Award for Women Who Make a Difference. This Soroptimist Award is for Advancing the Status of Women.
  • The Community Spirit Award presented by the Chamber of Medford and Jackson County
  • The Community Loyalty Hero Award presented by Rogue Credit Union
  • The Guardian Angel Award presented by Hearts with a Mission Youth Shelter

Today, Darcey continues to display her passion for the community by devoting her time to the Soroptimist International Rogue Valley Club, the Rusty Relics Antique Tractor Club, Hearts with a Mission Youth Shelter, and Central Point Presbyterian Church.

Many know Darcey by her leadership with the Pear Blossom Festival, for which she has been a passionate and influential board member for 37 years and the President for 30 years. During her time as the President of the Pear Blossom Festival, Darcey has been involved in the creation of many activities that support the event and parade, including, but not limited to, the Queen’s Scholarship Pageant and the Annual Pedal for a Cause

Bike Ride, Pedals ‘n Pears. Over the decades, with Darcey’s exceptional leadership, the Pear Blossom Festival has received multiple recognitions, including the Mayor’s Award, Southern Oregon’s Best of the Best Award, and received an Oregon Heritage Tradition designation for being in continuous operation for more than 50 years, demonstrating a public profile and reputation that distinguishes it from more routine events and adding to the livability and identity of Jackson County and the State as a whole.

“I am honored to select and recognize Darcey Mann-Self as the 2023 Chairman’s Award recipient,” Shares Jackson County Commissioner Board Chair Colleen Roberts. “Service to the community is Darcey’s way of life.”