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Community Corner

Introducing Renton Rockstar: Carmen Unti

Renton's Rockstars are the well-known movers & shakers — and sometimes unsung heroes — who continue to make Renton "Ahead of the Curve" in the place we call home. Some of these rockstars are volunteers, or some continue to give and give as part of a job.

Patch is happy to introduce a new feature: Renton’s Rockstars

Carmen Unti is a lady in perpetual motion during the festival week. So, I literally had to catch up with her Thursday as she worked on setting up and checking in people for the festival.

Unti, a fourth-grade teacher at Elementary School for the past six years, has been with the festival since she first started on as an intern with Sonja Mejlaender, festival coordinator, and then-city employee, Julie Brewer nine years ago.

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"A friend told me about the position," Unti said, and it seemed like a good summer job while she was off on break from Pacific Lutheran University. Nine years later, she's still with Renton River Days.

She comes back each year because of  “all of the great people,” she said. “That’s what keeps me going.”

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"It is fun to work with the same people year after year." 

I inquired about the stress of running such a people-pleasing event. She just laughed and smiled and said, "Stress? There is no stress."

Unti’s duties don’t just start after school gets out for the summers, she starts working with Mejlaender as early as February for a couple of hours after school.

Her festival duties are far-reaching. She tracks the community booth vendors, collects applications and paperwork, helps with the park layout, and folds hundreds of T-shirts. This year, she worked also on marketing and the Facebook page.

After the park is swept and the tents taken down the work continues tracking data, and making plans to improve for the next year.

“I like all parts of the event,” Unti said. “The kick-off celebration, the annual art show, the kids events, the chalk art competition (of which she was a judge this year).”

Mejlaender, who I also had to track down via cell phone this week said, “She is one heck of a lady. The festival wouldn’t exist without her on the scene.”

She provides amazing customer service, Mejlaender said, and is exceptional at logistics. 

“Carmen always goes above and beyond and is my right arm and life-saver during the festival.”

“The nice part about Carmen is that each year I don’t have to have any down time training a new person; she just hits the ground running.”

What's nice about chatting with these two ladies is the warm friendship that clearly exists between them beyond the festival.

Unti plans to return to this fall as a math generalist. Indeed, Saturday morning of the festival she had to take a test certification exam.

Both Mejlaender and Unti are quick to point out that there are hundreds of volunteers and part-time workers that make this festival a continued success.

“I am just one person out of so many people,” Unti modestly said.

Yes, but today, you are Renton’s Rockstar, Carmen!

 

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