The Geyserville Chamber of Commerce has chosen Cosette Trautman-Scheiber as the Geyserville Citizen of the Year for 2007.

The Chamber's biannual award is given to a dedicated volunteer in town — someone who keeps the business of the Chamber in the forefront.

Chamber President Karen Waelde said she brought a list of nominees to the Chamber membership but the choice quickly became clear. "It was pretty much hands down when you look at her involvement in the community," she said.

She said Cosette did more than just work on behalf of the Chamber and that her activities really benefited the entire community. "Cosette just does so much and is involved with so many things inside Geyserville," she said.

Scheiber and her husband Ron own the Hope-Merrill and Hope-Bosworth Bed & Breakfast Inns. The pair purchased the businesses in 1997 and moved to Geyserville where they immediately became
an integral part of the community.

Scheiber was Chamber president for three years in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Former Chamber president Harry Bosworth said it was unheard of for someone to be' Chamber president in three consecutive years and that she had continued to support the local community as head of several committees. "She's been very active in the community since she got here," he said. "Because of all those things I think people thought she deserved some recognition."

Bosworth's grandparents were the original owners of the Hope-Bosworth 'building and he said he was happy to see the building renovated and still in use.

Scheiber has also been Chamber secretary, chairwoman of the Geyserville downtown merchants committee, chaired the Fall Colors Festival with her husband and has taken over management of the Visitors Center project.

She said she was excited about the Visitor's Center as it would provide a location for traveling guests to learn about Geyserville and that she enjoyed seeing new businesses open as part of her work with downtown merchants but that no one project was her favorite.

"They are all part of the Chamber activities so I don't know that I can really say one is better than the other, they are all a piece of the Chamber" she said. "I think they are all important."

The Chamber presented Scheiber with a Certificate of Appreciation that she will display at the Hope-Merrill House.