2019 February Colony Magazine

Jeannie Malik Named
Citizen of the Year
Dancing With Our Stars leader transformed event
Two days after Jeannie Malik
was officially recognized as
Atascadero’s Citizen of the
Year, tickets went on sale for her
wildly successful “Dancing with
Our Stars” charity event.
One of the most popular charity
events in the county, “Dancing
with Our Stars” has grown considerably
under Malik and was a
significant factor in the Atascadero
Chamber of Commerce’s decision
to honor her.
“Its success is a testament to
Jeannie’s vision and tireless work
to expand the event and keep it
fresh for all involved,” said John
Donavon, chairman of the board
of directors. “Atascadero’s rise over
the last few years can be attributed
to a lot of people and a lot of
things taking place, but to have a
cheerleader in the form of Jeannie
Malik leading the charge has, in
my opinion, helped people look
differently at Atascadero than in
years past and perhaps even with
a little envy.”
The recognition adds to Malik’s
growing list of achievements —
from being named Allan Hancock
homecoming queen to competing
in a 435-mile bike race with a
cumulative 30,000-foot climb to
breaking a world fishing record.
But this honor is different said
Malik — also a former Miss California
Roller Skating Queen.
“I hesitate to view ‘Citizen of
the Year’ as an accomplishment,”
she said. “I didn’t have to run a
race. It’s more akin to receiving a
thank you for what I love doing.”
As noted in Colony Magazine’s
August profile of Malik, she is
known for her seemingly boundless
energy. That’s apparent in her
volunteer work and her daily walks.
“I make a point to prepare a
nutritious breakfast so she can recharge
after her daily 6 1/2-mile
walk with Sophie, our Boston
terrier,” said her husband, Greg,
whom she met while swimming
laps at the Kennedy Club Fitness
Pool — also the site of their wedding
ceremony.
During the Jan. 12 Atascadero
Chamber of Commerce Installation
Dinner, where Jeannie Malik
was formally honored, past Citizen
of the Year Grenda Ernst cited
Malik’s numerous community volunteering
efforts, including work
with Friends of Atascadero Library,
the Chamber of Commerce,
local schools, the Boy Scouts and
more.
“By way of all these activities,
Jeannie has reached out and
touched people in the best of all
possible ways, whether by moral
support, financial support, or
creating a pathway for a dream to
move forward,” said Ernst, who
nominated Malik for the award.
“Her good heart and gentle manner
inspire others to want to be
like her, but her friends know that
she also has a spine of steel under
By Patrick Pemberton
Jeannie Malik, 1978 Miss
California Roller Skating Queen
“We have so many deserving people
in this community. I feel like I am
the face of many. I would not be a
recipient of this honor if not for the
many citizens I unite with to ensure the
success of projects and events.”
that kind exterior and that she has
an unerring instinct for what is the
right and the good thing to do.”
Ernst also noted the success
of “Dancing with Our Stars,” a
community charity event modeled
after the popular TV show
“Dancing with the Stars.” Malik
first participated in the event as a
dancer in 2011, then became the
chair, working on the event yearround
in 2012.
This year’s benefiting charities
were chosen in June, Malik said,
and community stars were paired
with professional choreographers
in July.
“Some community star dancers
have been learning their dance
routines since August,” Malik
said. “We’ll host three rehearsals
and three full dinner shows March
21, 22, and 23 at the Pavilion
on the Lake.”
She expects each night to sell
out for the event, which will benefit
seven local nonprofits. The
‘80s-themed event will feature
40 dancers and will be hosted by
Paso Robles Mayor Steve Martin
and Joel Mason, a professional Las
Vegas entertainer.
Greg Malik thinks part of the
event’s success is attributed to recruiting
a diverse group of talented
people — and getting more people
involved. The number of nonprofits
benefiting from the event has
also grown.
“Jennie has a genuine desire to
help others,” Greg said.
While Jeannie Malik knows the
role she has played in Atascadero,
she doesn’t claim all the credit.
“We have so many deserving
people in this community,” she
said. “I feel like I am the face of
many. I would not be a recipient
of this honor if not for the many
citizens I unite with to ensure the
success of projects and events.”
When she’s not volunteering
in the community, she works as
the marketing manager for Greg
Malik Real Estate Group. But her
biggest achievement, she said, is
raising three children. While those
children are now grown, Malik’s
extended family is Atascadero
itself, where she has lived for the
past 25 years.
“It is a privilege to live in such a
desirable spot in the world and in
a community with such remarkable
people,” she said. “Our town really
is the gem of the Central Coast.”
12 | colonymagazine.com Colony Magazine, February 2019