The Door County Community Foundation named Anne Haberland Emerson the 2012 Door County Philanthropist of the Year at a luncheon on July 18th before a full house of nearly 200 guests at the Horseshoe Bay Golf Club in Egg Harbor. 
The Community Foundation believes that a philanthropist is born when a donor's passion compels them to give more of themselves than merely money.
They give of their time to the charities they care about. They share their wisdom as members of boards of directors. Philanthropists champion the causes that resonate in their heart and cannot help but openly share their passion with those around them. Their enthusiasm for community service is contagious.
Perhaps most important, a philanthropist is one who believes that the best way to lead is by serving others. These are the qualities the Community Foundation sees in Anne.
Anne first arrived in Door County following the passing of her father to help her mother open an art gallery in an old apple barn. "When we opened the doors," giggled Anne, "we had no lights, but we had champagne." Forty-three years later, her Edgewood Orchard Galleries continue to be recognized as one of the best in the Midwest.
With the support of her husband Minnow, Anne opens her heart and gives of herself so freely to the community. When drastic budget cuts were threatening Door County's schools, Anne stepped forward and was essential in the launch of Friends of Gibraltar (FOG), a program that now some 30 years later continues to support the schools through the infusion of the arts and experiential learning.
As FOG grew over the years, Anne found herself attending performances in the old Gibraltar gym and dreamed about a school/community auditorium that would be a resources for all of Door County. Despite an abundance of obstacles and naysayers, Anne was central to the campaign to raise $3 million to build the Door Community Auditorium. For more than 20 years, the Door Community Auditorium has served as a hub for community and student interaction, professional performances, and a source of community inspiration.
In recent years, Anne has collaborated with her friends and published two benefit cookbooks, An Artist's Food For Thought and An Artist's Food for the Soul. 100% of the sale of these cookbooks are 
donated to charity - totaling nearly $200,000 as sales continue even today.
"I think the best way to express your gratitude for all the blessings of our life is to be generous and have a loving heart," says Anne.
The Community Foundation's President & CEO, Bret Bicoy, challenged the luncheon guests to follow in Anne's footsteps.
"The greatest honor we can bestow upon Anne is not to celebrate her like we did today," said Bicoy, "but rather to emulate her like we can do tomorrow."
Read more about Anne Emerson on the Community Foundation's website.
Each year the Door County Community Foundation identifies a person whose generosity of spirit has touched the lives of many in Door County and bestows the honor of Philanthropist of the Year. Previous honorees include Ruth & Hartley Barker (2006), Cythia Stiehl (2006), Marian Hislop (2007), Dave & Vonnie Callsen (2007), Tim & Sue Stone (2008), Josephine Guenzel (2009), Miriam Erickson (2010), and Lee Traven (2011).
programs in the Historical Village at the Crossroads and with the Door Peninsula Astronomical Society and School District of Sturgeon Bay in operating the Leif Everson Observatory and Stonecipher Astronomy Center. 