On March 10, Kelly Crowley will be celebrated as Campbell Citizen of the Year along with Business of the Year winner, Randy Musterer of Sushi Confidential.

For Crowley, following in the footsteps of her mentors is an honor. Former honorees Sally Howe and Betty Deal are women Crowley considers to be community leaders.

“To be in the footsteps of Sally Howe is pretty amazing, As a citizen of Campbell you are responsible to more people than your own business,” Crowley, 47, said in regard to what community means to her.

“It’s looking after your neighbor. It’s doing the right thing with schools and kids and making sure people are taken care of,” she added, noting her inspiration. “I will say when Sally Howe passed, I really felt I would try and rise to the occasion.”

Her community dedication was launched in 1996 when she worked at Boswells and Khartoum. The East San Jose native began as a waitress before rising to management. Crowley has held various charitable events at Khartoum through the years, inspired by serving some of the early members of the Downtown Campbell Business Association while working at another eatery before it became Naschmarkt.

“I was privy to some of the early association meetings,” Crowley said.

At one point she owned a women’s clothing boutique on the East Campbell Avenue strip in the space now occupied by Moonfyre Metaphysical.

“I was already immersed in the community,” she said regarding why she chose to open the clothing boutique in downtown Campbell.

During her time at the boutique she and Deb Rohzen, owner of Simply Smashing, started organizing First Fridays, a popular monthly event.

From there, Crowley focused on the promoting local small businesses while maintaining Campbell’s “small town feel.” Crowley has helped organized the Wine Walk, Carol of Lights and Bunnies and Bonnets. And she’s not slowing down anytime soon. When she was chosen as the business association’s member of the year last year, she was already thinking about what more she could do for Campbell.

“I was happy, but as I was listening to the other honorees I thought, I could do more,” Crowley said.

Crowley said her goal is to start a Fourth of July parade and connect the Campbell Chamber of Commerce and the business association.

Crowley and Musterer will be celebrated March 10. Tickets to Celebrate Campbell are available for purchase online for $80. The black tie event will be held at Villa Ragusa, located at 35 S. Second St.

For more information, visit campbellchamber.net.