Nonprofit Keep it Local Snoqualmie Valley has named three outstanding employees as the winners of its second ever “Employee of the Quarter” contest during a meeting June 29 at North Fork Farm.

Traci Nelson of Sigillo Cellars, Miss Russy Woods of DMW Martial Arts and Kelly Holyoak of Wildflower Bistro received the honors and a $250 check.

The quarterly contest asks managers, owners and supervisors from across the Valley to nominate deserving employees. Those nominations are reviewed by Keep it Local, which selects three winners.

Keep it Local is a business networking group that focuses on encouraging investment in small business while also helping owners and employees make a living while preserving the Valley’s character.

Alicia Messa, president of the group and owner of Messa Group Real Estate, told the Valley Record in May that the contest is an effort to give back and give employers a chance to appreciate the hard work their employees are doing during a time when workers are hard to come by.

“Right now it’s such a struggle to keep employees and keep morale up,” she said. “Hopefully [the contest is] getting employers thinking about other ways they can make their employees feel appreciated because it’s been a rough couple of years. I think we all feel a little beat up.”

For more information, visit: keepitlocalsnovalley.com.