The PPCC is accepting nominations for the 2022 Citizen of the Year and Golden Sparkplug Awards.
The first Pacific Palisades Citizen of the Year was John Pixley in 1947. The tradition continued, and annually, the local town newspaper, the Palisadian-Post sought nominations to honor those residents whose volunteer work, which benefitted the town, was exceptional.
When the Post was sold in 2012, the owner no longer wanted to continue that tradition, and in 2012-2013, the awards and banquets ceased.
The Pacific Palisades Community Council stepped up and took over the awards and banquet.
The Citizen of the Year Award honors long-term, steady, reliable and continuing outstanding volunteer service as well as a recent extraordinary accomplishment by an individual that resulted in a substantial benefit to the Palisades community at large.
The recipient must be an adult resident of the Palisades at the time the accomplishment and long-term services were rendered.
The Golden Sparkplug Award honors those citizens who ignite original ideas and projects into community action that benefit Palisadians throughout the community.
The project must have been initiated, in progress or completed during the current or prior calendar year. Adults and youth are both eligible, and must either reside in, own real property in, or operate a business in the Palisades at the time the services were rendered.
In nominating a person, note that the services, accomplishment or project must have been voluntary and not related to nor a beneficial outcome of the nominee’s business, profession or occupation.
Neither award can be given to PPCC board members based on services directly related to their responsibilities as board members, although such services may be considered as a qualifying factor in the case of nominees for the Citizen Award. The Award recipients are based on the quality of work and benefits achieved, not the quantity of nominations.
Nominations must be submitted to info@pacpalicc.org and the deadline for email receipt is 9 p.m. on October 31.
Those receiving the awards will be honored at the PPCC Awards celebration and Holiday Meeting on December 8, at Temescal Gateway Park.
The Community Council “Pride of the Palisades” distinction is discretionary and may be bestowed from time to time only in exceptional circumstances, as determined by the Awards Selection Committee. For further information about Award requirements, email info@pacpalicc.org, or visit http://pacpalicc.org/index.php/awards-guidelines/.
Citizens of the Year since 2000
(For a complete listing, visit: pacpalicc.org)
2000 – Randy Young
2001 – Mitzi Blahd
2002 – Mindy Marin & John Neidlinger
2003 – Mike Skinner
2004 – Stuart Muller
2006 – Emil Wroblicky
2007 – Bob Jeffers
2008 – Marie Steckmest
2009 – Rose Gilbert
2010 – Rich Wilken
2011 – George Wolfberg
2012-13 – No award
2014 – Rob Weber
2015 – Sharon Kilbride
2016 – Daphne Gronich
2017 – Bruce Schwartz
2018 – Jimmy Dunne & Bob Harter
2019 – Kevin Niles
2020 – No award (event postponed because of pandemic)
2021 – Christina Spitz