City salutes neighborhoods, residents for enriching community 

Special to the Outlook

Continuing a more than 40-year tradition of recognizing residents and neighborhoods that have gone above and beyond to further enhance and enrich the community, the City of Tallahassee recently held its annual Neighborhood Awards Program.

The awards recognize neighborhoods located within the city limits for efforts undertaken in 2022 to bring about positive change. They were presented Sept. 28 in the Parkview Ballroom at Cascades Park.

City Commissioner Curtis Richardson said he would not have missed the Neighborhood Awards ceremony for anything, because it’s so special. 

“Neighborhoods are what make Tallahassee the city that she is, a thriving community rich with diversity and vitality,” Richardson said.

The call for nominees yielded applications that shone a light on the people, places and programs that add to Tallahassee’s unique charm, strengthen individual neighborhoods and make our community an even better place to call home. Below are this year’s winners.

Winners of the 2023 Neighborhood Awards

Outstanding Neighborhood of the Year recognizes a neighborhood or homeowners’ association that has facilitated improvements in its community, kept neighbors actively engaged in community-building activities and/or led projects to build or enhance neighborhood cohesion. There are two categories for this award, and the winner in each received $500 to put toward a neighborhood project.

The neighborhood winners were as follow: 

Small Neighborhood of the Year (fewer than 200 homes) – Oak Knoll Estates

Large Neighborhood of the Year (more than 200 homes) – SummerBrooke Property Owners Association

Outstanding Neighbor of the Year is given to a resident or neighborhood leader who exemplifies the characteristics of leadership and service in making contributions to their community.

Neighborliness Award recognizes a neighborhood leader or resident who embodies a spirit of neighborliness, helping with efforts within or beyond their neighborhood that promote community, taking care of others and providing neighborhood/community services:

Jerrlyne Jackson, Ph.D., Jake Gaither Neighborhood Association.

Best Neighborhood Program of the Year recognizes neighborhood and homeowners’ associations that have facilitated projects that improved the social aspects of a neighborhood and/or the physical aspects of a neighborhood.

Best Physical Neighborhood Improvement recognizes a project focused on enhancing the physical aspects of a neighborhood (parks, lighting, litter control, housing improvements, etc.): SummerBrooke Property Owners Association.

Best Social Neighborhood Improvement recognizes a project focused on enhancing the social or cultural aspects of a neighborhood (safety, youth and/or senior program, programs that foster teamwork, etc.): Providence Neighborhood Association.

Best Neighborhood Communication honors excellence and creativity in neighborhood-oriented publications and/or other neighborhood communication outreach activities. It recognizes neighborhood groups that are diligent about notifying residents and/or promoting their organization and communication with members via printed materials and/or social media: Wellington Place Neighborhood Association

Local State Farm Agent Gayla Parks provided co-sponsorship support for this year’s awards program. 

For more information about the City’s Neighborhood Awards Program and available neighborhood resources, visit Talgov.com/Neighborhoods.