PPCC Accepting Golden Sparkplug, Citizen of the Year Award Nominations 

By LILY TINOCO and SARAH SHMERLING

Pacific Palisades Community Council is now accepting nominations for its 2024 Citizen of the Year and Golden Sparkplug awards through Saturday, October 26, at 8 p.m.

Each year, PPCC honors individuals who have made voluntary contributions to the Palisades that benefit the community at large.

Citizen of the Year 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. The recipient must be an adult who resided in the Palisades at the time of the accomplishment, as well as the service.

Golden Sparkplug awards honors citizens who have ignited original ideas and projects that have benefited Palisadians. The project must have been initiated, in progress or completed during the current or prior calendar year.

Adults and youth are both eligible to receive a Golden Sparkplug award. The recipient must have owned property in, resided in or operated a business in the Palisades at the time of their service, and can be any age. Nominations should include the nature of the original idea, effort or project, as well as how it benefited the community.

Any organization or individual in the community may nominate a candidate for either award. Both awards will be bestowed based on the quality or benefits achieved of their work, and not the quantity of nominations, according to information shared by PPCC.

“In the case of both awards, 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,” according to PPCC. “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 [of the Year] award.”

In 2023, PPCC awarded Golden Sparkplugs to Laura Schneider, John Dwight, Sara Marti and Steve Cron.

Cindy Kirven was recognized as 2023’s Citizen of the Year. Kirven, co-president of the Village Green, was honored for her efforts to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the park’s founding, as well as a succession plan for the organization, which had “a board that was aging out and retiring.”

“How could I say no?” Kirven said about the volunteer efforts she has been asked to be a part of over the years in the Palisades. “To 50 more years of creating great community.”

In 2023, Palisades P.R.I.D.E. was given the Pride of the Palisades award, which is a discretionary distinction that is bestowed in “exceptional circumstances,” determined by the Awards Selection Committee: “Nominations from the public are not sought for Pride of the Palisades honors,” PPCC wrote.

Nominations should be sent via email to info@pacpalicc.org no later than 8 p.m. on October 26.

Honorees will be announced at the November 12 PPCC meeting. The winners will be honored at a gala celebration, slated for Thursday, December 12.

For more information, visit pacpalicc.org.