Award Winners CDLA Recipients
Meet the leaders driving community success
Receiving a Community Development Leadership Award (CDLA) isn’t just a form of recognition — it’s a celebration of the leaders who go above and beyond to create safer places to live, work, and play.
While we can only give out so many awards every year, every nomination for the CDLAs is an honor in and of itself. Each nominee has achieved accomplishments that embody the vision, perseverance, and integrity that sustains today’s neighborhoods (and will continue to drive us forward for generations to come).
2024 CDLA winners
Congratulations to the following leaders who are paving a path toward better, safer communities.
City Manager of the Year
Alma Karina Martinez
Community Development Director of the Year
David Schoon
City Engineer / Public Works Director of the Year
Mike Perry
Transformational Leader Award
Christian Hamilton
Resilience Champion Award
Nicole Zieba
Public Service Innovator Award
A.J. O’Connell
Community Builder Award
Paula Payton
Sustainability Trailblazer Award
H. Ted Gerber
Future Leader Award
Cody Schindler
Infrastructure Visionary Award
Steve Williamson
Know someone who deserves to be nominated?
Nominations for our 2025 awards are now closed, and our winners will be announced Spring 2025.
Already looking forward to next year? Sign up for email updates regarding the 2026 award submission window.
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