Citizen of the Year

Since 2004, the City of Yorba Linda has honored a member of the community who provides uncommon and outstanding volunteer service, devoting his or her time and talent to making our community a better place to live and work through the Citizen of the Year recognition.

nomination Information

The 2020 nomination period is closed. Nominations for the 2021 Citizen of the Year will be accepted starting in April 2021. 

nomination criteria

• Nominee must be an individual residing in Yorba Linda;
• Nominee must currently participate in humanitarian/volunteer activities that make a difference in the City of Yorba Linda and/or the community at large.  Special consideration will be given to nominees whose volunteer work directly benefits Yorba Linda and/or brings significant recognition to the City;
• Nominee must be an exceptional role model and have an active interest in the betterment of Yorba Linda; and
• Nominee may not be a current City of Yorba Linda employee or a current elected or appointed official.

nomination process 

To nominate an individual for the Citizen of the Year, the nominator must submit:

• The downloadable Citizen of the Year Nomination Form; 
• A letter (no more than one page) stating the nominee’s qualifications; and
• Any additional documentation to support the nomination (e.g., information about awards received, the nominee’s resume, news articles on the nominee, video clips citing community involvement, etc.).

selection process

• Completed nomination forms received by the deadline will be carefully reviewed by the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee, which is comprised of the Mayor and a representative from each of the City’s four Commissions. 
• The Committee will consider all nominees who meet or exceed the nomination criteria and will then select the Citizen of the Year. 
• In early October, notification letters will be sent to all nominators and the recipient will be notified.
• The individual selected as this year’s recipient will be honored at the Mayor’s State of the City Address, which is held in October/November.