2024 SAFEbuilt Community Development Leadership Award Winners Announced

LOVELAND, Colo., June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SAFEbuilt, a leading provider of community development services, announced today the recipients of the 2024 Community Development Leadership Awards (CDLAs). Presented annually by the SAFEbuilt family of companies, the award recognizes municipal and public agency leaders who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to innovating while keeping their communities safe, operational, and positioned for future growth.

"We received a great number of nominations this year," said Chris Giordano, Chief Executive Officer of SAFEbuilt. "And the achievements of the nominees, from all walks of life, were simply astonishing. While the winners exemplify the pinnacle of community development," said Giordano, "every nominee is making a remarkable impact in their respective communities. We commend them and the communities they support, and we extend our gratitude for their commitment to public service excellence."

The 2024 winners were submitted for consideration across ten categories through an open nomination process by their colleagues, communities, and the general public, who have experienced their hard work and dedication firsthand. Here is the list of the winners:

• City Manager of the Year: Alma Karina Martinez (City of El Monte, CA)
• Community Development Director of the Year: David Schoon (Village of Winnetka, IL)
• City Engineer / Public Works Director of the Year: Mike Perry (City of Hopkinsville, KT)
• Transformational Leader Award: Christian Hamilton (Stephens County, GA)
• Resilience Champion Award: Nicole Zieba (City of Reedley, CA)
• Public Service Innovator Award: A.J. O'Connell (City of Kingsburg, CA)
• Community Builder Award: Paula Payton (Town of West Pelzer, SC)
• Sustainability Trailblazer Award: H. Ted Gerber (City of South Pasadena, CA)
• Future Leader Award: Cody Schindler (City of Alma, AR)
• Infrastructure Visionary Award: Steve Williamson (Village of Key Biscayne, FL)

"We are proud to honor these outstanding professionals and the projects they tirelessly dedicate themselves to," said Joe DeRosa, President and CRO of SAFEbuilt. "Their work demonstrates leadership and innovation in building communities that are vibrant, sustainable, and resilient."

For more information regarding all ten different awards and the nomination process, visit CDLAwards.com.

About SAFEbuilt

SAFEbuilt is a community development services company offering multi-disciplinary building and professional services expertise in 38 states and D.C. The company employs approximately 1,700 employees serving more than 2,000 customers nationwide. SAFEbuilt offers the broadest array of community development services anchored by a sophisticated technology stack that is built to fit each customer's needs, including stabilizing budgets, maximizing building department efficiencies, improving the customer experience, and accelerating both the speed to revenue for both municipalities and developers. To learn more, visit SAFEbuilt.com

The SAFEbuilt family includes eight subsidiary partners, each of which aligns with our core values and our desire to provide the most exceptional service to the communities we support.

Calvin, Giordano & Associates  |  Interwest  |  Winston Services, Inc.  |  M.T. Causley  |  MTCI Private Provider Services

Dal-Tech Engineering |  PMCA | Weintraub Engineering 

About the Community Development Leader Awards

The Community Development Leader Awards (CDLA) recognizes the tireless work and unwavering commitment of the local leaders who keep our communities safe, running, growing, and thriving: the city managers, the public works directors, the city engineers, and the municipal leaders.

As an industry leader providing building department services to over 2,000 communities across the country for more than 20 years, SAFEbuilt understands the dedication, innovation, passion, and leadership these professionals demonstrate daily. We see it every day in offices and on job sites, in town halls and in town squares. And this work is often so much more than "business as usual."

SAFEbuilt established the CDLA to honor their hard work and the challenges these remarkable individuals face, as well as their innovations and achievements, an opportunity for residents, colleagues and the community to bring some well-deserved recognition to their service.

SOURCE SAFEbuilt