Community Partnership of the Ozarks and sponsor Air Services Heating & Cooling hosted the 18th annual Neighborhood Organization Volunteer Awards (NOVA) ceremony, Dec. 3, 2024 at The Old Glass Place to recognize and reward outstanding neighborhood volunteers who work tirelessly to improve and revitalize their communities. The theme of this year’s banquet was “A New Chapter: Creating the Change We Want to See in Our Community.” Missouri Rep. Betsy Fogle (District 135) was the keynote speaker.
A nova is a brightly shining star. CPO feels organizations and individuals who tirelessly work at making our community a better place to live should be recognized as stars. The annual NOVAs banquet allows us to reflect on the achievements and contributions made by dedicated people in our community. The NOVAs banquet is a highlight of the year and CPO enjoys the opportunity to celebrate those who may go unnoticed for all they do in and for our neighborhoods.
Reaching for the Stars Award
The Reaching for the Stars Award is an annual award given to a person, organization, or partner that has had a particularly large and profound impact on the neighborhoods throughout the past year.
The 2024 Reaching for the Stars Award went to the Hatch Foundation for their contributions to the community, specifically their sponsorship of the Neat Neighborhoods competition, which awarded $40,000 in first, second and third-place prizes.
Rising Star Awards
This year, CPO awarded two $500 Rising Star awards to Seminole Holland and Grant Beach for their efforts in the Neat Neighborhoods competition.
Individual NOVAs
Bissett: Vickie Grinde
Bradford Park: Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
Brentwood: Mert Seaton
Delaware: Marianne Jones
Doling: Nedra Blue Chasar
Fassnight: Jamie Moore
Galloway Village: Brian and Ciree Jones
Grant Beach: Jamie Tatum
Greater Parkcrest: Ken Brooks
Heart of the Westside: Vince and Sherian Aragon
Mark Twain: Kathy Meyer
Midtown: Susan Mann
Oak Grove: Matt Peterson
Phelps Grove: Ester and Bill Bultas
Robberson: Sarah Tinajero
Rountree: Barbara Thurman
Seminole Holland: Will Cooper
Tom Watkins: Jean and Tom DeGeere
West Central: Oren Redus
Westside: Kenyon Woodson
Woodland Heights: Sue Wood.
Bass Pro Marathon Neighborhood Challenge awards
Concluding the evening were the Great Neighborhoods grants to neighborhoods and the Bass Pro Marathon cheering sections awards. Bass Pro awarded a total of $11,000 this year.
Woodland Heights and Galloway Village tied for first place and each took home $800.
Bradford Park, Delaware, Greater Parkcrest, Mark Twain and Oak Grove tied for second and took home $700.
Seminole Holland and Westside tied for third and took home $650.
Midtown placed fourth and took home $550.
Robberson, Rountree, West Central and University Heights tied for fifth and each took home $500.
Brentwood placed sixth and took home $450.
Weller, Meador Park, Doling and Tom Watkins placed seventh and each took home $400.
Great Neighborhoods grants
The City’s Planning & Development department awarded $5,500 in Great Neighborhoods grants to nine neighborhoods in recognition of their efforts in 2024.
Neighborhoods who earned 18 points and $750 were:
- Delaware Neighborhood Association
- Rountree Neighborhood Association
- Oak Grove Neighborhood Association
- University Heights Neighborhood Association.
Those who earned nine points and $500 were:
- Heart of the Westside Neighborhood Association
- Fassnight Neighborhood Association
- Doling Neighborhood Association
- Grant Beach Neighborhood Association
- Mark Twain Neighborhood Association.
The Great Neighborhoods program encourages clean, safe, and friendly neighborhoods through activities and programs that develop relationships between neighbors and their neighborhood association. This is a voluntary program where registered neighborhoods can participate and earn points toward designation as a City of Springfield Great Neighborhood, along with grant money to be used toward a neighborhood program or activity.
Effective in 2025, the Great Neighborhoods program will no longer be an every-other-year reimbursement, but rather will be an annual grant opportunity for all registered neighborhood organizations. This change was inspired by the number of growing neighborhood organizations that have an interest in hosting neighborhood events or beginning neighborhood projects but may not have the funds to kickstart them.
With the recognition program being a two-year designation, board officer rotations have made it difficult for neighborhoods to track their participation. In hopes of minimizing that issue, every calendar year, registered neighborhood organizations will be eligible to apply for Great Neighborhoods grant dollars. The application period is to be open the first quarter of each year with the goal of encouraging neighborhoods to be thinking about the year ahead.
For more information about the program visit springfieldmo.gov/greatneighborhoods.