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[DULUTH, MN] At Mayor Reinert's 2026 State of the City address last night, the 2026 Clarence Maddy Award, Good Neighbor Award, and Citizen of the Year Awards were announced.

The Clarence Maddy award is an honor named for former City Administrator Clarence Maddy, whose career in the position spanned five different mayoral administrations. This award is given to a City of Duluth employee each year who renders outstanding service to the city organization and/or the community. The 2026 Clarence Maddy award recipient is Senior Property Services Specialist Danielle Erjavec. Danielle works in the City Attorney’s office and spends her time navigating complex real estate and land use challenges, providing staff and community members with clarity and always working with a solutions-oriented mindset. Erjavec’s ability to cut through complexity and keep projects moving forward is noted by all who work with her. Her work exemplifies the kind of responsive and effective public service that strengthens trust and delivers results to the community.

The Good Neighbor Award is a new award started by Mayor Reinert in his first term. Community members nominate neighbors who go above and beyond in their own neighborhoods to be helpful and neighborly. Nominees tend to be residents who do the everyday little things that make our community a supportive and kind place, like shoveling the driveways of an elderly or infirm neighbor, host block parties, pick up neighborhood litter, and more. Several residents were held up as outstanding neighbors at last night’s event, including Troy Albfalter, Carrie Battisti, Amanda Podemski, and Bill Scott, but the 2026 Good Neighbor Award was presented to Donvita Kennedy. Donvita arranges a weekly hot meal for people in the western half of Duluth at no cost to them. She plans and cooks up menus that include a hot meal consisting of proteins, vegetables, homemade biscuits, and homemade desserts each week, and sets up tables at various locations for anyone who wants or needs a hot meal. Her service areas have expanded from Morgan Park to now include Gary/New Duluth and Spirit Valley. Kennedy does not accept cash donations; only donations of supplies/food are accepted, and she does this work out of the love she has for her community and her fellow residents.

The Citizen of Year Award was resurrected and rebranded in 2025 after a lapse of several years but originated in 1924 in partnership with the David Winsted Post of the American Legion as the Duluth Hall of Fame. Recipients of this award are historically residents recognized for a lifetime of selfless contributions to the community. They have a place in our collective history for seeing need and opportunity and driving solutions for those needs forward.  The 2026 Citizen of the Year is Sandy Winklesky. Sandy is known in the Lincoln Park neighborhood for hosting the longest-running National Night Out get together, with the 2026 event marking her 50th celebration. She is active in the Harrison Community Club, Lincoln Park Citizen Patrol, Asbury United Methodist Church, and the Lighthouse Center for Vital Living. Winklesky helped coordinate the Lincoln Park Fund Fest. She has mentored first graders at Lincoln Park Elementary School. She delivers Meals on Wheels. Sandy has also painted over 80 fire hydrants with paint she has supplied.

Video of the awards ceremony segment of the State of the City event can be viewed online on the City of Duluth’s facebook page. The awards segment begins at the 1 hour 17 minute mark.

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