FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 31, 2017
CONTACT: Clare Cloyd
Clare.Cloyd@ci.stpaul.mn.us
651-266-8571 (o)
612-760-5074 (c)
2017 Karl Neid Award Winner Announced
SAINT PAUL -- Mayor Coleman surprised longtime city employee Tabitha Mitchell this afternoon with news that she had been chosen as the 2017 recipient of the annual Karl Neid Community Involvement Award.
“It is my honor to present this award to Tabitha, a woman who has dedicated many years of her young life to bettering our community,” said Mayor Coleman. “There is no better reflection of her passion for the residents of Saint Paul than through this award, given to her by her peers.”
Tabitha was chosen by a team of past Karl Neid award winners and Council President Russ Stark. The Karl Neid Community Involvement Award, established in 1992, honors the late Karl Neid, a community activist and City Council member who died from a heart attack after devoting his entire life to serving the people of Saint Paul. Shortly after his death in 1992, this annual award was established to recognize a City employee who has a record of outstanding public service both at work and in his or her personal life.
"Tabitha is a great trade unionist who can be counted on to fight on behalf of workers throughout our community," said Eliot Seide, AFSCME Council 5 Executive Director.
Tabitha has been with Saint Paul Parks and Recreation for more than 10 years, and is a lifelong resident of the Frogtown neighborhood. Her community interests range from urban farming at Frogtown Park and Farm to working on social justice issues, especially on behalf of women, people of color and the LGBTQ+ community, and in her role as Vice President of AFSCME Local 1842.
She is a fierce leader for youth in Saint Paul, and spent much of her career coordinating the Saint Paul Youth Commission, helping to provide youth a voice in their local government. She is currently serving as the Community Recreation Director for citywide programming and is a member of the racial equity change team for the department. Her colleagues admire her unapologetic attitude when it comes to standing up for what is right, and her passion for people. Tabitha always goes the extra mile both on the job and in her community, and truly works to make Saint Paul the most livable city in America for all who call it home.
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