Kathleen Klink Award for Neighborhood Leadership

This award is to be given annually to a Hamilton resident who works tirelessly in pursuit of building safe, clean, & engaged neighborhoods. The nominee must live in one of the 17 Hamilton neighborhoods. The awarded resident does this by connecting people within and between neighborhoods, while building pride, identity, and a sense of place.

The award is named in honor of Kathleen Klink. Kathy, a long-time public servant, has been the quintessential “neighborhoods” councilperson. She was a key lead on Council that crafted the City's 2012 strategic plan. A component of that plan was the neighborhoods initiative.

She has led citywide grassroots neighborhood organizing efforts since then. That effort formalized the city’s neighborhoods structure, known as 17STRONG, named for Hamilton’s 17 neighborhoods. From there, she oversaw the development of the resident-led 17STRONG Advisory Board, and was instrumental in the creation of the Department of Neighborhoods in the City of Hamilton.

Kathy's steadfast devotion to involving residents in creating the future of their neighborhoods, and the city as a whole, has helped fuel a new era of civic engagement in Hamilton. Known for walking most places she goes, the rest of us follow her lead, our soles beating the pavement to her rhythm.