🥳 Congratulations 2026 Awardees!

On Thursday, April 23rd, we came together as a community for the 14th Annual Community Development Family Reunion at Third Degree Glass Factory to celebrate progress, exemplary leadership, and connection. This annual event serves as a reminder that small steps lead to big change, and that communities across St. Louis are doing the work every day to make a difference.

Nearly 200 community leaders and partners gathered, including CBN board members, sponsors, and elected officials, to celebrate this year’s awardees. Local residents and students also came together to congratulate our awardees and connect with other changemakers in St. Louis.

We encourage you all to also get involved, connect with us, and continue to build up the community!

🏆Excellence in the Public Sector

Recognizes a public-sector professional or public agency demonstrating outstanding service, accountability, and meaningful support for community development and the neighborhoods it serves.

• Develops or protects policy that supports investment in communities.

• Demonstrates innovative use of resources for community improvement.

• Is proactive, persistent, professional, and efficient in finding ways to support community building initiatives.

• Works constructively with CDCs, residents, and community partners.

• Advances fair, inclusive, and responsive public policies, programs, or resource allocation.

• Demonstrates integrity, clear communication, accountability, and responsiveness to community needs.Has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to community building.

• Advocates for community development resources and policy change

• Has exhibited leadership, vision, and a commitment to action and results.

• Has catalyzed outstanding impact in community building policy, investment, and/or community change.

🏆Resident Leadership

Recognizes residents who use their voice, experience, and leadership to shape decisions and advance positive change in their communities.

• Has shown incredible volunteerism and involvement in their community and/or community initiatives.

• Goes above and beyond typical resident action to sit on boards, head committees, and/or encourage the engagement of other residents.

• Works to challenge the status quo in the St. Louis region.

• Equitable collaborations and strategic partnerships that bring residents and partners together around shared community priorities.

• Advocates for resident voice, equitable participation, and inclusion in decisions affecting the community.

• Builds trust, communicates openly, and demonstrates accountability to neighbors and community partners.

• Advocates for community development resources and policy change.

🏆Rising Star in Community Building

Recognizes an emerging community development leader who demonstrates initiative, growth, and a commitment to strengthening neighborhoods and the community development field.

• Demonstrates strong dedication to and passion for community building work.

• Exhibits leadership, vision, and a commitment to action and results.

• Shows promising potential to catalyze outstanding impact in community building policy, investment, and/or community change.

• Builds relationships, shares knowledge, and works effectively across organizations or sectors

• Demonstrates a commitment to equitable practices, inclusive leadership, and learning.

• Shows integrity, follows through on commitments, and builds credibility with colleagues and community members.

• Works to challenge the status quo in the St. Louis region.