Mistie Gardner Earns Who’s Who in America’s Neighborhoods Award

Emergency Management Director Mistie Gardner was recently named Who's Who in America's Neighborhoods in the Governmental Category for her efforts and involvement during the COVID-19 crisis as well as during Winter Storm Uri.

The Who's Who in America's Neighborhoods Award was created to recognize those individuals who go the extra mile in serving their communities. Each nominee is evaluated based on their neighborhood involvement and how the nominee has proven to be a leader in the community. There are two categories for this particular award: Governmental Nominee and Grassroots/Neighbor Nominee.

As part of our Garland Neighborhood Awards recognition, the Office of Neighborhood Vitality submits our winners as applicants to participate in the Neighborhoods, USA (NUSA) award program. NUSA is a national nonprofit organization committed to building and strengthening neighborhood organizations. Two Garland neighborhood groups and a Garland resident were finalists in the NUSA award program:

• Margi Bice (Finalist) - Who's Who in America's Neighborhoods (Grassroots Category)
  Margi Bice, winner of Garland's Who's Who in Garland Neighborhoods award, was selected as a finalist in the nationwide Who's Who in America's Neighborhoods award for her outstanding leadership and service in her neighborhood, Orchard Hills, and the city at large.
• Travis College Hill Neighborhood (Finalist) - Neighborhood of the Year
  Travis College Hill Neighborhood, Garland's Neighborhood of the Year, was selected as a finalist in the nationwide Neighborhoods of the Year award for their doubleheader projects "The Cactus Chronicles," an original musical drama focusing on Garland's Hispanic community, and the "Garland Latino Heritage Cookbook."
• Orchard Hills Neighborhood Association (Finalist) - Neighborhood Newsletter Competition
  The Orchard Hills Neighborhood Quarterly Newsletter, winner of the Garland Neighborhood Newsletter Competition, was selected as a finalist in the nationwide Neighborhood Newsletter Competition for its unique and engaging articles centered on celebrating memories and interacting with all neighbors.

Award winners and finalists were announced at the NUSA annual conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, earlier this month.

Pictured, left to right: Louis Moore, Kay Moore, Margi Bice, Mistie Gardner and Nancy Tunell