Oxford Citizen of the Year 2024

Each year, the Oxford Kiwanis Club honors local residents as Citizen of the Year and Citizen of the Years. Both awards are presented to people who have contributed materially to making the Oxford community a better place to live.

Numerous individuals are nominated by members of the Oxford community each year, and the final recipients are selected on the basis of contributions made as volunteers rather than as part of employment responsibilities. The recipients are chosen by a group of past honorees after the nominating period ends.

A person recognized as Citizen of the Year has volunteered an important specific contribution to Oxford during the past year. A Citizen of the Years has made contributions to Oxford extending over many years, typically in multiple ways. In some years, a couple or an organization may be named as Citizen of the Year or Citizen of the Years.

This year, Joe Prescher is being recognized as the 2024 Citizen of the Year, while Bobbe Burke has been chosen as the 2024 Citizen of the Years and the Oxford Free Press is being honored as the 2024 Organization of the Year.

The Citizen of the Year recognition was started by the Oxford Press in 1952. Since then, 150 individuals and couples have been recognized as Citizens of the Year and 198 as Citizens of the Years. An individual may be honored only once as Citizen of the Year and only once as Citizen of the Years.

Recipients are honored at a lunch hosted by the Oxford Kiwanis Club. Each honoree receives a reproduction of a watercolor painting of Oxford by local artist and 2012 Citizen of the Years Marjorie Bowers, who passed away last month. The painting is reproduced through a grant from the Oxford Community Foundation and is available only to the Citizen of the Year and Citizen of the Years recipients. The Oxford Kiwanis Club provides more information on the Oxford Citizen of the Year and Citizen of the Years program on its website. 

Editor's Note: Profiles for each recipient will be posted on Jan. 13.