Our client communities have achieved incredible things this year. From statewide honors and national awards to local recognition for innovation and service, 2025 was filled with inspiring accomplishments. We’re proud to highlight just a few of these achievements.
As 2025 draws to a close, we at General Code want to take a moment to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of the municipalities we’re honored to serve. Across the country, local governments have worked tirelessly to create stronger, more resilient, and more welcoming communities. Many have earned well-deserved recognition for those efforts.
From major planning initiatives and sustainability programs to excellence in public service, innovation, and community engagement, the past year has been filled with inspiring examples of dedication and leadership. These achievements reflect not only the hard work of elected officials and staff, but also the collaboration, creativity, and care that make each community unique.
We know that every municipality in our family of clients contributes in meaningful ways to the well-being of their residents. While we can’t possibly highlight every accomplishment here, we’re proud to share a sampling of the awards and honors earned by our client communities throughout 2025.
2025 Client Community Achievements and Recognitions
- At the American Planning Association – New York Upstate Chapter Conference in Rochester, eight of our client communities were spotlighted for planning excellence. Congratulations to the City of Tonawanda and Mayor Austin Tylec; the City of Buffalo; the Town of Boston; the Town of Chatham; the Village of Hammondsport; the City of Hornell; the City of Batavia; and the City of Rochester, NY.
- The City Secretary’s Office of Burleson, Texas was recognized with multiple statewide honors during its October 20 City Council meeting.
- Allyson Pulido, City Recorder for the City of Springfield, Oregon, was appointed Region IV Director for the Oregon Association of Municipal Recorders (OAMR).
- Michael A. Padilla, Mayor of the City of Topeka, Kansas, was named the 2025 Mayor of the Year by the League of Kansas Municipalities.
- Kim Sutter, City Secretary and Chief Governance Officer for the City of Euless, Texas, was named the 2025 Texas Municipal Clerk of the Year by the Texas Municipal Clerks Association.
- At the Maine Town & City Clerks’ Association “Networking Day,” Tracey O’Roak, Clerk for the Town of Kennebunkport, was named Clerk of the Year.
- Suffolk County, New York, was nationally recognized by the National Association of Counties for its Bank Account Collateralization Program, which enhances transparency and safeguards residents’ financial well-being.
- Toya Harrell, CMC, WCMC, Clerk of the Village of Shorewood, Wisconsin, was elected President of the Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association.
- Mayor Robert McMahon of Media Borough, Pennsylvania, was honored twice at the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs Conference—receiving the Distinguished Service Award and being named a 2025 Freedom Medal Honoree during the “Honoring Our Hometown Heroes” ceremony, recognizing his dedicated public service and military contributions.
- Eight of our client communities were named among the “Best Places to Live for Quality of Life” by U.S. News & World Report: the Town of Brookline, Massachusetts; City of Bellevue, Washington; City of Kirkland, Washington; City of Passaic, New Jersey; City of Houston, Texas; City of Dallas, Texas; City of McAllen, Texas; and City of Sammamish, Washington.
- Stacy Saltzburg, Clerk of the City of Flagstaff, Arizona, was named Clerk of the Year by the Arizona Municipal Clerks’ Association.
- Robert H. Conley, Mayor of the Borough of Madison, New Jersey, was named 2025 Mayor of the Year by the New Jersey Conference of Mayors.
- East Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania, received the 2025 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence for its Amos Herr Wetlands Restoration Project.
- Karen Monteith, Clerk-Treasurer and Director of Finance for the Town of Denton, Maryland, was named Employee of the Year at the Maryland Municipal League conference.
- Yael Shushan-Hoffman, City Secretary of the City of Azle, Texas, and her staff received the Texas Municipal Clerks Association’s Achievement of Excellence Award.
- The Village of Shorewood, Wisconsin, also received an Award of Distinction for “Impactful Collaboration: Reimagining Budget Decisions Together.”
- The Village of Barker, New York, earned a Local Government Achievement Award at the New York Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting for “Leadership and collaboration between the Village of Barker and its Public Library to rebuild a vital shared municipal facility following a devastating fire.”
- The City of Goodyear, Arizona, was named one of the Top 30 Best Up-and-Coming Small Cities in America by HGTV.
- Stephanie Coulbourne, Municipal Clerk for the Town of Milton, Delaware, was sworn in as the new IIMC Region II Director. She also serves as President of the Delaware Municipal Clerks Association.
- Independence Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, was recognized at the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors conference for Excellence in Citizen Communications.
- Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL) announced its 2025 “Top Influencers in Local Government” list—featuring representatives from 19 of our client communities:
- Maraskeshia Smith, City Manager | City of Santa Rosa, CA
- Robert Neiuber, Senior Human Resources Director | City of Rancho Cucamonga, CA
- Michael Paulhus, Town Manager | Town of Plainfield, CT
- Alexis Brown, Former Deputy City Manager | City of Malibu, CA
- Jamie Earl, Assistant City Manager | City of Claremore, OK
- Rebecca Evans, Director of Sustainability | City of Ithaca, NY
- Melissa Harmer, Communications Director | City of Raymore, MO
- Nadia Hasan, City Councilor | City of Beaverton, OR
- Charles Kudy, Village Administrator | Village of Campbellsport, WI
- Frances La Rue, Public Affairs Manager | City of Anna, TX
- Iris Lee, Public Works Director | City of Seal Beach, CA
- Lacey Ruiz, Public Improvement District Coordinator | City of Dallas, TX
- Tamara Smith, Assistant to the Town Manager | Town of Trophy Club, TX
- Tim Smith, Media Production Specialist | City of Issaquah, WA
- Kevin Teater, City Councilor | City of Beaverton, OR
- Joseph “Joe” Toney, Acting City Manager | City of Malibu, CA
- Matthew von der Hayden, Township Administrator/Director of Water and Sewer | Stafford Township, NJ
- David West, Director of Planning and Economic Development | City of Geneva, NY
- Aarón Zavala, Assistant to the City Manager | City of Pleasanton, CA
- The California Municipal Clerks Association recognized the 2025 Excellence in Public Service Award winners, including four honorees from General Code client communities:
- Clerk of the Year: Candice Alvarez, City of Lake Elsinore
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Linda Troyan, City of Rancho Cucamonga
- President’s Good Samaritan Award: Sylvia Bermudez, Coachella Valley Water District
- President’s Rising Star Award: Yudiana Galvan, City of Calistoga
- Susan Haag, Clerk of the Town of Austerlitz, New York, was named Town Clerk of the Year by the New York State Town Clerks Association.
- Kim-Marie White, Clerk of Eastampton Township, New Jersey, was named Clerk of the Year by the Municipal Clerks’ Association of New Jersey.
- The Borough of Sewickley, Borough of Gettysburg, and New Hope Borough, Pennsylvania, were named among the Best Small Towns in the Northeast by 10Best voters.
- The City of Bend, Oregon; City of Greenfield, Massachusetts; City of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania; City of Silverton, Oregon; and City of Bellingham, Washington all made it to the Top 16 level in the 2025 Strongest Town Contest by Strong Towns.
To all of our client communities — whether your work was publicly recognized this year or quietly carried out behind the scenes — we see and appreciate the effort, dedication, and heart you bring to your roles every day. Your achievements inspire us and reaffirm why we do what we do: to help local governments share their work, strengthen transparency, and better serve their residents.
Thank you for allowing us to be part of your journey. Here’s to continued success, innovation, and collaboration in the year ahead.
Congratulations to all, and best wishes for a bright 2026!
