HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Public Service Award 2023____________________________________________________________________________________
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
Council Meeting: April 3, 2023
Disposition: Resolution 15197
Agenda Item No: 4.c
Meeting Date: April 3, 2023
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Department: City Manager
Prepared by: Lindsay Lara, City Clerk City Manager Approval: ______________
TOPIC: PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD 2023
SUBJECT: RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION TO RECIPIENT OF THE RICHARD P.
O’BRIEN AND MARY FERRARIO O’BRIEN PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD FOR
2023
RECOMMENDATION: Adopt Resolution of Appreciation to recipient of the Richard P. O’Brien
and Mary Ferrario O’Brien Public Service Award for 2023.
BACKGROUND: In March 2001, J. Michael Mahoney established an endowment in honor of
former Planning Commissioner Richard O’Brien and his wife, Mary Ferrario O’Brien. The
endowment funds an annual Public Service Award. The purpose of this award is to recognize
an individual in the San Rafael community who has made exceptional contributions to the City,
making it a better place to live or work. In addition to public recognition, the endowment provides
a cash award to the recipient.
In September 2001, the City Council adopted procedures for the Public Service Award program
and process. The procedures include the appointment of a Selection Committee to review
nominations from the public and recommend an award recipient to the City Council. The
Selection Committee includes two City Council members, two Planning Commissioners, a
member of the O’Brien family, a representative from the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce,
and neighborhood community representatives (e.g., Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods).
The call for nominations was initiated in November 2022. Once the current year nominations
have been submitted, they are reviewed along with the nominations submitted over the past
three years (in this case 2020, 2021 and 2022). Last year’s award recipient (Samantha Ramirez
–2022) was eliminated from the pool of eligible candidates.
This year, a total of 12 candidates were considered. Of this total, nominations were submitted
for four nominees this year and eight were carried over from the past three years. On March 21,
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2
2023, the Selection Committee met to review and consider the nominations. The Committee
selected Melissa Prandi as the twenty-third recipient of the award.
As summarized in the attached Resolution and nomination materials, Melissa Prandi was
selected as the recipient of the Public Service Award due to her consistent level of selflessness
demonstrated throughout her life’s work. As a business owner in San Rafael, she models
community engagement and encourages her team to participate in volunteer work. She has
spent much of her time volunteering with the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce Board of
Directors, the Downtown Business Improvement District, Dominican University, the Women’s
Philanthropy Leadership Council, the Rotary Club of San Rafael and many more associations.
She led fund raising efforts for Meals of Marin, the Marin Center for Independent Living, the
Marin Shakespeare Company, Sanzuma, Career Technical Education (CTE) Center, Slide
Ranch, and three international charities including the Melissa Prandi Children's Foundation.
During the first 30 days of COVID she organized the Rotary Club of San Rafael Board’s
fundraising of $50,000 to the Marin Community Foundation, which gave back to smaller non-
profits in Marin County.
Melissa takes every challenge she has faced in her life and turns it into an opportunity to help
those around her. She is a survivor of domestic violence and has dedicated her time, energy,
and money to the Center for Domestic Peace, and has been a keynote speaker at events where
she shared some of her most personal experiences with domestic violence in an effort to raise
awareness.
Melissa has made such an impact to the community that she received a total of six nominations
for the Public Service Award. In the opinion of her nominators, Melissa is a force of nature who
brings economic prosperity to San Rafael which helps our entire community, including our public
schools. She is an incredible community member with an amazing can-do attitude, is extremely
generous, constantly gives back financially, and dedicates her time and skills to make San
Rafael and Marin a better place to live for everyone. Melissa’s efforts and accomplishments have
bettered our community, and communities across the world, in many ways, which has earned
her the nomination for the City of San Rafael’s Public Service Award for 2023.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH: The call for nominations for Public Service Award was advertised
in Snapshot (the City Manager’s e-newsletter), the City website, NextDoor social media, and
with neighborhood associations.
FISCAL IMPACT: As the Public Service Award program is privately funded, there is no financial
impact to the City of San Rafael. However, the recipient of this award receives a check in the
amount of $2,500 from the Richard P. O’Brien and Mary Ferrario O’Brien Citizen of the Year
Fund, which is administered by the Marin Community Foundation.
OPTIONS:
1. Adopt the Resolution of Appreciation presenting the 2023 Public Service Award to
Melissa Prandi.
2. Return the recommendation to the Selection Committee for reconsideration.
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 3
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Adopt the Resolution of Appreciation.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution of Appreciation
2. Nomination materials and letters of support for Melissa Prandi.
Resolution 15197
City of San Rafael
Richard P. O’Brien and Mary Ferrario O’Brien
Public Service Award for 2023
Presented to
Melissa Prandi
WHEREAS, Melissa Prandi was selected as the recipient of the Public Service Award
due to her consistent level of selflessness demonstrated throughout her
life’s work. As a business owner in San Rafael, she models community
engagement and encourages her team to participate in volunteer work; and
WHEREAS, Melissa has spent much of her time volunteering with the San Rafael
Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Downtown Business
Improvement District, Dominican University, the Women’s Philanthropy
Leadership Council, the Rotary Club of San Rafael, and many more
associations; and
WHEREAS, Melissa led fund raising efforts for Meals of Marin, the Marin Center for
Independent Living, the Marin Shakespeare Company, Sanzuma, the
Career Technical Education (CTE) Center, Slide Ranch, and three
international charities including the Melissa Prandi Children's Foundation.
During the first 30 days of COVID, she organized the Rotary Club of San
Rafael Board’s fundraising of $50,000 to the Marin Community Foundation,
which gave back to smaller non-profits in Marin County; and
WHEREAS, Melissa takes every challenge she has faced in her life and turns it into an
opportunity to help those around her. She is a survivor of domestic violence
and has dedicated her time, energy, and money to the Center for Domestic
Peace, and has been a keynote speaker at events where she shared some of
her most personal experiences with domestic violence in an effort to raise
awareness; and
WHEREAS, Melissa has made such an impact to the community that she received a total
of six nominations for the Public Service Award. In the opinion of her
nominators, Melissa is a force of nature who brings economic prosperity to
San Rafael which helps our entire community, including our public
schools. She is an incredible community member with an amazing can-do
attitude, is extremely generous, constantly gives back financially, and
dedicates her time and skills to make San Rafael and Marin a better place to
live for everyone. Melissa’s efforts and accomplishments have bettered our
community, and communities across the world, in many ways, which has
earned her the City of San Rafael’s Public Service Award for 2023.
NOW, THEREFORE LET IT BE RESOLVED, that the San Rafael City Council expresses its
appreciation to Melissa Prandi on behalf of her community and hereby awards her the Richard
O’Brien and the Mary Ferrario O’Brien Public Service Award for 2023 on Monday, April 3, 2023.
_____________________________________
Mayor