Call for Nominations — California Missions Foundation Annual Awards 

The California Missions Foundation invites our members, supporters, colleagues, and friends throughout California and beyond to submit nominations for consideration for CMF’s annual awards honoring outstanding achievement in the preservation, study, interpretation, and stewardship of California’s historic missions and related sites.

Each year, CMF recognizes individuals and organizations whose preservation work, scholarship, leadership, service, and dedication have made meaningful contributions to protecting and understanding California’s mission-era heritage. We welcome nominations in four categories. Please submit your nominations to nominations@californiamissionsfoundation.org

 

Norman Neuerburg Award

The Norman Neuerburg Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the study and preservation of California’s missions, presidios, pueblos, ranchos, and other resources associated with California’s pre-statehood history. Nominees may be scholars, historians, archaeologists, architects, preservationists, authors, institutions, or others whose work has contributed significantly to the preservation and understanding of California’s historic resources.

 

Edna E. Kimbro Award

The Edna E. Kimbro Award recognizes individuals whose energy, dedication, and interdisciplinary work have advanced the understanding, preservation, and interpretation of California’s mission-era heritage. Reflecting Edna Kimbro’s own extraordinary commitment to historic preservation and interpretation, the award honors those who bring together scholarship, preservation, education, advocacy, interpretation, or public service in furtherance of the mission and goals of CMF.

 

Chairman’s Award

The Chairman’s Award recognizes individuals, organizations, docent groups, volunteers, and community leaders who have made an important impact on the study of early California history or the preservation and interpretation of historic sites within their communities. Particular consideration may be given to individuals or organizations associated with the region hosting CMF’s annual California Missions Conference, allowing CMF to recognize exceptional contributions at the local and regional level.

 

Knox Mellon Lifetime Achievement Award

The Knox Mellon Lifetime Achievement Award is one of CMF’s highest honors and recognizes an individual whose body of work over many years has made an enduring contribution to the study, preservation, restoration, interpretation, or stewardship of California’s missions and related historic sites. Named in honor of Dr. Knox Mellon, former California State Historic Preservation Officer and longtime leader of the California Missions Foundation, the award celebrates a lifetime of distinguished service and lasting impact on California’s historic and cultural heritage.

 

We encourage our membership and the greater community to consider the historians, preservationists, scholars, archaeologists, architects, educators, Native community representatives, clergy, docents, volunteers, organizations, and other dedicated individuals whose work deserves recognition.

Nominations should include a brief description of the nominee’s background, major accomplishments and contributions, and the reasons the nominee merits consideration for the particular award.

The California Missions Foundation looks forward to honoring those whose dedication helps ensure that the history, cultural resources, and historic places associated with California’s missions and related sites are preserved, studied, and interpreted for generations to come.