As part of the Mayor's Spirit of Colorado Springs initiative, the Mayor's Office presents a variety of awards to outstanding individuals and organizations in Colorado Springs.
Awards
Lifetime Achievement Award
This award is presented once a year during the Mayor’s State of the City address each fall. The recipient is recognized for notable achievements and lifelong contributions to the City of Colorado Springs.
Celebration Award
This award celebrates the outstanding achievement of an individual or organization in Colorado Springs. The award is presented to the recipient by the Mayor or an official designee.
Keep It Clean COS Award
This award presented once a year, began in 2022 and honors an individual or group that has significantly contributed to the improvement of local waterways and public spaces by participating in cleanups and community outreach efforts.
Flag Day Award
The Spirit of Colorado Springs Flag Day Award honors local American heroes whose lives and service embody the timeless values represented by the American flag—courage, perseverance, and integrity.
Rooted in our city's proud identity as a military stronghold and Olympic City USA, this annual award celebrates veterans who have continued their service beyond the uniform by giving back to our city, and community leaders and organizations who go above and beyond in serving our veterans and active-duty military families.
The annual Flag Day Awards celebrates the spirit of unity, enduring promise of the American dream, and inspire us all to look to the Stars and Stripes with pride, gratitude, and hope for a brighter future.
Who Qualifies for a Mayor's Spirit of Colorado Springs Award?
Any citizen who lives or participates in an activity in the City of Colorado Springs or on any of the local military installations may receive a Mayor's Spirit of Colorado Springs award. The Mayor will honor a volunteer activity or noteworthy achievement that brings great honor and pride to the City of Colorado Springs and/or has been distinguished at a state, national or international level. The Office of the Mayor makes the final determination on all Mayor's Spirit of Colorado Springs Award recipients.
Past Winners
2025
June Waller
Mayor Yemi Mobolade joined community members at the Hillside Community Center for Hey Neighbor’s State of the Neighborhoods Community Luncheon, where he surprised community leader June Waller with a Spirit of Colorado Springs award, in recognition of her more than six decades of tireless service to Colorado Springs.
Waller, who first moved to the city in the 1960s, dedicated her life to closing gaps in housing, opportunity, and belonging. From her early work with the Housing Authority in the 1970s to launching senior and youth programs that continue to serve residents today, her leadership has left an enduring mark across generations. She also played a key role in advocating for community spaces such as the Leon Young Pavilion.
“June, you are a legend,” said Mayor Yemi. “Your integrity, determination, and heart have made Colorado Springs stronger. You remind us all what it means to be a good neighbor and to build true community.”
Connie Benavidez
Mayor Yemi Mobolade presented longtime community leader and cultural preservationist Connie Benavidez with a Spirit of Colorado Springs Award at the Conejos Neighborhood Reunion.
“Grandma Connie built a space where every dancer, no matter their age or income, could experience the dignity and beauty of Mexican folkloric dance,” said Mayor Yemi. “She has nurtured artists, mentored leaders, and preserved culture, turning ordinary rooms into stages and dancers into ambassadors of heritage and joy. Her life’s work embodies what it means to keep culture alive in Colorado Springs.”
Carlos Jimenez
Mayor Yemi recognized Carlos Jimenez with a Mayor’s Spirit of Colorado Springs Celebration Award for his life-changing impact on students, and steadfast investment in the future of the city.
With 15 years of experience in college admissions, Jimenez has held leadership positions at both Colorado State University Fort Collins and Colorado College. His contributions extend to serving as President of the Rocky Mountain Association for College Admission Counseling (RMACAC) and chairing various committees for the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). He is currently chair of the Atlas Prep Board and the Teach for America Colorado Regional Board of Directors, alongside involvement in multiple community boards.
Martin Wood
Mayor Yemi recognized Martin Wood, Senior Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Emeritus at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS), for his decades of service to both UCCS and the broader educational landscape of Colorado Springs.
Under Wood's leadership, UCCS has secured over $320 million in funding, grown its endowment to nearly $100 million, and established significant public-private partnerships that have advanced the university's mission. Notable achievements include the establishment of UCCS Downtown, creation of the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience, and positioning the university as a statewide leader in cybersecurity.
Joe Lewis and Bob McLaughlin
Mayor Yemi, Roland Rainey Jr. and Dave Donelson presented Lewis and McLaughlin with the inaugural Flag Day Award in June 2025. These two community leaders have embodied the principles of the American flag and the values of the United States through their service and sacrifice to our country.
Pikes Peak Road Runners - Keep it Clean COS Award
Mayor Yemi Mobolade presented the Spirit of the Springs 2025 Keep it Clean COS award to the Pikes Peak Road Runners (PPRR), a local running club that has been participating in trail cleanups since 1998 to steward our public lands.
In 2024 alone, through their First Saturday cleanups each month, PPRR logged an impressive 686 volunteer hours, engaged 98 unique volunteers, and filled 512 bags of trash.
Ed Ragain
At the Switchbacks home opener game on Mar. 15, Mayor Yemi Mobolade presented Ed Ragain with a Celebration Award in recognition of Ragain’s impactful leadership and community spirit. Ragain is the founder and former owner of the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC.
Ragain, an accomplished engineer and businessman, is the founder of ME Engineers, a Colorado-based firm that has grown into an international leader in engineering design. Under his leadership, ME Engineers has developed broadcast lighting design guidelines for major sports organizations, including FIFA, MLS, NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and the Olympic Broadcast Systems. Ragain’s substantial contributions to the field of sports engineering have set the industry standard. Ragain then transitioned into entrepreneurship within the sports arena, establishing the Switchbacks FC franchise. Under Ragain’s ownership, the team qualified for playoffs in six out of 10 seasons and secured both a Western Conference Championship and USL Championship Title in 2024.
2024
Cindy Aubrey
Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade presented United Way CEO and President Cindy Aubrey with the Celebration Award at her retirement celebration on Nov. 21 for her unwavering dedication to the Colorado Springs community.
A proud Colorado native and Mitchell High School graduate, Aubrey has devoted her career to serving her hometown, beginning at Fox 21 and continuing at KOAA, where she led the Creative Services and News departments for nearly two decades.
During her tenure as Chief Communications Officer for the City of Colorado Springs, Aubrey played a crucial role in delivering timely and accurate information to residents during some of the city's most challenging times, including the devastating Waldo Canyon and Black Forest fires. Her empathetic approach and commitment to transparency helped guide the community through these crises, solidifying her reputation in local media.
After four years with the city, Aubrey transitioned to Pikes Peak United Way, where, as Senior Vice President of Marketing and later as President and CEO, she spearheaded initiatives that expanded the organization's reach and effectiveness, including the launch of the Family Success Center located in southeast Colorado Springs. Under her leadership, Pikes Peak United Way celebrated a century of service to the region while creating new partnerships to empower those in need.
Richard Skorman - Lifetime Achievement Award
Mayor Yemi presented the Mayor’s Spirit of Colorado Springs Lifetime Achievement Award to Richard Skorman during a State of the City event on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at The Broadmoor.
Skorman moved to Colorado in the 1970s to attend Colorado College. He began working at a downtown bookstore as a college senior, and eventually bought the business, expanding it over the years into well-known downtown Colorado Springs landmark Poor Richard's.
Over the past three decades, Skorman has volunteered for several committees and boards, and has held multiple elected positions. He served four terms as a Colorado Springs City Councilmember starting in 1999, serving as Vice Mayor and City Council President as part of those duties. Skorman led the effort to get a ballot question passed in 1997 that dedicates 0.1% of local sales tax (one penny on a $10 purchase) to the protection and preservation of City trails, open spaces and parks. The Trails, Open Space and Parks program (TOPS) generates $12 million annually and supports conservation, wildlife habitat protection, maintenance, water quality, wildfire mitigation and more. In April 2023, Colorado Springs residents voted to extend the TOPS tax for 20 years.
Dee Smith, OneBody ENT
Mayor Yemi presented the Celebration Award to Dee Smith in June 2024 at the Southern Colorado Juneteenth Festival. Smith, the founder of OneBody ENT, which includes the Men of Influence and Women of Impact organizations, has been a driving force behind the success in promoting positive change and unity in Southeast Colorado Springs with a mission to serve youth and adults by providing resources and support to help prevent criminal offenses and re-offenses. Through various initiatives such as community outreach, education, mentorship, violence interruption, performing arts, entertainment and social gatherings, OneBody ENT offers positive outlets for individuals to engage in wholesome activities and surround themselves with like-minded peers to create a brighter future.
Veterans Edwin Beck (WWII and Korean War), Walter Knight (WWII), and Melvin Postlewait (Korean War) - Flag Day Award
Mayor Yemi and Council President Randy Helms presented Beck, Knight, and Postlewait with the inaugural Flag Day Award in June 2024. These three veterans have embodied the principles of the American flag and the values of the United States through their service and sacrifice to our country.
OneRepublic: Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins
At the opening night of Ford Amphitheater, Mayor Yemi Mobolade presented a Celebration Award to Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins, members of the pop band OneRepublic, which was founded in Colorado Springs in 2002. He was joined by Tedder and Filkins’ high school choir teacher Dena Flanagan in the presentation.
Tedder and Filkins met at Colorado Springs Christian School, quickly bonded over their shared love of music, and decided to form a band. During this time, Tedder and Filkins played a few small shows at local coffee shops that were attended by friends and family. Following high school, the duo parted ways and attended different colleges. After reuniting in 2002, Tedder and Filkins created OneRepublic, eventually signed with a label and released their first album in 2007. The album proved to be a huge international success, reaching number one in sixteen different countries.
Miss America Madison Marsh
Madison Marsh, who was named Miss America 2024, received a Celebration Award from Mayor Yemi Mobolade and City Council President Randy Helms this weekend in Colorado Springs.
As a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, Marsh became the first-ever active-duty Air Force officer to compete for the Miss America crown. Marsh, a 2023 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, is also a National Truman Scholar, a two-time National Astronaut Scholar, a Harvard Kennedy School graduate student at Harvard University, a blackbelt in taekwondo, and she became a certified pilot at the age of 16. Marsh also works as an advocate and spokesperson for pancreatic cancer research and education.
ASEZ WAO - Keep It Clean COS Award
Mayor Yemi presented the Mayor's Spirit of Colorado Springs 2024 Keep it Clean COS award to ASEZ WAO, an international young adult volunteer group. ASEZ WAO began working with the City’s Stormwater Enterprise in the spring of 2022. Since that time, the group has significantly contributed to the improvement of local waterways and public spaces by participating in a number of cleanups and community outreach efforts.
2022
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Cathy Matthews-Kane - Celebration Award
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Richard Skorman - Celebration Award
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COS I Love You - Inaugural Keep it Clean Spirit of the Springs winner
2019
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Chris Barnhart – Celebration Award
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Sharon Milito – Celebration Award
2018
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Maile Gray – Celebration Award
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Dave Munger – Inspirational Leader Award
2017
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Cathy Post – Celebration Award
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Ralph Routon – Celebration Award
2016
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Dr. Derek Hurst
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Michael Hagiwara
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Kelly Hayes
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Cathy Stark
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Bridget Holisky & Carmella Vega