Lakewood Mayor Adam Paul is receiving the Community Leadership Award as part of the 2023 Impact Awards given by the Community Investment Alliance, a nonprofit working with communities to develop stable housing, access to healthy food and numerous other items.
Lakewood Mayor Adam Paul
A Lakewood pastor nominated Mayor Paul for the award based in part on the mayor’s personal involvement with the city launching its first Extreme Weather Overflow Shelter last winter, which supplemented other existing shelters that couldn’t address all of those needing shelter during extreme temperatures. Paul spent time at this temporary city shelter when it was operating and helped resolve issues that arose during its operation.
The nonprofit also cited several other reasons for it bestowing the award on the mayor:
• Advocating for unhoused neighbors including his support for creating more affordable housing through a community-based regional approach.
• Spearheading initiatives that positively affect residents such as Lakewood Linked.
• Focusing on collaboration to create lasting impacts on improving the community’s prosperity.
“Your ability to bring diverse stakeholders together, foster partnerships, and effectively address the needs of the community has been truly commendable,” the nonprofit’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Kathleen Van Voorhis wrote about Mayor Paul’s work.
The mayor is honored and touched to receive the award. “My father was a pastor and my mother a teacher, instilling in me the importance of working to improve the community for everyone, and the solutions that make life better for all our community members aren’t ever easy,” the mayor said. “But that approach has certainly been my focus as an elected official.”