Oxford Citizen of the Year 2025

Every year, the Oxford Kiwanis Club honors local residents as Citizen of the Year and Citizen of the Years. The awards are presented to people who have contributed materially to making the Oxford community a better place to live.

Numerous individuals are nominated by members of the Oxford community each year, and the final recipients are chosen by a group of past honorees after the nominating period ends. The recipients are selected on the basis of contributions made as volunteers rather than as part of employment responsibilities.

A person recognized as Citizen of the Year has volunteered an important and specific contribution to Oxford during the past year. A Citizen of the Years has made contributions to Oxford extending over many years, typically in multiple ways. In some years, a couple or an organization may be named as Citizen of the Year or Citizen of the Years.

This year, Frances Yates is recognized as the 2025 Citizen of the Year, Sarah Michael is honored as the 2025 Citizen of the Years and Jenny and John Bailer are selected as the 2025 Couple of the Year.

The Citizen of the Year recognition was started by The Oxford Press in 1952. Since then, 154 individuals and couples have been recognized as Citizens of the Year, 178 as Citizens of the Years and 23 as Couple of the Year or Years. An individual may be honored only once as Citizen of the Year and only once as Citizen of the Years.

Recipients are honored at a lunch hosted by the Oxford Kiwanis Club. Each honoree receives a reproduction of a watercolor painting of Oxford by local artist and 2012 Citizen of the Years Marjorie Bowers, who passed away last year. The painting is reproduced through a grant from the Oxford Community Foundation and is available only to the Citizen of the Year and Citizen of the Years recipients. The Oxford Kiwanis Club provides more information on the Oxford Citizen of the Year and Citizen of the Years program on its website.